Birmingham has 38,605 registered businesses, and its mix is sharper than the West Midlands as a whole: retail is 12.2% and wholesale 5.1%, against 7.7% and 3.6% across the UK.
We do not have an office, staff or events in Birmingham.
The local business mix
Construction is lower than in the surrounding region, at 9.8%. For a city with this many wholesalers and shops, the Linnworks tools are the obvious starting point.
| Sector | Businesses | Share | West Midlands | UK | vs UK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All businesses | 38,605 | 100% | — | — | |
| Fewer than 10 staff | 34,365 | 89.0% | 88.8% | 89.1% | |
| Construction and specialist trades | 3,795 | 9.8% | 13.4% | 14.1% | below |
| Cleaning, facilities and landscaping | 570 | 1.5% | 1.9% | 2.0% | below |
| Wholesale | 1,950 | 5.1% | 4.3% | 3.6% | above |
| Retail | 4,695 | 12.2% | 8.6% | 7.7% | above |
| Motor trade and repair | 1,395 | 3.6% | 4.0% | 3.0% | above |
| Hotels, pubs, cafés and restaurants | 2,745 | 7.1% | 6.2% | 6.5% | above |
| Professional services (legal, accounting, consultancy, architects, marketing) | 4,370 | 11.3% | 10.6% | 12.3% | about the same |
| Software and IT services | 1,375 | 3.6% | 3.7% | 4.4% | below |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts 2026, via Nomis, March 2026, local authority area. About these figures.
What fits here, and why
Ordered by how many local businesses each is likely to suit.
No. Grafto is run from Suffolk, where Green & Home Ltd has its warehouse in Mildenhall (registered office: Hertford). We work with businesses in Birmingham remotely: the AI Tools Report, the apps and support are all online or by email. Our only in-person events are in Bury St Edmunds.
It depends on what you do, but on the local mix we would usually start with Trade Order POS by Grafto. Trade counter, phone and field orders taken in seconds and sent straight into Linnworks. Live now.
From the Office for National Statistics’ UK Business Counts for 2026, published through Nomis. They count 38,605 enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE in Birmingham, so very small unregistered sole traders are not included.
Nearby
Birmingham is part of the West Midlands.
Other cities: Manchester · Leeds · Glasgow. Or see everywhere we work.
Ten minutes of questions, then a costed plan for your business, wherever in the UK it is. £59.99 inc VAT.
Get my AI Tools Report →Questions first? Email hello@grafto.co.uk.