Men vs women – what’s stopping us starting a business?

What does the picture look like for businesses in the UK right now? And how do men and women differ when dreaming or planning of starting their own enterprise?

These are questions the NatWest Entrepreneurship Monitor seeks to answer. And according to 28% of respondents, there’s never been a better time to start a business.

However, while the time might be right, not everyone is confident about leaping in – 56% say they’re held back by a fear of failure, and 38% say they don’t know where to go to get information about starting up.

There’s also a marked difference in the way men and women answered some of Natwest’s questions. To give you some insights into what is stopping us, we’re publishing the following illustrated responses.

What are the biggest barriers to starting your own business?

According to a survey by clothing company me&i, as many as 73% of working mums would, given the opportunity, leave the financial security of their current job for a more entrepreneurial life.

And yet, for many of us, the dream of running our own business remains just that – a dream. Keen to find out what’s stopping people from starting a business, Natwest asked the question: “What do you think are/would be the biggest barriers to you starting your own business or enterprise?”

And this was the response.

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What does success look like to you?

If you were to start your own business, how will you know if it’s a success? What can you measure your business performance against to assess whether it’s all been worth it?

To find out, Natwest asked: “What does or would success look like for your business?” This is the result.

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Who do you turn to for advice?

When the going gets tough (or even before then) who can you go to for help in running your business?

To find out, Natwest asked: “Who would you go to for advice if you wanted to start up your own business?” These are the results.

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NatWest is Britain’s number one bank for small businesses, with 250 accredited Women in Business specialists across the UK. They also They’re also the only bank that supports free business accelerators across the UK with their partnership with Entrepreneurial Spark.