Find clients for your agency in Leicester
The Leicester city council area counts 2,075 local businesses of the kinds agencies sell websites, SEO and ads to. The biggest groups: 840 restaurants and takeaways, 310 garages and vehicle repair and 270 hair and beauty salons. 45 advertising agencies compete for them.
The local businesses agencies sell to in Leicester
Counts of business sites (local units, rounded to 5) by trade in the Leicester 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garages and vehicle repair | 310 | 8.1 | +15% |
| Estate agents | 155 | 4.0 | +6% |
| Restaurants and takeaways | 840 | 21.9 | at the median |
| Hair and beauty salons | 270 | 7.0 | −10% |
| Builders | 240 | 6.3 | −13% |
| Electricians | 140 | 3.7 | −25% |
| Plumbing and heating | 120 | 3.1 | −34% |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026; population 383,116 (ONS mid-2025 estimate). Council area, not the wider metro area. Counts change as businesses open and close.
Where Leicester stands out
- Garages and vehicle repair: 8.1 per 10,000 residents, 15% above the median of the 32 UK cities on this list (rank 7 of 32).
- Estate agents: 4.0 per 10,000 residents, 6% above the median (rank 14).
- Plumbing and heating: scarcer here (34% below the median), so fewer prospects, each with fewer rivals.
- Competition: 45 advertising agencies for 15,765 businesses of all kinds, one for every 350. The median across the 32 UK cities on this list is one for every 191, so Leicester ranks 2 of 32 on businesses per agency (1 is the least crowded): more businesses per agency than most, more room for you.
What our own searches found in Leicester
LeadsIt searched 8 trades in Leicester in October 2026: 189 of 806 businesses had no website of their own, only a Facebook, Instagram, booking or free builder page, or nothing. See them by trade.
How Leicester compares with nearby and similar cities
Of these 7 cities, Milton Keynes has the most of these businesses per resident and Leicester the most businesses per agency.
| City | Local businesses | Per 10,000 residents | Businesses per agency | Strongest trade, vs median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leicester | 2,075 | 54 | 350 | Garages and vehicle repair (+15%) |
| Coventry | 1,790 | 49 | 299 | Builders (+25%) |
| Nottingham | 1,755 | 54 | 165 | Garages and vehicle repair (+5%) |
| Newcastle upon Tyne | 1,850 | 58 | 147 | Hair and beauty salons (+27%) |
| Cardiff | 2,295 | 60 | 193 | Estate agents (+21%) |
| Belfast | 1,860 | 53 | 185 | Restaurants and takeaways (+15%) |
| Milton Keynes | 1,900 | 62 | 201 | Estate agents (+49%) |
Your first three lists in Leicester
- Restaurants and takeaways: 840 businesses, close to the median per resident, so the volume is the reason to start here (rank 16 of 32).
- Garages and vehicle repair: 310 businesses, 15% more per resident than the median city, so owners compete hard for customers (rank 7 of 32).
- Hair and beauty salons: 270 businesses, close to the median per resident, so the volume is the reason to start here (rank 25 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 Leicester?
ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026 counts 2,075 business sites (local units, rounded to 5) in the trades on this page in the Leicester city council area, including 840 restaurants and takeaways, 310 garages and vehicle repair and 270 hair and beauty salons.
How many marketing agencies are there in Leicester?
45 advertising agencies in the Leicester city council area (ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026), one for every 350 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 Leicester?
By volume, restaurants and takeaways (840). Relative to its size, Leicester stands out most on garages and vehicle repair: 8.1 per 10,000 residents, rank 7 of 32. Our own searches there found 189 of 806 businesses without a website of their own.