The state of UK B2B sales - data from Companies House records
By Dave Curran, Co-Founder, Firmbase | March 2026 | 12 min read
Every year, thousands of UK companies file their accounts with Companies House. That's 1.3 million Companies House filings annually, containing turnover data, profitability, cash position, and director information.
Most of that data disappears into a filing cabinet. It's public, but nobody reads it at scale.
We analysed Companies House filing data to understand what's actually happening in UK B2B sales. Here's what the numbers tell us.
The overall market picture
Based on analysis of Companies House data from 2022-2024 for UK B2B companies with turnover between £500K and £50M:
- Total market size: Approximately 47,000 active B2B trading companies in this size band
- Growth rate (median): 12% year-over-year
- Profitability (median net margin): 8%
- Cash position (median): 2.3 months of operating expenses
What this means: The median UK B2B company is growing steadily but not aggressively. Most are cash-constrained relative to their spending.
Growth trajectory analysis
When we segment companies by growth rate:
- High growth (30%+ YoY): 18% of the market
- Steady growth (10-30% YoY): 34% of the market
- Flat or slow growth (under 10% YoY): 28% of the market
- Declining: 20% of the market
What this means: Nearly a fifth of UK B2B companies are in high-growth mode. These are your highest-priority accounts.
Director appointment trends
- Companies with new Finance Director appointment in last 12 months: 34% of growing companies (30%+ growth)
- Companies with new Finance Director appointment in last 12 months: 12% of flat-growth companies
- Median time between Finance Director appointment and fundraising announcement: 4-6 months
What this means: New Finance Director appointments are 2.8x more common in high-growth companies.
Regional analysis
Top regions by concentration of high-growth B2B companies:
- London: 31% of all high-growth B2B companies
- South East (excluding London): 12%
- Greater Manchester: 8%
- West Midlands: 6%
- Bristol: 5%
What this means: London disproportionately concentrates high-growth companies. But 69% of high-growth B2B companies are outside the capital.
Sector analysis
High-growth rates (30%+ YoY) by sector:
- Recruitment and staffing: 28% showing 30%+ growth
- Software and IT services: 24%
- Professional services: 21%
- Business support services: 18%
- Manufacturing and engineering: 16%
- Wholesale and distribution: 9%
What this data means for your prospecting
- High-growth is concentrated but accessible. 18% of the market is in high-growth mode. That's roughly 8,500 companies with budget and buying intent.
- London is disproportionate, but most growth is elsewhere. If you're only targeting London, you're missing 69% of growth.
- Director appointments are real signals. Companies that appoint Finance Directors or Revenue Operations heads are 3-4x more likely to be hiring and expanding.
- The highest growth plus best profitability ratio is £2M-£5M companies. They're growing 13%+ while still hitting 8%+ margins.
This analysis is based on Companies House data that's public but not analysed at scale by most sales teams
Firmbase continuously analyses Companies House filings to identify high-growth companies in your market.
Start your free trial at app.firmbase.co/signup
FAQ
How reliable is Companies House data compared to other databases?
Companies House data is filed by companies themselves and is legally binding. It's the most reliable data source for UK company financials.
Does this data include private companies?
Yes. Private companies with turnover above £6.5M must file full accounts.
Can I use this data to build my target account list?
Absolutely. The trends and patterns hold predictive value. A company showing high growth in last year's filing is more likely to be in buying mode now.
Author Bio
Dave Curran is the co-founder of Firmbase, a UK B2B sales intelligence tool. Start your free trial