Women in BusinessThe number of women in business
The number of women in business
is rising. But too many are
still doing it alone.
The old way of networking wasn't built for us. FEHQ is a community for women in business who want real connection, genuine support, and a safe space to grow — no cameras, no performance, no pressure.
Start your free 7-day trial 7 days free · £9.99/month after · cancel any time
1.8M
Women running businesses in the UK — a record high
£250bn
Added to UK GVA if women scaled at the same rate as men
1 in 3
UK entrepreneurs are now women — up 36% since 2015
Only 10%
Of the world's millionaires are women
The global picture
Women in business worldwide — the numbers that matter
39%
of the global workforce is employed by women-owned businesses
2025 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report
30%
of businesses in Europe are owned by women — growing steadily
Global Entrepreneurship Monitor, 2024
$10.2T
annual addition to the global economy if women matched men's business revenue
2025 Impact of Women-Owned Businesses Report
1 in 10
women globally started a new business in 2024 — vs 1 in 8 men
GEM Women's Entrepreneurship Report 2024/25
+79%
more women now perceive business opportunities compared to 20 years ago
GEM Women's Entrepreneurship Report 2024
2053
estimated year parity in senior management will be reached at the current pace
Grant Thornton Women in Business 2024
The momentum is real
Women in business are rising — and the data proves it
Since 2015, the number of women running businesses in the UK has grown by 36%. While self-employment among men declined by 12% over the same period, women kept stepping forward — building, creating, and growing.
Women-led companies contribute an estimated £250 billion to the UK economy every year. And here's something most people don't realise: female-led companies actually tend to outperform their male-led counterparts on revenue. The potential is enormous — and it's still largely untapped.
But rising numbers alone aren't the full story. Behind every statistic is a woman who figured it out largely on her own, without the networks, the rooms, or the confidence that traditional business culture was built around.
UK women in business: growth at a glance
Growth in female business ownership since 2015
+36%
Women as share of all UK entrepreneurs
1 in 3
Female self-employment growth (2014–2024)
+8%
FTSE 350 board positions now held by women
43%
But there's a gapSo why do so many women in business
So why do so many women in business
still feel stuck, isolated, and invisible?
The numbers are improving. But the experience of building a business as a woman hasn't fundamentally changed. Traditional networking was built for a different kind of entrepreneur — loud, confident, always camera-ready. For many women in business, that world doesn't feel like theirs.
Camera shyness and visibility anxiety
Video calls, Instagram Lives, and constant "show up on camera" advice shuts out women who have brilliant businesses but feel deeply uncomfortable being watched. Visibility shouldn't mean performance.
Networking that doesn't feel natural
Speed networking, elevator pitches, and room-working are exhausting and exclusionary. Many women in business want genuine connection, not a transactional exchange of business cards.
Imposter syndrome and low confidence
Even talented, capable women regularly question whether they belong in the room. When the room itself feels hostile or performative, that doubt only grows louder — and the business stalls.
Why it mattersWhen women build wealth,
When women build wealth,
everything changes
Rachel Rodgers, author of We Should All Be Millionaires, makes a compelling case: women building businesses and creating wealth isn't just personally liberating — it changes the economic power balance for everyone.
Right now, only 10% of the world's millionaires are women. Only 14% of UK SMEs with employees are led by women. Only 1.9% of UK venture capital investment goes to female founders. These aren't just statistics — they're the result of women being shut out of the wealth-building structures that have always existed for others.
The solution isn't for women to become louder, pushier, or more like the people who built those structures. It's to build something different — community, collaboration, and mutual support that actually works for us.
1.9%
of UK VC investment goes to female-only founding teams
14%
of UK SMEs with employees are led by women
2053
when parity in senior management is projected at current pace
"Only 10 percent of the world's millionaires are women, making it difficult for women to wield the economic power that will create lasting equality."
Rachel Rodgers — We Should All Be Millionaires
How FEHQ is differentA community for women in business
A community for women in business
built around connection over competition
Female Entrepreneurs HQ was built because the existing options weren't working. Too performative. Too loud. Too dependent on you already having confidence you haven't yet built. FEHQ is the alternative — a warm, text-based community where you can show up exactly as you are, build at your own pace, and find the women who genuinely get it.
Text-based — no cameras required
Everything in FEHQ happens in writing. No video calls to get ready for. No pressure to perform. Connect, contribute, and be seen entirely on your own terms.
Build your confidence as you go
FEHQ is designed for women at every stage — including those who are just starting to believe their business might actually work. The community meets you where you are.
Genuine peer support, not performance
No highlight reels, no hustle culture. FEHQ members share the honest version of building a business — the good days and the hard ones — and support each other through both.
Visibility that works for introverts
Build your reputation entirely through writing — member features, community contributions, the business directory. Visibility doesn't have to mean standing in front of a camera.
Skills swaps and real collaboration
The Exchange connects women in business for skills swaps and collaborations — because the fastest way to grow isn't always to pay for everything. Sometimes it's to work together.
Resources that apply to your actual business
Freebie vault, expert sessions, business directory, member spotlights, and a feature on Anne Louise Magazine — established 2009. Practical support, not just motivation.
This is your community if...FEHQ is for women in business who
FEHQ is for women in business who
want something real
You're camera shy or an introvertYou want to grow your business and connect with other women but the thought of being on camera fills you with dread. You'll fit right in here — everything is text-based.
You're building in the early stagesYou've started — or you're about to — and you're doing most of it alone. You want people around you who understand the reality of building something from scratch.
You're tired of hustle cultureYou want a sustainable business on your own terms, not one that requires you to be on and performing 24/7. You believe in working smarter, not just harder.
You want community, not competitionYou're done with the comparison game. You want to be genuinely happy when another woman succeeds — and you want women around you who feel the same.
You're working on your confidenceYou have a real business and real skills, but imposter syndrome is loud. You need a space where it's safe to ask questions, admit you don't know things, and grow at your pace.
You're ready for genuine connectionNot another Facebook group where you're invisible. You want to actually know people, be known, and build something real alongside women who get it.
Women in business are rising.
Come rise with us.
Join Female Entrepreneurs HQ — the community built for women in business who want real support, genuine connection, and a space that feels like it was made for them. Because it was.
7 days free · £9.99/month after · cancel any time · no cameras · no pressure