The South West has 237,935 registered businesses. Construction is 15.1% of them, the third-highest share of any UK nation or region, and cleaning, facilities and landscaping another 2.3%, also the third-highest share of any UK nation or region.
We do not have an office, staff or events in the South West. Everything is done online.
The local business mix
Wholesale is thin here, at 2.8% (the second-lowest share of any UK nation or region), so our Linnworks wholesale tools matter less than elsewhere. Hospitality is a little above the UK average, at 7.2%. We do not make hospitality software, and we would rather say so than stretch a product to fit.
| Sector | Businesses | Share | UK | vs UK · rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All businesses | 237,935 | 100% | — | 5 of 12 by count |
| Fewer than 10 staff | 211,610 | 88.9% | 89.1% | |
| Construction and specialist trades | 36,035 | 15.1% | 14.1% | about the same · 3 of 12 |
| Cleaning, facilities and landscaping | 5,540 | 2.3% | 2.0% | above · 3 of 12 |
| Wholesale | 6,755 | 2.8% | 3.6% | below · 11 of 12 |
| Retail | 16,130 | 6.8% | 7.7% | below · 10 of 12 |
| Motor trade and repair | 7,945 | 3.3% | 3.0% | above · 9 of 12 |
| Hotels, pubs, cafés and restaurants | 17,020 | 7.2% | 6.5% | above · 6 of 12 |
| Professional services (legal, accounting, consultancy, architects, marketing) | 25,970 | 10.9% | 12.3% | below · 7 of 12 |
| Software and IT services | 9,045 | 3.8% | 4.4% | below · 4 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.
36,035 construction and trade businesses, plus 5,540 grounds, cleaning and facilities firms.
Find out more →Quote follow-up for trades and small firms on Xero or QuickBooks.
Find out more →For hospitality, retail and everyone without a product of ours that fits: a costed plan of where AI earns its keep.
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 South West 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 GraftG. Quotes, invoices, jobs, mileage and receipts done over WhatsApp, for UK tradies. In beta, with founding places open.
From the Office for National Statistics’ UK Business Counts for 2026, published through Nomis. They count 237,935 enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE in the South West, so very small unregistered sole traders are not included.
Nearby
Also in the South West: Bristol.
Neighbouring: Wales · South East · West Midlands. 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.