Number of women starting their own businesses takes off

The proportion of women becoming entrepreneurs has shot up in a decade but sexism remains a big problem

Britain has enjoyed a “surge” in female entrepreneurship over the past decade as women have begun to close the “enterprise gap” with men, research has shown.

A study of more than 10,000 people by Aston University found that the proportion of women who went into business rose by 45 per cent in the ten years to 2016, compared with growth of 27 per cent in male company founders over the same period. Most regions enjoyed significant increases in female entrepreneurs over the decade, as more women struck out on their own.

Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation, the small business support group, said: “This is partly down to the fact women are looking for the freedom and flexibility that self-employment delivers…”