Entrepreneurs play a critical role in society: driving innovation, strengthening economies and answering societal problems. Unfortunately, there are significantly fewer female entrepreneurs than male in the UK.

In 2023, the UK Government published data showing that just 15% of all UK SMEs were led by women. And in 2022, just over 20% of all new companies were female-led – a shame in light of the fact that research from the World Economic Forum last year showed that encouraging more women to set up their own businesses contributes to increased global economic development.

Although the UK’s proportion of female entrepreneurs remains low – only 19.1% of UK entrepreneurs are women-led, according to 2025 data analysed from companies house – recent research from Mastercard found that that this is not due to a lack of ambition, especially among the younger generations: Gen Z and millennial women in the UK are more likely than previous generations to want to start their own business. Although this highlights a promising shift in ambition among younger women, challenges and barriers remain.

Emma Harvey, CEO and Founder of Seven Consultancy, is a female entrepreneur with direct experience of some of the barriers – and incentives – to running your own business as a woman.

Emma started the company in 2013 and has spent the last 11 years fostering a strong team of full-time employees, with an emphasis on shared values of honesty, compassion, proactivity, equality and creativity within the culture and work at Seven.

For Women’s History Month, we spoke to Emma about her journey in founding Seven and the lessons she’s learned as a female entrepreneur.

1) Have you always wanted to be an entrepreneur?

“When I was at university I started selling imported goods at the university market stall, and this turned into selling these goods at Camden and Spitalfields Markets. I enjoyed making my own choices, but I knew that I had a lot to learn so I joined a graduate programme about a year after finishing university. I tried to surround myself with people who were interesting, that I could learn from, and I always had great managers who let me make mistakes and gave me space to grow.”

2) What challenges have you faced as a woman in business?

“I’ve never aligned any challenges I have faced with my gender. Of course, I’ve had to be resilient, especially when I have felt like the minority in the room, but I have not allowed that to be a challenge. What I have noticed, and what upsets me, is the talented women I have seen drop out of the workplace over the years, often following maternity leave.

“This has at times been because their confidence has dropped and other times where they haven’t been provided with an environment to thrive when returning to work, recognising their circumstances have understandably changed.

“These are often brilliant and smart women who should be supported and it saddens me to see this often hasn’t happened. What a huge loss! I have been lucky in that I have a very supportive husband, and we shared our maternity and paternity leave and childcare responsibilities. I realise that’s not the case for everyone, but businesses can, and should, do more to support people in changing circumstances. I’ve always wanted for people around me to feel confident and supported.”

3) Have you been inspired by any female leaders?

“My mum and my sister. My mum was unwell when she grew up and left school early. She returned to education as an adult and went to university at the same time I did. She’s now a psychologist with her own business and still practices. She also does some mad fitness challenges outside of work. So being surrounded by a can-do attitude has been inspiring.”

4) What advice would you give to women trying to start their own business?

“Don’t question yourself. Imposter syndrome holds so many women back and it’s important that women don’t let their brain go there. Recognise your talent and skills, be caring, and have a great work ethic. Be resilient, persistent and surround yourself with people who challenge and support you.”

5) Have you had to face gender bias as a woman working across technology and innovation?

“Working across these industries is exciting – you’re always looking at the next big thing, which keeps work interesting. When considering women in technology and innovation, there is still some bias, but the good news is that I do see this changing. When I look at my daughters and the opportunities they are being presented with in the areas of tech and innovation, the hope is that by the time they are in the workplace that bias will have disappeared.”

Despite some promising changes, the journey to starting a business certainly isn’t always smooth – particularly for women. Women in business still face unique challenges – funding gaps, biases, and the ever-present balancing act of work and life. The statistics speak for themselves – the UK needs more female entrepreneurs. However with younger generations becoming increasingly entrepreneurial, and with so many inspiring role models to look up to, the future looks bright for UK female entrepreneurship.