We already knew it, but a recent report by the Made Simple Group has shown that the oldest person to become a limited company director in the last three years was 94 and the youngest was 16. This is a fantastic reflection of business in the UK today, and just goes to show that the UK is full of new business ideas from all quarters. The fact that so many young are setting up companies bodes very well for the future of private enterprise, and we can only hope that they are getting the help and support they require to help them succeed in this difficult arena. Sadly, having a good idea simply isn't enough in this day and age. It's about how you get your message out to the masses. Similarly, with older entrepreneurs, if they are setting up their first company then they will probably still require support of some sort even if they have the benefit of business experience. It would be interesting to see the types of businesses these two groups have been setting up and whether there are any clear differences - and also the success rates.
It's great news that more women are starting their own businesses - up this year to 37% from 33% last year. This follows the trend we witnessed at the Business Startup Show where we spoke to a huge number of women planning to launch a business.
Are you a woman who has started her own business? Are you thinking about starting a business? Presently there are about 620,000 majority women-owned UK businesses, and the good news is that more and more women are expected to start their own businesses over the coming ten years. In fact, according to business community network Everywoman, the number should accelerate by 100,000 over the next decade.