Young start-up firms buck negative trend

THE number of young people starting their own businesses has bucked the trend for new firms nationally, according to figures released yesterday by the Prince's Scottish Youth Business Trust.

There was a 39 per cent year-on-year increase in business start-ups by 18 to 25-year-olds in Scotland between July and December, the trust said.

By contrast, statistics from the Committee of Scottish Clearing Banks last month showed the number of firms opening accounts had fallen by 16 per cent during the past year.