The East Midlands has 183,715 registered businesses. The motor trade and repair is 4.0% of them, the highest share of any UK nation or region, and wholesale 4.0%, above the UK’s 3.6%.
We do not have an office, staff or events in the East Midlands. Everything is online.
The local business mix
Construction is close to the UK average, at 14.6%. Professional services are below it, at 10.5%. It is a region of businesses that sell and fix physical things, and it suits our wholesale and quoting tools more than our AI-for-offices pitch.
| Sector | Businesses | Share | UK | vs UK · rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All businesses | 183,715 | 100% | — | 8 of 12 by count |
| Fewer than 10 staff | 163,315 | 88.9% | 89.1% | |
| Construction and specialist trades | 26,900 | 14.6% | 14.1% | about the same · 5 of 12 |
| Cleaning, facilities and landscaping | 3,690 | 2.0% | 2.0% | about the same · 7 of 12 |
| Wholesale | 7,410 | 4.0% | 3.6% | above · 4 of 12 |
| Retail | 14,175 | 7.7% | 7.7% | about the same · 7 of 12 |
| Motor trade and repair | 7,310 | 4.0% | 3.0% | above · 1 of 12 |
| Hotels, pubs, cafés and restaurants | 11,610 | 6.3% | 6.5% | about the same · 7 of 12 |
| Professional services (legal, accounting, consultancy, architects, marketing) | 19,325 | 10.5% | 12.3% | below · 9 of 12 |
| Software and IT services | 6,050 | 3.3% | 4.4% | below · 7 of 12 |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts 2026, via Nomis, March 2026. About these figures.
What fits here, and why
Ordered by how many local businesses each is likely to suit.
Garages and repairers send estimates and wait. If yours go out from Xero or QuickBooks, Quote Nudge follows them up for you.
Find out more →For the region’s 7,410 wholesalers and parts counters running Linnworks.
Find out more →Per-customer trade pricing without the spreadsheet.
Find out more →For the 26,900 construction and trade businesses.
Find out more →No. Grafto is run from Suffolk, where Green & Home Ltd has its warehouse in Mildenhall (registered office: Hertford). We work with businesses in the East Midlands 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 Quote Nudge by Grafto. Polite, automatic follow-ups on quotes that have gone quiet, for Xero (and QuickBooks in Quote Nudge QB). Coming soon; waiting list open.
From the Office for National Statistics’ UK Business Counts for 2026, published through Nomis. They count 183,715 enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE in the East Midlands, so very small unregistered sole traders are not included.
Nearby
Neighbouring: West Midlands · Yorkshire and the Humber · East of England. 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.