In 2024, there were approximately **** million small and medium-sized enterprises operating in the United Kingdom. Micro-sized enterprises that employ up to nine people constitute the majority of SMEs in the UK, at over **** million. Enterprises that have between 10 and 49 employees are classed as small enterprises, and numbered around ******* in the UK, while there were ****** medium-sized enterprises.

In 2024, there were approximately 870,040 small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the construction sector in the United Kingdom, the most of any sector in that year. The sector with the second-highest number of SMEs was the Professional, Scientific and Technical activities sector, at 754,520 SMEs.

In 2024, there were approximately ******* small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in London, making it the region with the highest number of SMEs in the United Kingdom. By contrast, in the same year, there were just ******* SMEs in Northern Ireland, the fewest of any UK region.

In 2024, SME's in the UK collectively employed ***** million people. In this year, micro-sized enterprises that had an employee headcount of nine or fewer employed around **** million people in the United Kingdom, with small businesses employing around **** million people, and medium-sized ones **** million.

Presents the number of enterprises (businesses) in the UK along with the turnover and employment in these enterprises. Source agency: Business, Innovation and Skills Designation: National Statistics Language: English Alternative title: SME Statistics

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.In January 2004, a consortium of public and private sector organisations commissioned Warwick Business School to carry out the United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises' (SME) Finances, 2004. This was the first representative survey of SMEs to offer a close analysis of businesses with fewer than 250 employees, their main owners and their access to external finance. A second survey was conducted in 2008, where business owners were interviewed by telephone about the finances they have used or applied for in the last three years, their financial relationships, the characteristics of the business and personal details. In 2007, another consortium of UK public sector bodies, small business representative organisations and finance providers agreed to sponsor a similar survey to the 2004 survey, conducted by the Centre for Business Research based at the University of Cambridge. This study is held at the UKDA under SN 6049, with the title United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises' Finances, 2007. It aimed to compile another benchmark and to identify any changes or trends that had emerged since 2004, but made a number of changes to the 2004 questionnaire, so that it is not a direct member of the UKSMEF series, but stands alongside it as a separate cross-sectional survey. The UKSMEF 2008 survey was conducted by the same Principal Investigator as the 2004 survey, based at Warwick Business School, and the 2008 report provides direct comparison between the 2004 and 2008 surveys. The aims of the 2004 study were to provide benchmarking data on the availability of credit to SMEs, collect information on the relationship between SMEs and their providers of finance, and to develop a general-purpose micro database for quantitative research on business finances (offering, for example, scope for comparison with United States business finance). Main Topics: Topics covered in the survey included personal characteristics of the owner/manager, firm demographics, providers of finance, relationship with main bank, use of grant finance, commercial loans, assets and asset-based finance, credit cards and equity finance, use of business advice, main business problems and financial qualifications, income and balance sheet information. Special questions were also included for 'start-up' businesses less than two years old. One-stage stratified or systematic random sample Telephone interview Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) was used.

Data on SME performance and the factors that affect this. Based on a series of surveys among small and medium-sized (SME) employer enterprises across the UK. The survey assesses how well or badly small businesses are performing, their needs, concerns and barriers to growth.

The United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises' Finances, 2007, conducted by the Centre for Business Research based at the University of Cambridge, covered a sample of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK with up to 250 employees, including zero employee businesses, in all sectors, and the resulting data was weighted up to be representative of the national business population.

A consortium of public and private sector organisations had previously commissioned Warwick Business School to carry out a similar survey in 2004, the United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises' Finances, 2004 (held at the UKDA under SN 5326). The 2004 survey was then repeated in 2008 (see under SN 6314). As the 2007 survey made a number of changes to the 2004 questionnaire, it is not a direct member of the UKSMEF series, but stands alongside it as a separate cross-sectional survey.

The 2007 survey collected information about the business owner / leader, the age of the business, the types of finance used, number of finance providers and the length of the relationship, switching banks, types of new finance applied for and the success in obtaining this finance.

Success.ai’s UK SME Database gives your business a powerful edge in reaching verified small and medium-sized companies across the United Kingdom. Whether you’re selling business services, SaaS, finance tools, or logistics solutions—this dataset offers direct access to growth-stage companies that are ready to buy.

With rich company data and verified contact info for founders, directors, and operational managers, you’ll have everything needed to identify, engage, and convert high-potential UK SMEs.

Included Data Points:
- Company name and domain
- Business category and industry
- Company size (employee range)
- Location (city, postcode, region)
- Contact name, job title, email, LinkedIn

Why Success.ai?
- Covers 2.5M+ UK small and mid-sized businesses
- Verified data for owners, directors, and decision-makers
- Great for outreach in services, SaaS, HR, and legal sectors
- Curated for accuracy and delivered your way
- Best Price Guarantee – always competitive, always complete

Use Cases:
- B2B sales outreach to UK growth companies
- Local ABM for regional campaigns
- Market expansion for service providers
- SME-focused research and segmentation
- Email marketing and CRM enrichment

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner. The United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises' Finances, 2007, conducted by the Centre for Business Research based at the University of Cambridge, covered a sample of small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK with up to 250 employees, including zero employee businesses, in all sectors, and the resulting data was weighted up to be representative of the national business population. A consortium of public and private sector organisations had previously commissioned Warwick Business School to carry out a similar survey in 2004, the United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises' Finances, 2004 (held at the UKDA under SN 5326). The 2004 survey was then repeated in 2008 (see under SN 6314). As the 2007 survey made a number of changes to the 2004 questionnaire, it is not a direct member of the UKSMEF series, but stands alongside it as a separate cross-sectional survey. The 2007 survey collected information about the business owner / leader, the age of the business, the types of finance used, number of finance providers and the length of the relationship, switching banks, types of new finance applied for and the success in obtaining this finance.

This statistic shows the value added by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom from 2011 to 2017. During this time period, the value added by SMEs to the UK economy has grown from *** billion euros in 2011 to approximately ***** billion euros by 2018.

In the UK, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) now provide more employment and business turnover than large firms and public organisations together. Statistically, firms with under 250 employees in 1998 employed 57% of the workforce and accounted for 54% of turnover. This fits in with government policies to promote small businesses and self-employment more generally. Small size, however, creates problems as well as opportunities. Whereas large firms may operate with special departments to look after innovation, marketing and training needs, for example, small firms lack these resources. This can be a barrier to expansion.
However, by collaborating with other SMEs on certain business functions such as joint marketing to get into or extend export markets, or by sharing non-confidential knowledge to enhance innovation capacity, they can together overcome barriers caused by small size in a relatively costless manner.
The survey and interviews for this project sought to identify firms that engage in formal and informal partnerships based on mutual trust, exchanging favours, and judging reliability, credibility and reputation to be a safeguard against opportunistic behaviour.
The key question asked in this research was whether firms that make use of these kinds of 'social capital' display superior or inferior business performance compared to those that do not, holding everything else as far as possible constant. By exploring different types of social capital, some based on cultural identity, ethnicity or religion, some arising from membership of a specific, perhaps geographically defined economic community or particular industry, the research aimed to show the extent to which social capital may influence economic performance and draw policy lessons accordingly.
In order to investigate relationships between SME performance and social capital, operational measures of these two variables were developed and employed. The former were measured by turnover, profitability, employment and innovation performance, the latter by engagement in networks of a business, professional, social, cultural or political nature that had a bearing upon business performance. These were measured using Likert-based scaling measures. An index of area performance was drawn up for the UK to construct a sampling frame for a postal questionnaire survey capable of discriminating by spatial and economic categories of interest.

Success.ai’s UK SME Dataset gives you unmatched access to 2 million small and medium-sized enterprises across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

Whether you’re targeting small business owners or departmental heads in growing firms, this dataset provides structured and verified company records for precise targeting.

Built for B2B sales, marketing, investment prospecting, and market research, each dataset includes detailed firmographics, ownership structure, and (optional) verified contact data for C-level or decision-making staff.

What You’ll Get:
- Company name, domain, and LinkedIn URL
- Headcount and revenue range
- Region, country, postal code
- SIC/NAICS codes or industry categories
- Contact info (owner, founder, CMO, etc. – optional)

Why Success.ai?
- 2M+ updated SME records in the UK alone
- Segment by geography, sector, or company size
- Perfect for SMB-focused B2B vendors and service providers
- Best Price Guarantee for small business data
- GDPR-ready datasets for peace of mind

Use Cases:
- Small business marketing campaigns
- B2B CRM data enrichment
- Investor scouting and growth tracking
- Local ABM by city or region
- Lead generation for SME-focused SaaS and fintech tools

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner.In January 2004, a consortium of public and private sector organisations commissioned Warwick Business School to carry out the United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-sized Enterprises' (SME) Finances, 2004. This was the first representative survey of SMEs to offer a close analysis of businesses with fewer than 250 employees, their main owners and their access to external finance. A second survey was conducted in 2008, where business owners were interviewed by telephone about the finances they have used or applied for in the last three years, their financial relationships, the characteristics of the business and personal details. In 2007, another consortium of UK public sector bodies, small business representative organisations and finance providers agreed to sponsor a similar survey to the 2004 survey, conducted by the Centre for Business Research based at the University of Cambridge. This study is held at the UKDA under SN 6049, with the title United Kingdom Survey of Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises' Finances, 2007. It aimed to compile another benchmark and to identify any changes or trends that had emerged since 2004, but made a number of changes to the 2004 questionnaire, so that it is not a direct member of the UKSMEF series, but stands alongside it as a separate cross-sectional survey. The UKSMEF 2008 survey was conducted by the same Principal Investigator as the 2004 survey, based at Warwick Business School, and the 2008 report provides direct comparison between the 2004 and 2008 surveys. The aims of the 2009 survey were to:provide benchmarking data on the availability of credit to SMEs and the types of finance usedcollect information on the relationship between SMEs and their providers of financedevelop a general purpose micro database for quantitative research on business finance (offering, for example, scope for comparisons with the US Survey of Small Business Finances) The 2009 sample consisted of 1,250 follow up interviews with businesses interviewed for the 2008 survey. Telephone interviews were conducted by IFF Research Ltd during autumn 2009. These interviews focused on the cost and availability of overdrafts and term loans to businesses in the previous year due to policy makers concerns about the affect of the Credit Crisis on bank lending to SMEs. The data can be used for panel data analysis, in conjunction with UKSMEFs 2004 and 2008, or for standalone cross-sectional analysis. A set of population weights is included in the dataset so that this analysis can be weighted to the UK SME population. These weights were calculated using statistics provided by the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills Enterprise Directorate - see Business population estimates, formerly 'SME Statistics'. Further information may be found on the ESRC UK Survey of SME Finances 2009 Follow On Study award webpage.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner. In the UK, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) now provide more employment and business turnover than large firms and public organisations together. Statistically, firms with under 250 employees in 1998 employed 57% of the workforce and accounted for 54% of turnover. This fits in with government policies to promote small businesses and self-employment more generally. Small size, however, creates problems as well as opportunities. Whereas large firms may operate with special departments to look after innovation, marketing and training needs, for example, small firms lack these resources. This can be a barrier to expansion. However, by collaborating with other SMEs on certain business functions such as joint marketing to get into or extend export markets, or by sharing non-confidential knowledge to enhance innovation capacity, they can together overcome barriers caused by small size in a relatively costless manner. The survey and interviews for this project sought to identify firms that engage in formal and informal partnerships based on mutual trust, exchanging favours, and judging reliability, credibility and reputation to be a safeguard against opportunistic behaviour. The key question asked in this research was whether firms that make use of these kinds of 'social capital' display superior or inferior business performance compared to those that do not, holding everything else as far as possible constant. By exploring different types of social capital, some based on cultural identity, ethnicity or religion, some arising from membership of a specific, perhaps geographically defined economic community or particular industry, the research aimed to show the extent to which social capital may influence economic performance and draw policy lessons accordingly. In order to investigate relationships between SME performance and social capital, operational measures of these two variables were developed and employed. The former were measured by turnover, profitability, employment and innovation performance, the latter by engagement in networks of a business, professional, social, cultural or political nature that had a bearing upon business performance. These were measured using Likert-based scaling measures. An index of area performance was drawn up for the UK to construct a sampling frame for a postal questionnaire survey capable of discriminating by spatial and economic categories of interest. Main Topics: The survey covered topics region, turnover, profit, type of industry, employment, quality standards, products and services, performance, skills, social contact and organisation membership, sharing of information and collaboration (with financial organisations, FE/HE, research institutes and other local, national or international companies), business support and consultancy, social capital and trust. Standard Measures Likert-type scales used in the questionnaire. Multi-stage stratified random sample Respondents were chosen on a random basis within a sampling frame (a specially-constructed geographical index of performance) to achieve representativeness in terms of size and sector of business. Face-to-face interview

This dataset provides comprehensive insights into business exit trends among Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in the United Kingdom for the year 2025. It encompasses data from a survey of 29,965 SME owners, highlighting key factors influencing business exits, preferred exit strategies, and the economic impact of these exits.

Abstract copyright UK Data Service and data collection copyright owner. The proposed objectives for the study were to explore the use and barriers to use of electronic commerce by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Great Britain. By means of a postal questionnaire, the study sought to understand: which SMEs are using electronic commerce (e-commerce) applications and for what business activities? What benefits they are reaping - are these consistent with those forecast for larger corporations or can SMEs gain unique advantages from adopting e-commerce? What are the challenges faced in developing and adopting such services - what are the key success factors for SMEs achieving business benefits from e-commerce? In particular, it was intended that the research would demonstrate the following: the characteristics and incidence of SMEs adopting e-commerce; the business applications it is being used for in those companies; the benefits and challenges of e-commerce adoption; best practice for deployment of e-commerce. Main Topics: The dataset contains responses to the postal questionnaire, and is available from the UKDA in either Excel or SPSS format. Each case is identified by a unique respondent number. Variables are numbered according to the question order on the questionnaire, e.g. Q1P2P1 contains the responses to Question 1, Part 2, item 1. Topics covered include use of e-commerce, factors driving consideration/use of e-commerce, exactly which activities it is used for, company information systems, benefits and challenges of e-commerce, and background information. The database contains two separate samples: 1. A database of SMEs held internally at Cranfield School of Management (variable Database = 1.00) was used. This contains companies that have attended, or made enquiries about, an executive education programme aimed at SMEs. 2. Names and company addresses were bought from a commercial database company (Database = 2.00). Companies were chosen from their records on the basis that they had 250 employees or less. All data have been anonymised to protect respondent confidentiality.

This publication provides the only official government statistics that attempt to the estimate the total number of UK private sector businesses in the UK and their contribution to employment and turnover. Also provided is an estimate of the total number of businesses in the UK whole economy. The publication supercedes the publication 'Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Statistics for the UK and Regions'. National Statistics