Have an Idea? Validate It Before You Spend a Dime.
We take your business idea, or the town or city you're considering, and run it against real public data — competitors, local demographics, business rates, and survival rates for similar businesses. You get a clear, written report before you sign a lease or spend a penny.
Idea Validation Report
£350
You've got a business idea but nothing beyond that. We check whether the demand, competition, and likely costs actually support it — before you invest time or money building it out.
- Existing competitors and how they're doing
- Business formation and closure rates for the sector
- Typical costs and what to budget for
- Where the idea is strong, and where it's exposed
Location Validation Report
£350
You know what you want to open and where. We check the specific city, town, or postcode against real local data — before you sign a lease on it.
- Competitor density and ratings in that specific area
- Local population, income, and demographic profile
- Business rates and typical premises costs for the area
- Survival rates for similar businesses opened there
Not sure which one fits your situation?
The Decision Point Before You Invest
A typical example we see: someone decides to open a dessert shop in a town like Barking. They have a location in mind and enthusiasm for the idea — but no real answer to the questions that actually decide whether it works. How many similar shops are already trading nearby, and how are they doing? What would rent and business rates actually cost in that postcode? What does the local population and footfall genuinely look like? How many similar businesses have opened — and closed — in that same area over the past few years?
None of that requires guesswork. It's sitting in public UK data sources — Companies House, the ONS, the Valuation Office Agency, Google's own business and maps data. The problem isn't that the information doesn't exist. It's that pulling it together, cross-checking it, and turning it into a straight answer takes time most people don't have before they're already committed. That's the gap this service fills — at the decision point, before the lease, the stock order, or the fit-out spend.
What Goes Into Your Report
Every figure in your report is tied to a public source — not a generic industry average. We also check your numbers against the current VAT registration threshold and typical business rates for the area, so you know roughly where you'd sit from day one.
Companies House
UK company incorporation and dissolution records. We look at how many similar businesses have opened and closed in the sector and area you're looking at — a direct signal of how survivable it actually is, not just how popular it looks.
ONS local area data
Population, household income and demographic data for the specific area, from the Office for National Statistics. Tells you who's actually around to buy from you.
VOA business rates data
Rateable values for commercial premises in the area, from the Valuation Office Agency, so you know roughly what you'd be paying before you sign anything.
Google Business Profile & Maps data
Who's already trading nearby, how many reviews they have, and how they're rated — the clearest live picture of existing competition and demand.
How It Works
Tell us what you're validating
Order below and tell us about your idea, or the city or town you're considering. We confirm scope, exact turnaround, and payment within 24 hours.
We research the public data
We pull and cross-check data from Companies House, the ONS, the VOA, and live Google Business Profile data for your specific idea or area.
You get a written report
Delivered by email — the findings laid out clearly, with sources, so you can make the call with the full picture in front of you.
Already trading and want to know how AI engines see your business right now, rather than whether a new idea holds up? Try our free GEO Score Checker instead, or see our website build pricing for once your business is up and running.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between the two reports?
The Idea Validation Report tests a business concept generally — is there demand, what would it likely cost to run, who else is doing it. The Location Validation Report tests a specific idea against a specific city, town, or postcode — competitors, local demographics, rates, and survival data for that exact area. If you've got both an idea and a place in mind, tell us and we'll scope the report to cover both.
What data do you actually use?
Public UK sources: Companies House for business formation and closure data, ONS for local demographics, VOA for business rates, and Google Business Profile / Maps data for live competitor and review data. We don't use guesswork or generic industry averages — every figure in your report is tied to a source.
Is this the same as a full business plan?
No. This is the validation step before you write a business plan or approach a lender — it tells you whether the idea holds up against real data before you invest time building a full plan around it. Most of our clients use it as the evidence base for the business plan that comes after.
Will you tell me whether to go ahead or not?
We give you the data and what it shows — clearly, and without spin. Some reports point to a strong opportunity, some flag real risks (too many competitors already, weak local demand, high rates for the area). Either way, the decision is yours — we just make sure you're making it with the full picture, not a gut feeling.
I don't have a specific location yet — can you still help?
Yes. Order the Idea Validation Report and tell us any locations you're considering in the notes. If it turns out location is the deciding factor, we can scope a follow-up Location Validation Report for the specific area once you've narrowed it down.
How is this different from just researching it myself?
You can find pieces of this yourself — Companies House and ONS data are public. What you're paying for is someone pulling the relevant pieces from each source, checking them against each other, and turning them into one clear report instead of a weekend spent across half a dozen government websites and Google Maps tabs.
How do I order, and what happens after?
Click either order button, tell us about your idea or location, and we'll confirm exact scope and turnaround within 24 hours by email, along with payment details. There's no checkout on this page — every report is scoped to the specific business first.
Know before you invest.
£350, flat fee, whichever report fits your situation. Tell us what you're considering and we'll confirm scope within 24 hours.