thebestof UK

What thebestof UK does

thebestof UK is a privately held local business directory and community platform operating across more than 150 UK towns and cities under the legal entity THEBESTOF LTD, registered in Bolton, England. The platform connects UK consumers with recommended local businesses, events and special offers through a decentralised franchise model in which local operators run town-level subdomains, recruit SMBs, moderate reviews and curate community content. Founded in 2005 (with reviews collected since 2007), the company has built a network spanning all major UK regions including the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The core technology is a web-based local directory platform built around a subdomain-per-area architecture (e.g. /local/altrincham/, /local/chester/) with a member registration system supporting email and Facebook login, a review validation system requiring minimum 10-character reviews with email/Facebook verification and franchisee moderation, and a business recommendation engine where consumers nominate businesses that franchisees vet before listing. The platform integrates Google Maps, YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, Twitter, AddThis, TourMkr, WalkInto and Fatsoma for ticketing, with Google Analytics and reCAPTCHA supporting site operations. Core product surfaces include a Local Business Directory, a What's On Events Guide, a Special Offers Platform, a Community Hub/Blog, a Member Reviews System, a Business Recommendation Engine, Member Registration/Login and an annual Business of the Year Awards program.

The business model is hybrid and franchise-driven. Revenue is generated primarily through (a) annual quote-based subscription fees paid by local SMBs for featured listings, spotlight placement and business profiles on local sites, and (b) licensing/royalty income from the franchise network that operates each geographic area. The consumer side is free, with monetisation occurring on the business side. No external venture, private equity or institutional investment has been disclosed, and the company is described as operating independently. The platform does not have a mobile app, does not disclose revenue, and has not been involved in disclosed M&A activity.

Name

thebestof UK

Legal name

THEBESTOF LTD

Website

https://thebestof.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

thebestof UK is a privately held, franchise-operated local business directory and community platform serving UK consumers and SMBs across 150+ towns via town-level subdomains with verified reviews, events listings and featured business subscriptions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Business Directory

NAICS

Web Search Portals and All Other Information Services (51929)

akta.pro primary industry

POI, Local Listings & Business Directory Platforms (BPAMANAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Experiences & Event Services Marketplaces (Photographers, Caterers, DJs) (BPAMAHAK), Local Services & Experiences Generalist Marketplaces (CRAFAAAD)

Keywords

• Local business directory
• Online business reviews
• Community recommendations
• Local events listings
• Small business marketing

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Featured Business Listings: Local businesses pay to be featured on the platform with spotlight placement, business profiles, and promotional visibility to local consumers.
2. Local Site Franchises: Franchise model where local operators run thebestof sites for specific geographic areas, monetising through business memberships and featured listings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

thebestof UK operates a local business discovery and community platform that connects UK consumers with recommended local businesses, events, and special offers across 150+ towns and cities. The platform is built around free consumer membership, verified reviews, community-sourced business recommendations, and a local site franchise network that monetises through paid featured business listings.

Product overview

thebestof UK is a local business discovery platform operating on a franchise model that covers local areas across the UK. The core offering consists of a Local Business Directory where users can search for recommended businesses, a What's On Events Guide for local activities, and a Special Offers Platform for local deals. Supporting these are a Community Hub/Blog for local news and updates, a Member Reviews System with verified reviews, a Business Recommendation Engine for community-sourced recommendations, and Member Registration/Login functionality for user accounts. The platform also runs periodic Business of the Year Awards programs. All of these are tied together through local area sites managed by franchisees across regions including London, Midlands, North West, South East, and throughout the UK.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Local Business Directory A comprehensive directory of recommended local businesses organized by area, category, and specialty, allowing users to search and find trusted local service providers. Targeted at UK consumers seeking local service providers.
• What's On Events Guide An events calendar and guide covering local activities, allowing users to view and add local events in their area, with integration to Fatsoma for online ticket purchase.
• Special Offers Platform A platform showcasing local deals and special offers from member businesses, allowing consumers to access exclusive local promotions.
• Community Hub / Local Blog A local news and updates platform featuring blog posts about community events, business spotlights, and local information for each local area.
• Member Reviews System A verified review platform where users can leave and read reviews about local businesses, with email or Facebook validation and moderation by local franchisees. Reviews must be a minimum of 10 characters.
• Business Recommendation Engine A system allowing users to recommend local businesses they trust, which are then vetted by local franchisees before being featured on the site.
• Featured Business Listings A subscription-based paid product for local businesses to be featured with spotlight placement, business profiles, and promotional visibility to local consumers on thebestof local sites.
• Local Site Franchise Program A franchise offering where local operators run thebestof sites for specific geographic areas, monetising through business memberships and featured listings under the thebestof brand.

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvides Google Analytics for web analytics, Google Maps for location content, and reCAPTCHA for form protection. Google Analytics cookies track user behavior and site usage statistics.
• FacebookcoreTechnology or IntegrationFacebook login for user authentication and Facebook pixel for remarketing purposes. Allows users to approve Facebook data sharing during login and enables interest-based advertisements.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Hotfrog: Global small-business directory with category- and location-based listings. Comparable in product (free + premium local business listings), though Hotfrog operates internationally at lower brand intensity than thebestof's UK franchise focus.
• Yelp: Global leader in verified local business reviews and discovery. Comparable core product (searchable directory with reviews of local businesses), comparable business model (featured listings/sponsored placements), though operating at much larger scale and in different geographies.
• Scoot: UK business directory owned by the same parent as Yell. Comparable in product (local SMB directory with reviews), geography (UK), and monetisation (featured listings), making it a direct head-to-head competitor.
• Checkatrade: UK directory focused on vetted local tradespeople and home-improvement services. Comparable in product (verified local business/tradesperson directory), geography (UK), and monetisation (paid memberships for listed businesses).
• FreeIndex: UK-based local business directory offering free business listings with optional paid featured placements. Closely comparable in geography (UK), product (searchable local directory with reviews), and target customer (local SMBs seeking visibility).
• Cylex: UK-localised branch of Cylex, a European business directory network. Comparable in product (local business directory with reviews) and UK presence, though Cylex is primarily European in focus.
• Yell.com (Yell Group): The UK's incumbent local business directory (the digital evolution of Yellow Pages). Directly comparable in category (local SMB directory), geography (UK focus), and monetisation (featured listings, SEO/ads sold to local businesses).
• Thomson Local: UK local business directory descended from the printed Thomson Local book. Comparable in offering (categorised directory of local businesses), geography (UK nationwide), and monetisation (paid featured listings and lead generation).
• TrustATrader: UK directory of vetted local tradespeople with verified reviews. Comparable in offering (local directory + verified reviews + paid SMB memberships) and geography (UK).

Emerging players

• Bark.com: UK-based online marketplace that connects consumers with local professional service providers. Comparable in connecting local consumers with SMBs and in monetisation model (pay-per-lead), but with a marketplace/request-for-quotes dynamic rather than a static directory.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/hqthebestof
• Facebookfacebook.com/KMAAccountancy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about thebestof UK