Smart list · 1,637 companies
Most profitable small businesses in the UK
Which small businesses in the UK actually make the most money? This list ranks independent trading companies that fit the official small-company size (10 to 49 employees, revenue up to £15m) by the profit in their latest filed accounts. Group subsidiaries, holding companies and years with a one-off 5x jump in revenue or profit are left out, so what remains are owner-run businesses earning from their trade.
- Trading business
- Independent
- Revenue ≤ £15m
- Profit ≥ £1
- Employees 10–49
- No one-off 5× jumps
- Sorted by Profit ↓
| # | Company | Revenue | Profit | Margin | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ernest V. Waddington Limited Sheffield · Wholesale of wood, construction materials and sanitary equipment IndependentOperating leverage | £13.1m | £9.2m | 70.5% | 21 |
| 2 | Caa Brands UK Limited London · Other service activities n.e.c. IndependentCapital-light | £7.5m | £6.9m | 92.2% | 40 |
| 3 | 60Forty Films Limited London · Television programme production activities IndependentCapital-light | £13.1m | £6.7m | 51.3% | 14 |
| 4 | The Indie Stone Ltd Gateshead · Ready-made interactive leisure and entertainment software development IndependentCapital-light | £14.2m | £6.2m | 44% | 12 |
| 5 | Whitsbury Farm & Stud Limited Whitsbury · Raising of horses and other equines IndependentOperating leverage | £14.6m | £5.1m | 34.8% | 34 |
| 6 | The Parkmead Group PLC London · Extraction of crude petroleum Independent | £5.7m | £4.9m | 86.4% | 10 |
| 7 | Panther Securities P L C Potters Bar · Buying and selling of own real estate Independent | £14.8m | £4.3m | 28.6% | 20 |
| 8 | Sky Storm Limited Warrington · Development of building projects IndependentYoung and profitable | £14.4m | £4.1m | 28.3% | 22 |
| 9 | Kieran Corbett Ltd Hayes · Non-specialised wholesale trade IndependentCapital-light | £11.7m | £3.9m | 33.8% | 16 |
| 10 | Lowcarbonliving Homes Ltd Birmingham · Other social work activities without accommodation n.e.c. Independent | £7.2m | £3.9m | 54.3% | 31 |
| 11 | Ritelite (Systems) Limited Stamford · Manufacture of electric lighting equipment IndependentOperating leverage | £12.2m | £3.9m | 31.9% | 47 |
| 12 | Just Taps Plus (UK) Limited Langley · Wholesale of hardware, plumbing and heating equipment and supplies IndependentCapital-light | £14.6m | £3.9m | 26.4% | 34 |
| 13 | NRG Savers UK Ltd London · Agents involved in the sale of a variety of goods IndependentOperating leverage | £11.7m | £3.7m | 31.8% | 18 |
| 14 | Em-Lite Limited Mexborough · Manufacture of other electrical equipment IndependentOperating leverage | £11.6m | £3.7m | 32% | 27 |
| 15 | Silverwoods Waste Management Ltd Accrington · Remediation activities and other waste management services IndependentOperating leverage | £12.1m | £3.7m | 30.6% | 12 |
| 16 | Tresillian Properties Limited Kidwelly · Agents involved in the sale of timber and building materials IndependentYoung and profitable | £11.9m | £3.6m | 30.2% | 28 |
| 17 | Merton Agency Limited Manchester · Agents specialized in the sale of other particular products IndependentCapital-light | £13.7m | £3.6m | 26.2% | 48 |
| 18 | Gold Corporation Limited Gateshead · Agents specialized in the sale of other particular products IndependentOperating leverage | £10.3m | £3.4m | 33.5% | 20 |
| 19 | GSF Developments Limited Burry Port · Wholesale of fruit and vegetable juices, mineral water and soft drinks Independent | £13.4m | £3.4m | 25.2% | 18 |
| 20 | Ney Limited Coventry · Agents involved in the sale of machinery, industrial equipment, ships and aircraft IndependentCapital-light | £9.8m | £3.4m | 34.2% | 49 |
| 21 | Fire Systems Limited Kingston Upon Thames · Electrical installation IndependentCapital-light | £14.9m | £3.3m | 21.9% | 26 |
| 22 | MVNC Ltd Cardiff · Treatment and disposal of non-hazardous waste IndependentYoung and profitable | £10.1m | £3.2m | 31.6% | 48 |
| 23 | Advancy Limited London · Management consultancy activities other than financial management IndependentCapital-light | £14.7m | £3.1m | 21.1% | 34 |
| 24 | Karnetic Limited Dunstable · Wholesale trade of motor vehicle parts and accessories IndependentCapital-light | £14.3m | £3.1m | 21.7% | 11 |
| 25 | Silver Commerce Limited Gateshead · Non-specialised wholesale trade IndependentOperating leverage | £10m | £3m | 29.9% | 19 |
Keep exploring
More lists of profitable UK companies
305 cos.
Fastest-growing companies in the UK
Independent, profitable UK companies with £1m+ revenue that grew sales 50% or more in a year.
- Independent
- Revenue ≥ £1m
- Profit ≥ £1
- Employees ≥ 5
279 cos.
Tiny teams, big profits
Trading businesses with fewer than 5 employees making at least £250k profit.
- Profit ≥ £250k
- Employees 1–4
652 cos.
Fast risers
Profitable companies under 5 years old growing revenue 30%+ a year.
- Profit ≥ £1
- Company age ≤ 5 yrs
- Revenue growth (YoY) 30%–400%
- No one-off 5× jumps
259 cos.
Boring but brilliant
Unglamorous trades and services — cleaning, waste, plumbing, storage — with 25%+ margins.
- Boring industry
- Profit margin ≥ 25%