How to find new business leads for free: a step-by-step method
Pick one public event that creates the problem you solve, pull the last seven days from a free register, remove what can't buy, then find the right person and mention the event in your first line. In one real week of UK construction contracts, 664 suppliers came down to 49 worth reviewing.
Step 1: Write down the event that creates the need
Finish this sentence: "A company needs us soon after it ___." Be specific. Won a public contract, opened a new site, received a licence and hired its first salesperson are all usable. "Is growing" is too vague to search for.
Step 2: Find where that event is published
Most events have a free public source. Our list of 15 buying signals shows where each one lives. If you sell to new UK companies, use our guide to the list of newly registered companies.
Step 3: Pull the last seven days
Start small so you can read every row. Search the source by hand, or use our free open-source collector, gtm-public-signals. This command pulls a week of UK construction contract wins into a spreadsheet:
python3 -m gtm_public_signals contracts-finder --days 7 --cpv 45 --out construction-wins.csvStep 4: Cut the list hard
Most rows will not be worth contacting. Here is one real week from Contracts Finder, 1 to 7 November 2026, for construction work (CPV 45).
| Stage | Suppliers |
|---|---|
| Suppliers on award notices | 664 |
| Other sectors removed | 346 |
| No company legal form in the name | 118 |
| Contract signed more than 90 days before the notice | 114 |
| Panels with more than 6 winners | 15 |
| Duplicates | 11 |
| Public bodies and charities | 11 |
| Left to review | 49 |
Without a free Companies House key, no supplier is checked against the register, so review those 49 by hand before you contact them.
Step 5: Find the right person
Open the company website and work out who owns the problem you solve. In a small company that is usually the founder or managing director. Confirm the person on LinkedIn, then use a contact tool such as Apollo for the email address. Stop at two people per company.
Step 6: Lead with the event
Your first line should prove you know why you are writing. For example:
Saw Marrowdale won the Leeds bridge inspection contract last week. Are you staffing that from your existing team?
Marrowdale is an invented company. Keep the rest of the email short, and ask one easy question.
Step 7: Track it and repeat weekly
Log the signal, the date and the outcome for every company. After about 50 contacts on a signal, look at replies and meetings. Keep what works, and replace what doesn't with a new signal.
Stay on the right side of the rules
Check the terms of each source before reusing its data. If you email people in the UK or EU, you need a lawful basis, an opt-out and a suppression list. Our UK company guide covers the basics.
What this really costs
The data is free. The cost is your time, and most of it goes on steps 4 to 6. Budget a few hours a week for one signal, more if you add markets. That is a fair trade while you are learning what works. When the routine starts taking time away from selling, it is worth handing it off.