Women starting a business in the UK

Starting a business usually begins well before any paperwork. You can test the idea, make a plan and get free advice before you register anything.

This is a free guide. It is not connected with the Womenpreneur Initiative, or with any network of that name.

Test the idea first

The careers website Prospects suggests testing an idea on the people who might buy it. Do this before you properly start building the business. Questionnaires, interviews and a trial run of the product or service all help.

Testing tells you who will buy, what people think of the businesses already in the market, and where the idea needs work. Prospects suggests taking well-founded criticism seriously.

Write a simple plan

A business plan sets out what the business is, what it aims to achieve and how. Prospects says writing one helps you clarify your ideas and spot problems early. It also suggests updating the plan as the business grows.

Get free help near you

The British Library's Business & IP Centres run free start-up workshops, events and one-to-one sessions. They also offer free information for researching your market. You can use them at the British Library in London and in over 70 libraries around the UK.

In England, the government's Business Support Service gives free advice on starting and running a business. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland each have their own service, listed on GOV.UK.

Sole trader or limited company

GOV.UK says most businesses register as a sole trader or a limited company. A sole trader is the simplest structure to set up, and most people start out as one.

A sole trader is personally responsible for all the debts of the business. A limited company is legally separate from its owners. They are responsible for its debts only up to the money they put in.

You can change structure later. GOV.UK says moving from sole trader to limited company is usually the easier direction.

Planning for a baby while self-employed

Maternity Allowance is a payment for time off to have a baby. Women who are self-employed may be able to get it for up to 39 weeks.

You can get it for the full 39 weeks if you have been registered as self-employed for at least 26 of the 66 weeks before your baby is due. You can apply once you have been pregnant for 26 weeks.

Maternity Action, a charity, suggests registering as self-employed as soon as possible, because that can affect the benefits you can get.

Registering a company

A limited company has to be registered with Companies House before it starts trading. Registering online costs £100, and Companies House usually registers the company within 24 hours.

Since 18 November 2025, identity verification has been a legal requirement for directors and people with significant control. Doing it through GOV.UK One Login is free.

The wider picture

In 2019, the Treasury published a review of female entrepreneurship, led by Alison Rose. It found that only one in three entrepreneurs in the UK were women. The government then set an aim to increase the number of female entrepreneurs by half by 2030.

Useful links