Data-driven studies about UK businesses, consumers, and market trends — free to read, cite and share. Please link back to the source page.
A sector-wide benchmark of 50,213 active UK plumbing, heating and electrical companies, profiling business age, legal structure, geographic concentration and certification coverage. We find a fragmented market dominated by sole traders, with the top five postcode areas accounting for 22% of all active plumbing firms.
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“68% of UK SMBs now have an online presence”
Tracking how UK small and medium businesses embraced digital tools in 2024 — from basic web presence through to online booking, CRM and AI-assisted marketing. Headline finding: 68% of UK SMBs now have an online presence, up from 59% in 2022.
“Plumbers are requested 3× more than any other trade”
Ranking the ten most-requested trades across England in 2024 by lead volume, average wait time, and consumer price satisfaction. Plumbers dominate — requested 3× more than any other trade — followed by electricians and boiler engineers.
“84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations”
How UK consumers evaluate and trust local businesses before making a purchase or booking. Headline finding: 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations — and star rating is the single biggest factor in choosing a local provider.
Manchester, Bristol and Leeds lead new business registrations in 2026. Bristol grew registrations 14% year-on-year — the fastest outside London — while Brighton leads verified review density at 4.8 reviews per listed business.
Updated 2026 trade price benchmarks for England. Plumbers average £68/hour, electricians £72/hour, builders £55/hour — with London rates up to 28% above national medians.
Only 44% of UK small businesses survive five years. Survival ranges from 68% for professional services to 31% for restaurants — with London bucking the national trend at 48%.
Hospitality and specialist healthcare top Yolist rating tables in 2026 while vehicle repair garages average 3.81 stars. Analysis of 340,000+ verified reviews across 48 business categories.
Plumbers, electricians and heating engineers top the shortfall list in 2026. Based on Checkatrade, FMB and NICEIC survey data, regional wait times have reached record highs as demand outstrips supply across England.
Survey of 1,200 UK small and medium businesses on digital presence, online review management, and e-commerce adoption. Key finding: 34% have an optimised Google Business Profile.
Regional benchmarks of self-employed tradesperson day rates and PAYE salaries across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. London and the South East lead but the gap to the Midlands has narrowed to 18% on a cost-of-living-adjusted basis. Sample 2026 figures derived from public job-board postings.
A sector-wide benchmark of 50,213 active UK plumbing, heating and electrical companies, profiling business age, legal structure, geographic concentration and certification coverage. We find a fragmented market dominated by sole traders, with the top five postcode areas accounting for 22% of all active plumbing firms.
An analysis of FSA food hygiene ratings across England by region, category and business size — with trend data from 2022–2026. Covering 500,000+ rated businesses.
Analysis of the growing shortage of skilled tradespeople in England — response times, geographic variation, and the impact on consumers. Based on Yolist booking data and ONS labour market statistics.
Mapping pub density per 10,000 adults across UK regions and modelling five-year survival of newly-incorporated pub companies. Pub density continues to fall — down 8.2% since 2019 — but well-located gastropubs in urban centres show survival rates above 70%. Sample 2026 figures, defensible against ONS Business Demography but not yet peer-reviewed.
Mapping the supply of dental services across the UK by NHS vs private mix. Pure-NHS practices have dropped to 18% of the total, with mixed practices growing fastest. Patients in the East and South West face the longest reported NHS waiting lists. Sample 2026 figures derived from CQC and HIW registers cross-referenced with practice websites.
How UK small and medium businesses are deploying workplace and customer-facing EV charging. Uptake doubled between 2023 and 2026 driven by the Workplace Charging Scheme and customer-attraction motives. Sample 2026 figures from a cross-sector survey of 5,302 SME premises.
Tracking the recovery of the UK gym, studio and personal-training sector six years after the first lockdown. Membership volume has now exceeded pre-pandemic levels but yield per member has fallen as low-cost chains take share. Boutique studios show the strongest revenue-per-square-metre growth. Sample 2026 figures aggregated from Companies House filings and Yolist listings.
Tracking how UK small and medium businesses embraced digital tools in 2024 — from basic web presence through to online booking, CRM and AI-assisted marketing. Headline finding: 68% of UK SMBs now have an online presence, up from 59% in 2022.
Ranking the ten most-requested trades across England in 2024 by lead volume, average wait time, and consumer price satisfaction. Plumbers dominate — requested 3× more than any other trade — followed by electricians and boiler engineers.
How UK consumers evaluate and trust local businesses before making a purchase or booking. Headline finding: 84% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations — and star rating is the single biggest factor in choosing a local provider.
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Our monthly composite score tracking UK business sentiment — hiring intentions, revenue outlook, and investment plans across four sectors. Current reading: 67/100 (Moderately Confident, Q2 2026).
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