- A contact database records people (name, job title, email, phone) at businesses; a company list records the businesses only.
- We hold 1,219,031 named contacts across 1,486,280 UK business records (82%), and 454,737 named contact emails.
- Named-contact coverage varies by sector: it is highest for Schools, Hairdressers and Farms, and lowest for Pharmacies, Restaurants and Car dealers.
- You can select by the named contact's job title, so letters, calls and emails reach the person who makes the decision.
- People change jobs, so log every call and email outcome and keep the contact database current.
- A named business contact is personal data under UK GDPR: you need a lawful basis, privacy information and an opt-out.
01
What is a B2B contact database?
A B2B contact database holds people: a named decision-maker, their job title, and a phone number and email address you can use to reach them. A company list only tells you that a business exists and where it is.
Both start with the same business details. The difference is what sits on top. In a contact database each record answers "who do I ask for?", which changes how every channel works: a letter can be addressed to a person, a caller can ask for someone by name, and an email can go to a named inbox rather than a shared one.
| Field | Company list | Contact database |
|---|---|---|
| Business name, address, postcode | Yes | Yes |
| Main phone number | Yes | Yes |
| General business email (info@, sales@) | Sometimes | Sometimes |
| Named person (first name, surname) | No | Yes |
| Job title | No | Yes |
| Named contact email (jane.smith@) | No | Where available |
Every one of our records has a postal address and a phone number. The complete guide explains every field in a business record; this page is about the person attached to it.
"Contacts database", "database of contacts", "business contact information database" and "B2B contact database" all mean the same thing here: business records with a named person on each.
02
How many named contacts are in our contact database?
We hold 1,219,031 named contacts across 1,486,280 UK business records, so 82% of records have a named person. 454,737 of those people also have a named contact email.
Coverage isn't the same in every sector. The table shows our named-contact counts for 34 common sector groups, sorted by the share of records with a named contact. Named emails are counted separately because many contacts have a name and phone number but no personal email address.
| Sector | Records | Named contacts | Share with a named contact | Named contact emails |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Schools | 26,821 | 25,937 | 97% | 18,732 |
| Hairdressers | 24,135 | 22,901 | 95% | 4,386 |
| Farms | 22,362 | 21,022 | 94% | 1,410 |
| Architects | 6,792 | 6,358 | 94% | 3,386 |
| Plumbers | 10,959 | 10,212 | 93% | 2,570 |
| Electricians | 12,149 | 11,312 | 93% | 4,189 |
| Engineering companies | 6,848 | 6,324 | 92% | 3,659 |
| Solicitors | 10,205 | 9,365 | 92% | 3,865 |
| Nurseries | 13,586 | 12,442 | 92% | 6,322 |
| Accountants | 16,595 | 15,049 | 91% | 8,064 |
| Haulage companies | 6,007 | 5,443 | 91% | 2,669 |
| Builders | 14,263 | 12,888 | 90% | 4,069 |
| Beauty salons | 8,371 | 7,536 | 90% | 1,677 |
| Insurance brokers | 1,757 | 1,573 | 90% | 899 |
| Garages | 21,129 | 18,466 | 87% | 6,890 |
| Financial advisers | 4,114 | 3,587 | 87% | 2,204 |
| Estate agents | 13,965 | 12,125 | 87% | 7,606 |
| Letting agents | 4,529 | 3,929 | 87% | 2,055 |
| IT companies | 8,666 | 7,479 | 86% | 3,838 |
| Dentists | 13,748 | 11,521 | 84% | 2,166 |
| Care homes | 17,946 | 14,846 | 83% | 7,492 |
| Pubs | 22,126 | 18,258 | 83% | 6,929 |
| Charities | 12,546 | 10,283 | 82% | 4,388 |
| Recruitment agencies | 11,107 | 9,082 | 82% | 4,786 |
| Software companies | 5,207 | 4,246 | 82% | 2,217 |
| Hotels | 9,354 | 7,574 | 81% | 3,685 |
| Doctors | 58,734 | 46,369 | 79% | 690 |
| Gyms | 4,966 | 3,830 | 77% | 1,654 |
| Takeaways | 24,350 | 18,570 | 76% | 2,347 |
| Vets | 5,061 | 3,852 | 76% | 2,239 |
| Opticians | 6,500 | 4,926 | 76% | 2,285 |
| Pharmacies | 10,038 | 7,510 | 75% | 3,234 |
| Restaurants | 6,656 | 4,849 | 73% | 1,819 |
| Car dealers | 12,573 | 8,659 | 69% | 4,162 |
| All records | 1,486,280 | 1,219,031 | 82% | 454,737 |
Where coverage is strong and where it is weaker
- Strongest: Schools, Hairdressers and Farms all have a named contact on at least 94% of records. These are businesses where one person usually runs the place, such as a head teacher, a salon owner or a farmer.
- Weaker: Pharmacies, Restaurants and Car dealers have the lowest share, from 69% to 75%. Even here most records have a name, but plan for some letters addressed to a job title instead.
- Named emails vary most: 70% of schools records have a named contact email, against 1% for doctors. If you plan to email, check the named email count for your sector before you choose the channel.
These are records we hold and contacts available, not the size of the market. A free count gives the exact figures for your own sectors and areas.
03
How do you select contacts by job title?
Choose records by the named contact's job title, so your message reaches the person who decides. The right title depends on the type of business: in a small firm it is usually the owner; in a larger one it may be a director or department head.
Think about who signs off what you sell, then match that to how each type of business is run. Some typical decision-maker titles:
| Type of business | Typical titles to ask for |
|---|---|
| Small independents (shops, trades, salons) | Owner, proprietor, partner |
| Limited companies | Managing director, director, finance director, operations director |
| Medical and dental practices | Practice manager, partner, principal |
| Schools | Head teacher, business manager, bursar |
| Care homes and nurseries | Manager, registered manager, owner |
| Professional firms (solicitors, accountants) | Senior partner, managing partner, practice manager |
| Larger organisations | Head of department, purchasing manager, IT manager, HR manager |
Titles vary from one business to the next, so ask for a group of related titles rather than one exact wording. If you sell to finance, "finance director", "financial controller" and "finance manager" may all be the same buyer in businesses of different sizes. Combine the title with the other selections, such as sector, area and number of employees, described in the complete guide's section on choosing your audience.
A free count shows how many records match each title, so you can widen or narrow the selection before you buy.
04
How do you use a contact database for prospecting?
Use a contact database as a prospecting or lead database by working through it in a planned sequence of letter, call and email, and recording every outcome in a CRM so the next step is always clear.
- Load it into your CRM. Import the file with its source and supply date, and check it against your existing customers and your do-not-contact list first.
- Write to the named person. A letter addressed to a person by name and title introduces you. Post isn't covered by PECR, though UK GDPR still applies to named contacts.
- Follow up by phone. Ask for the contact by name. Screen numbers against the TPS and CTPS before calling, and again if more than 28 days have passed since the last check.
- Email where the rules allow. For companies and LLPs you can email named business contacts without consent, as long as you say who you are and give a working opt-out. Sole traders and partnerships need consent. See our email marketing database guide.
- Record every outcome. Spoke to, left a message, wrong person, left the business, not interested, opted out. Each outcome decides the next action and keeps the database accurate.
Start small if you are testing a market: 2,000 records cost £590 + VAT. The complete guide covers how each channel works in more detail.
05
Why do contacts go out of date, and what can you do?
Because people move on. Contacts retire, change jobs, get promoted or leave the business, so a contact database needs routine upkeep even when the business itself hasn't changed.
A company list ages slowly: businesses close or move less often than staff change. A contact database ages faster, because every record depends on one person still being in one job. That's why the outcome of each call and email matters so much.
- Update as you go. When a call reveals the contact has left, ask who replaced them and change the record the same day.
- Act on bounces. Remove or recheck named emails that hard-bounce after each send.
- Keep opt-outs separate. Put anyone who objects on your suppression list, so they aren't re-added when you buy or update data.
- Date every record. Record when each contact was last confirmed, so you can see which parts of the database are oldest.
Our records are checked by telephone researchers every day. For an existing list, see our guide to data cleansing services for what a cleanse checks and what you can fix yourself.
06
Are named business contacts personal data under UK GDPR?
Yes. Under UK GDPR, a named person or an email such as [email protected] is personal data even in a business capacity. You need a lawful basis, must give privacy information, and must stop if someone objects to direct marketing.
- Lawful basis. For B2B marketing this is usually legitimate interests. UK GDPR Article 6 now lists direct marketing as an example of processing that may be necessary for a legitimate interest (Article 6). You still need to pass the three-part test: purpose, necessity and balancing.
- Privacy information. Because you didn't collect the data from the person, Article 14 applies: tell them within a reasonable period and no later than one month, or at your first communication if that is sooner (Article 14).
- Right to object. The right to object to direct marketing is absolute. When someone objects, stop and add them to your suppression list.
- Generic details are different. An info@ address or "the IT department" with no name isn't personal data, though PECR rules on calls and emails still apply.
Our guide to database compliance gives a step-by-step checklist, including a short privacy notice you can include in your first letter or email. The complete guide summarises the law on B2B marketing by channel.
07
Contact database: FAQs
What is a contact database?
A list of named people at businesses, with their job title and contact details such as phone number and email address. It tells you who to speak to, not just which businesses exist.
What's the difference between a contact database and a company database?
A company database lists businesses: name, address, phone and sometimes a general email. A contact database adds a named person and their job title to each record, and often a named email address.
How many named contacts do you have?
We hold 1,219,031 named contacts across 1,486,280 UK business records (82%), and 454,737 named contact emails. Coverage varies by sector; a free count gives exact figures for your selection.
Can I buy contacts by job title?
Yes. You can select by the named contact's job title alongside sector, area, business size and other criteria. A free count shows how many records match before you buy.
Is a contact database the same as a lead database?
Close. A contact database becomes a prospecting or lead database when you use it to find new customers. People only become leads once they show interest, so record each outcome in your CRM.
Do I need consent to contact named people at businesses?
Not always. For companies and LLPs you can email and call named contacts without consent, provided you follow PECR (identify yourself, offer an opt-out, screen calls against the TPS and CTPS). Sole traders and partnerships need consent for marketing emails. UK GDPR still applies to every named contact.
Why doesn't every record have a named contact email?
Many businesses don't publish personal email addresses, and some contacts only have a phone number. If email is your main channel, select only records with a named contact email so you don't pay for the rest.
How do I keep a contact database up to date?
Log every call and email outcome, update records when someone has left, remove hard bounces and keep a suppression list of opt-outs. Review older records before any large campaign.