"The Department for Business and Trade's annual survey of 8,400 SMEs found that only 14% are now led by women, slipping from 15% in 2023 and 19% just three years ago. The scale of this decline is significant: based on the DBT's estimate of 1.42 million small and medium-sized employers, tens of thousands of female-led firms have vanished from the business landscape since 2021."
"The same survey found that taxation has overtaken energy costs and market competition as the number one barrier to SME growth. Sixty-one percent of firms said taxes were the biggest obstacle, up 16 percentage points from last year. For firms employing between 10 and 49 staff, that figure rose to 75%. Hospitality and retail - sectors with a higher concentration of female-led businesses - reported even sharper increases in concern."
Female-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Britain have declined to 14% of all SMEs, down from 19% in 2021 and 15% in 2023. Based on an estimated 1.42 million small and medium-sized employers, tens of thousands of female-led firms have disappeared since 2021. Entirely male-led firms account for 43% while gender-balanced leadership teams are at 26%. Rising taxation, higher National Living Wage costs, and restricted access to finance are constraining growth, with 61% of firms naming taxes as the top barrier and especially acute pressure in hospitality and retail.
Read at Business Matters
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