In this article
The best way to help a girl become an entrepreneur is to take her ideas seriously, help her try a small version of one, and show her women who have done it. You don't need a business background. This guide covers why it matters, what to try at each age from 6 to 18, and where to find female founder role models and UK programmes.
The short version
- Most girls can't name a female entrepreneur, so start by showing her some.
- Keep the first try small and real: one product, one price, one customer.
- Let her handle the money and make the decisions.
- Match the step to her age, from a story at 6 to a real venture at 16.
The quick answer
I did Young Enterprise at school, and having the freedom to develop an idea and make real decisions made business feel like something I could be part of. That is what every girl deserves: the chance to find out whether it might be for her. She doesn't have to become an entrepreneur to benefit from learning to think and act like one.
Why it matters
- 81% of 11-18-year-olds couldn't name a single female entrepreneur (Santander, 2020).
- 63% of girls aged 11-18 had never considered starting a business, and the most common reason was not knowing how to begin (Santander, 2020).
- Only one in four girls and young women aged 7-21 felt confident about their future (Girlguiding Girls' Attitudes Surveys, 2024 and 2025).
- 14% of UK businesses with employees are majority-women-led (Longitudinal Small Business Survey, 2024), and all-female founding teams received 1.9% of equity investment in 2024 (British Business Bank).
Many of the girls who never start a business simply never got to the point of trying. Our article on why young people can't name a female founder goes into the visibility gap in more detail.
What actually helps
At our Future Female Founders Bootcamp at Google, a lot of the girls didn't want to say a word at the start of the day. By the end they were on stage presenting their ideas: one team designed 3D-printed housing for people who are homeless, another a watch that helps neurodivergent children understand and manage their feelings. They didn't need to be told what a good idea looked like. They needed time, encouragement and someone to take them seriously.
At home that means three things: let her see women who have done it, let her try something small and real, and let her decide, including making mistakes with the money.
Ages 6-8: ideas everywhere
- Give her a notebook for her ideas and take them seriously. Ask what problem each one solves and who would want it.
- Read a story with a girl who has ideas. Our picture book Maya's Big Business Adventure was written for exactly this age, and our 6-8 reading list has more.
- Try one tiny sale with you alongside: a lemonade stand, cards for the neighbours, a cake at the school fair.
Ages 9-11: a first real project
- Pick one idea from 101 business ideas for kids and work out the cost of making one, the price and the profit.
- Follow the Pioneers course for 9-11s: ten missions from spotting a problem to a pitch. Module 1 is free.
- Let her run a stall and handle the money herself, with you nearby.
Ages 12-14: test whether people will pay
- Use a write-in workbook such as Dream it. Be it. Biz-it! to plan the brand, price and pitch.
- Ask five real people whether they would buy it, before making lots of anything.
- The Innovators course for 12-14s covers research, prototypes, pricing and pitching. Module 1 is free.
Ages 15-18: something real
- Start small and legal. Our business ideas for teens guide covers what to charge and the tax and age rules for under-18s.
- Join Young Enterprise's Company Programme at school, or one of the other programmes in our guide to entrepreneurship for young people.
- The Trailblazers course for 15-18s takes a real venture from idea to launch, with an option to learn from a worked example instead.
Female founder role models
Girls find it easier to picture themselves running a business when they meet someone whose story feels close to their own. Our free directory of 250+ UK female founders covers women from different backgrounds, sectors and stages, each with the problem she spotted and a lesson to try. For a shorter list, start with UK female founders to follow in 2026.
A good habit: pick one founder a week, look up her business together and ask, "What problem did she notice? What would you have done?"
Common worries
She doesn't have an idea
Most people don't at the start. Begin with what she loves and what annoys her, then try the free AI Idea Machine or our ideas lists.
She's shy
Selling to family first, then a school stall, builds up gently. Pitching is a skill, not a personality type.
I don't know anything about business
You don't need to. The courses and workbook explain each step, and Blaze, our AI coach for 9-18s, answers questions in her own words.
What about her brothers?
Everything here works for boys too. We put girls at the centre because they are the ones least likely to be shown business as an option.
Start free today
Module 1 of every We Can Be course is free, with no card needed. Pick the course for her age and see what she makes of it.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a girl entrepreneur?
A girl entrepreneur is a girl or young woman who spots a problem or an opportunity and starts something to meet it, from a cake stall at the school fair to a small online business. It is less about the size of the business and more about having an idea and trying it.
How can I encourage my daughter to start a business?
Take her ideas seriously, help her try one small version, and let her handle the money. Show her women who have built businesses, so the idea feels possible. Match the step to her age: a notebook and a story at 6-8, a first stall at 9-11, testing whether people will pay at 12-14, and a small real venture or a programme like Young Enterprise at 15-18.
Why do so few girls start businesses?
Part of it is visibility. Santander research in 2020 found 81% of 11-18-year-olds couldn't name a single female entrepreneur, and 63% of girls aged 11-18 had never considered starting a business, most often because they didn't know how to begin. Only 14% of UK businesses with employees are majority-women-led (Longitudinal Small Business Survey, 2024).
Where can girls find female entrepreneur role models?
We Can Be has a free directory of 250+ UK female founders across sectors from tech to food to fashion, each with the problem she spotted and a lesson young people can try. Our list of UK female founders to follow is a good starting point too.
Do girls have to want to be entrepreneurs to benefit?
No. Trying an idea builds confidence, money skills, problem-solving and the ability to explain your thinking, which are useful in any career. The aim is for girls to know business is an option and to have some evidence of what they can already do.
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