What the Rise Report 2026 Really Shows About Female Founders

I’ve been reading through the latest Rise Report 2026, focused on Female Entrepreneurship UK, and honestly, it’s one of those pieces of research that deserves more than a quick scroll.

It’s built from 2,225 female founders across the UK, collectively generating £1 billion in turnover and employing over 9,000 people. But what really stood out to me is how it was put together.

Instead of tick boxes, it’s based on open-ended questions. Hundreds of thousands of words of real experiences, thoughts, and honesty.

And you can feel that when you read it.

It gives a much clearer picture of what women are actually building and what success really looks like behind the scenes.

The story we’ve been told (and why it doesn’t quite fit)

For years, there’s been this narrative around female founders – that we build businesses for flexibility. For passion. For purpose.

And yes, those things matter. Of course they do.

But they’re not the full picture.

When asked what success looks like, the answers were:

• Stability and profitability (53%)
• Scale and exit (38%)
• Social impact (28%)
• Self, including wellbeing and balance (21%)

More than half are focused on consistent income and financial security.
Over a third are thinking about growth, scaling, and in some cases exit.

That’s not a hobby mindset. That’s strategy. That’s ambition.

You don’t have to choose between purpose and profit

This is the part I love most.

There’s often this feeling that you have to pick a lane. Either you care about impact, or you care about money.

But that’s not what I see with my clients, and it’s not what this report shows either.

Women are building businesses that are financially strong and meaningful. Businesses that grow and fit around their lives.

It’s not one or the other.

And the way you define success matters more than you might realise. It shapes your pricing, your offers, your messaging, and how confidently you show up.

Your website has to match what you’re building

If you’re aiming for stability, growth, or both, your website needs to support that.

Not just look nice. It needs to be clear. It needs to build trust quickly. It needs to guide the right people towards working with you.

Research consistently shows that people are more likely to buy from brands they trust and feel connected to, especially when the founder is visible online.

80% of consumers would rather buy from a business where they follow the founder online.

That says a lot. Your voice isn’t an extra. It’s part of how people decide to work with you.

And if your messaging feels unclear or your website isn’t converting, it makes everything harder. More effort, less consistency, slower growth.

This is exactly what I see all the time. Once a business owner gets clear on what they’re building and who it’s for, everything else starts to fall into place.

The bigger picture we can’t ignore

There’s also a wider reality here.

If women started and scaled businesses at the same rate as men, it could add £310 billion to the UK economy.

And yet, only 2% of venture capital goes to fully female-founded businesses.

So the ambition is there. The drive is there. But the support doesn’t always match it.

Which is why clarity, visibility, and having a strong online presence matters even more.

So what does this actually mean for you?

If you’ve ever felt like you should tone things down a bit… or not aim too big…

This is your reminder that you don’t need to do that.

You’re allowed to want:

• Consistent income
• Growth
• Financial security
• A future exit
• A business that fits your life

You don’t have to choose one version of success. But your business needs to reflect what you actually want, not what you think you should want. And your website plays a huge role in that.

Final thought

There’s something really powerful about seeing this kind of data. Not because it tells you what to do, but because it shows you that you’re not alone in how you’re thinking. Women are building serious, strategic, profitable businesses. And you get to do that in your own way.

If your website isn’t quite supporting that yet, it might be time to look at how clearly it’s communicating your value and where you’re heading. And if you want support with that, I’m here.