Find clients for your agency in Belfast
The Belfast city council area counts 1,860 local businesses of the kinds agencies sell websites, SEO and ads to. The biggest groups: 870 restaurants and takeaways, 300 hair and beauty salons and 155 builders. 85 advertising agencies compete for them.
The local businesses agencies sell to in Belfast
Counts of business sites (local units, rounded to 5) by trade in the Belfast city council area, per 10,000 residents, against the median of the 32 UK cities on this list.
| Trade | Businesses | Per 10,000 residents | vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Restaurants and takeaways | 870 | 24.7 | +15% |
| Hair and beauty salons | 300 | 8.5 | +9% |
| Estate agents | 125 | 3.6 | −7% |
| Electricians | 135 | 3.8 | −21% |
| Plumbing and heating | 125 | 3.6 | −25% |
| Builders | 155 | 4.4 | −39% |
| Garages and vehicle repair | 150 | 4.3 | −39% |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026; population 351,927 (ONS mid-2025 estimate). Council area, not the wider metro area. Counts change as businesses open and close.
Where Belfast stands out
- Restaurants and takeaways: 24.7 per 10,000 residents, 15% above the median of the 32 UK cities on this list (rank 9 of 32).
- Hair and beauty salons: 8.5 per 10,000 residents, 9% above the median (rank 8).
- Garages and vehicle repair: scarcer here (39% below the median), so fewer prospects, each with fewer rivals.
- Competition: 85 advertising agencies for 15,745 businesses of all kinds, one for every 185. The median across the 32 UK cities on this list is one for every 191, so Belfast ranks 18 of 32 on businesses per agency (1 is the least crowded): a crowded agency market, where niching on one trade and leading with proof wins.
How Belfast compares with nearby and similar cities
Of these 7 cities, Brighton and Hove has the most of these businesses per resident and Sunderland the most businesses per agency.
| City | Local businesses | Per 10,000 residents | Businesses per agency | Strongest trade, vs median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belfast | 1,860 | 53 | 185 | Restaurants and takeaways (+15%) |
| Nottingham | 1,755 | 54 | 165 | Garages and vehicle repair (+5%) |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 1,850 | 58 | 147 | Hair and beauty salons (+27%) |
| Milton Keynes | 1,900 | 62 | 201 | Estate agents (+49%) |
| Sunderland | 1,360 | 47 | 313 | Electricians (+21%) |
| Brighton and Hove | 2,150 | 76 | 81 | Estate agents (+94%) |
| Wolverhampton | 1,520 | 54 | 278 | Builders (+60%) |
Your first three lists in Belfast
- Restaurants and takeaways: 870 businesses, 15% more per resident than the median city, so owners compete hard for customers (rank 9 of 32).
- Hair and beauty salons: 300 businesses, close to the median per resident, so the volume is the reason to start here (rank 8 of 32).
- Estate agents: 125 businesses, close to the median per resident, so the volume is the reason to start here (rank 21 of 32).
How to work a list, from the "No website" filter to the first call: LeadsIt for agencies.
Frequently asked questions
How many local businesses can an agency prospect in Belfast?
ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026 counts 1,860 business sites (local units, rounded to 5) in the trades on this page in the Belfast city council area, including 870 restaurants and takeaways, 300 hair and beauty salons and 155 builders.
How many marketing agencies are there in Belfast?
85 advertising agencies in the Belfast city council area (ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026), one for every 185 businesses, against a median of one for every 191 across the 32 UK cities on this list.
Which trade should an agency target first in Belfast?
By volume, restaurants and takeaways (870). Relative to its size, Belfast stands out most on restaurants and takeaways: 24.7 per 10,000 residents, rank 9 of 32.