# Methodology, limitations and source register ## Research method Research was conducted on **6 August 2026**. The screen deliberately started with established software categories rather than brainstorming novel products. 1. Identify categories with several paid incumbents and recurring operational use. 2. Define a narrow UK customer, context, rule or price mismatch. 3. Check current vendor positioning, public pricing and feature scope. 4. Review recent user material across Reddit, Capterra, G2, Trustpilot, app stores, specialist forums and trade sources where available. 5. Code repeated jobs, workarounds, switch/cancel reasons and contrary evidence. 6. Reject wedges based on isolated bugs, generic dislike or a feature already available cheaply. 7. Translate repeated pain into a measurable workflow outcome and a concierge test. 8. Assess reach, sales cycle, retention, support, regulatory exposure and technical load. 9. Score comparatively, while keeping evidence gaps explicit. The broader landscape included finance/admin, HR, construction, automotive, field service, facilities, inspections, rental/assets, agriculture, transport, animal care, hospitality, property, specialist production, professional workflow and commerce. “All categories” is therefore interpreted as a systematic cross-category search, not a claim that every SIC code or software directory was exhaustively reviewed. ## Evidence handling - Official sources support law, regulation and public counts—not product demand. - Vendor pages support advertised feature/pricing claims—not independently verified savings. - Review platforms and practitioner discussions support workflow and sentiment. Reviewer identity, incentives and representativeness remain imperfect. - Repeated recent complaints across products and sources are treated more seriously than a single negative review. - Vendor representatives and founders posting in communities are identified as interested evidence and not used alone. - Customer-count arithmetic is exact; market uptake, CAC, churn and timelines are untested. ## Limitations This remains desk research. Public feedback is sparse in narrow UK B2B categories, review indexing is incomplete and current prices can change. Several search results in 2026 are new products with little independent history; their existence establishes competition but not durable demand. No market-size or market-share claim is fabricated. Legal, tax, animal-welfare and safety requirements require current professional review before launch. The self-storage opportunity has weaker differentiation than the other nine because StoreBay and Boxli now target small UK operators. It remains a strong standalone test because recurring billing pain and willingness to pay are well evidenced, but it must pass a stricter paid-validation gate. Scores are judgement summaries, not statistical probabilities. ## Screened-out areas The report does not recommend the following obvious wedges after the broader screen: - Fire-door, fire-extinguisher and PAT certificate apps: several low-cost UK-first products already offer mobile inspections, certificates, QR labels and remedials. - Waste-transfer notes: numerous 2026 entrants cluster around transparent low pricing and the same digital-document wedge. - F-gas/HVAC logs: REFCOM-linked and specialist products already cover the compliance record. - Funeral management and aesthetics clinic records: several new UK products launched with near-identical low-price positioning and richer domain scope. - Agricultural contractor job sheets: Ag-drive is established and AgriDocker now offers a low-cost, UK-specific all-feature plan. - Auction-house cataloguing and tree-surgery workflow: several specialist UK products already target the simpler independent operator. - HGV compliance: FleetCheck and other incumbents already provide affordable per-vehicle UK compliance depth. - CCTV drainage survey coding: the pain is real, but video standards/AI and proprietary technical requirements raise the bootstrap threshold. These are exclusions from this recommendation set, not statements that no business can ever be built in those markets. ## Source register by opportunity ### CIS invoicing - [HMRC Making Tax Digital for Income Tax](https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/making-tax-digital-for-income-tax) - [HMRC affected population](https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-business-population-statistics/making-tax-digital-for-income-tax-business-population-statistics-commentary) - [Tradify UK](https://www.tradifyhq.com/uk) - [Joist Trustpilot](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/joist.com) - [CIS/MTD practitioner discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusinessuk/comments/1qb8oo0/selfemployed_trades_mtd_software_that_actually/) ### Employment - [Government implementation timeline](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/implementing-the-plan-to-make-work-pay-and-employment-rights-act) - [BrightHR pricing](https://www.brighthr.com/pricing/) - [BrightHR Trustpilot](https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/brighthr.com) - [Peninsula Reviews.io](https://www.reviews.io/company-reviews/store/peninsula-business-services) ### Commercial cleaning - [CleanManager pricing](https://cleanmanager.uk/pricing) - [Swept Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/148615/Swept/) - [TemplaCMS](https://www.templacms.co.uk/) - [Commercial-cleaning software assessment](https://www.techradar.com/pro/software-services/best-commercial-cleaning-software) ### Garage - [Garage Hive pricing](https://garagehive.co.uk/pricing/) - [Active MOT stations](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/active-mot-test-stations) - [SMMT aftermarket](https://www.smmt.co.uk/smmt-aftermarket-report/) - [UK workshop discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/MechanicAdvice/comments/1l3b7pt/best_garage_management_software_for_a_uk_workshop/) ### Pest control - [PestPac G2](https://www.g2.com/products/pestpac/reviews) - [GorillaDesk Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/142890/GorillaDesk/) - [Small-firm software discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/PestControlIndustry/comments/1jwiqrk/) - [PestPac workflow discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/PestControlIndustry/comments/1uloit3/pestpac/) - [HSE pesticides](https://www.hse.gov.uk/agriculture/topics/pesticides.htm) - [HSE biocides](https://www.hse.gov.uk/biocides/using/overview.htm) ### RAMS - [HandsHQ product](https://www.handshq.com/rams) - [HandsHQ pricing/features](https://www.handshq.com/rams/pricing-individual) - [HandsHQ Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/133561/HANDS-HQ/reviews/) - [HSE method statements](https://www.hse.gov.uk/construction/safetytopics/admin.htm) - [Small-firm RAMS discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/ConstructionUK/comments/1mo3g1j/rams_method_statements/) ### Equipment hire - [Booqable pricing](https://booqable.com/pricing/) - [Booqable Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/138689/Booqable/) - [HireHop pricing](https://hirehop.biz/) - [Rental-house discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusiness/comments/1n9kubr/software_recommendations_for_an_equipment_rental/) - [UK rental requirements](https://www.reddit.com/r/smallbusinessuk/comments/1t6lu5n/recommendations_wanted_for_software_to_manage/) ### Dental lab - [Transactor LabManager](https://transactorsystems.com/) - [GreatLab G2](https://www.g2.com/products/greatlab/reviews) - [Small-lab software discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/dentallab/comments/1ozhf2g/good_lab_management_software/) - [Case-tracking discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/dentallab/comments/1hos9md/dental_lab_job_tracking_software/) - [Case/remake/invoice discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/dentallab/comments/1pr7k27/my_father_is_a_dentist_he_kept_complaining_about/) ### Licensed dog care - [Gingr Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/136469/Gingr/) - [Revelation Pets Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/129314/Revelation-Pets/pricing/) - [KennelBooker reviews](https://www.capterra.com/p/143168/Kennel-Booker/reviews/) - [GOV.UK home-boarding guidance](https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/animal-activities-licensing-guidance-for-local-authorities/home-boarding-for-dogs-licensing-statutory-guidance-for-local-authorities) - [Current dog-care software discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/DogDayCare/comments/1uj5rj8/software_for_daily_operations_no_gingr/) ### Self-storage - [Stora pricing/features](https://stora.co/uk/pricing) - [Storeganise pricing](https://storeganise.com/pricing) - [6Storage Capterra](https://www.capterra.com/p/150577/6Storage/) - [StoreBay pricing](https://storebay.co.uk/) - [Small-site discussion](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfstorage/comments/1j2fncv/managing_2550_units_is_management_software_worth_it/) - [Current software problems](https://www.reddit.com/r/selfstorage/comments/1t6qnmn/what_software_are_you_guys_using_to_run_your/)