This page sets out the rules every Whito ranking follows. The aim is simple: a reader should be able to check any position in any ranking against its source.
Seven things every ranking explains
- What is measured. One plain sentence. A ranking measures one thing.
- Where the data comes from. The named source, with a link where one exists.
- How the ranking is worked out. The sum, in words. Any Whito arithmetic is labelled as Whito arithmetic.
- When the data was collected. The date the data refers to, and the date Whito read it.
- What is included and left out. Who can be on the list, and who cannot.
- Limits. Where the ranking can mislead, and what it does not show.
- Corrections. How to ask for one.
Independence
- Nobody can pay to appear in a ranking.
- Nobody can pay to move up a ranking, or to move a rival down.
- A paid listing, a paid service or an advert has no effect on any ranking, score or research finding.
Read how Whito makes money and the editorial policy.
Data rules
- Whito never invents a ranking, a score or a company figure.
- If a figure is not held, the table says "Not in report" or "Not available". The gap is not filled with an estimate.
- Official registers and statistics come first: the Office for National Statistics, Companies House and sector regulators.
- Where Whito scores something itself, the scoring rules are fixed in advance and the evidence is published with the score.
- Ties share a rank. The next position is skipped, so two industries in joint third are followed by fifth.
Current rankings, sources and dates
| Ranking | Source | Data collected | Last updated |
|---|---|---|---|
| UK industries ranked by number of businesses | Office for National Statistics | March 2026 counts, read 6 to 13 November 2026 | 14 November 2026 |
| Fastest-growing UK industries since 2010 | Office for National Statistics | March 2010 and March 2026 counts, read 6 to 13 November 2026 | 14 November 2026 |
| UK regions ranked by businesses per head | Office for National Statistics | March 2026 counts, read 12 and 13 November 2026 | 14 November 2026 |
| UK industries ranked by marketing score | Whito leaderboard research | Scores read 12 to 23 October 2026 | 14 November 2026 |
| Longest-established UK companies on Whito | Companies House | Register read 14 November 2026 | 14 November 2026 |
| Emergency plumbers AI assistants name most often | Whito answer log | Answers collected 22 October and 4 November 2026 | 14 November 2026 |
Editions and updates
Each ranking carries a "last updated" date. When the source publishes new data, Whito publishes a new edition and keeps the old one online, so positions can be compared over time. No ranking has an earlier edition yet.
Corrections
If you think a figure or a position is wrong, email hello@whito.co.uk or use the corrections page. Say which ranking, which row and what the source shows. Whito checks it against the source, and fixes it free of charge. A business cannot ask to be moved for any other reason.