Which UK public-record signal should you use for the product you sell?
Match the signal to the problem you solve: charges for finance, hires for recruitment and software, contract ends for suppliers, planning sites for premises services. Start with one signal, not all of them.
Written from Lockley's index and the sources below, updated 22 October 2026.
Pick the signal that sits closest to the problem your product solves, then ignore the rest until that one is working. A new charge points to borrowing, a first-of-function hire to a new department, a public contract ending to a supplier review, and a planning application to a physical project. A signal is only useful if it makes your opening sentence obvious.
Start from the problem, not the register
Most teams begin with the data they can reach, usually Companies House, and then try to find a use for it. Work the other way round. Write down the event that makes a customer buy from you for the first time, then find the record that event leaves behind. Almost every buying event leaves one: a loan leaves a charge, a new department leaves a job posting, a lost contract leaves an end date.
Signal, record and typical sellers
Examples
An asset finance broker should watch charges: a company that has just registered one is already borrowing, and the lender named in the record tells you what the borrowing is for. A commercial cleaning firm should watch new planning sites and new premises, because a new building needs a cleaner before it opens. A recruiter should watch significant roles and first-of-function hires, because an employer advertising a new role is already paying to fill it.
If you sell to bidders for public work, public contract awards and ending contracts are the strongest records you can use, because they carry a named buyer, a supplier and a date. Lockley publishes separate guides on each of these signals, including finding companies that registered a new charge, that won public contracts, and that are opening new premises.
How many signals to use
One, to begin with. Run a single signal for a fortnight and note how many calls reach a person and how many conversations follow. Then add a second signal only if the first has run dry or your product genuinely has two triggers. Teams that start with six signals produce six half-finished routines.
Check the record before the call
Whatever signal you choose, read the record itself. Check the date, the company name and what exactly the record says. Lockley links each finding to the record it came from so a seller can do this quickly; if you work from Companies House directly, the same check takes a minute per company.
Questions
What if my product has no obvious public-record trigger?
Look at the problem the customer has just before buying. A hire, a move or a funding round often sits two steps before the purchase.
Is a first-of-function hire better than a general job posting?
It is a stronger signal for tools and services aimed at that function, because the employer is building it from nothing. A general posting suits recruiters better.
Which signal is rarest?
Lockley's counts show contracts ending and new sites are far smaller than director changes or charges, so they are rarer. See the guide on which signals are common and which are rare.
Can one company show several signals at once?
Yes, and that is usually the best sign of timing. A funded company that is also hiring its first sales lead is worth calling first.
Do I need a tool for this?
No. The registers are public. A tool saves reading time and brings the records together each morning.
See which of these companies are worth calling for your business, with the source for each.
Start the research