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Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneur / Founder

Start and grow your own business — from a trade firm to a tech start-up.

Key skills

InitiativeSellingResilienceMoney management

Ways in

Self-employedStraight into workVocational / T-level

Typical prerequisites

  • No formal requirements — skills, savings runway and a real customer problem

Alternative routes

  • Start as employee then spin out
  • Franchise
  • Freelance

Route milestones

  1. 1

    Learn a craft / industry

    Around year 0–4

  2. 2

    Side project, first customers

    Around year 2–5

  3. 3

    Go full-time, hire

    Around year 4–8

  4. 4

    Build durable business & assets

    Around year 8+

Progression: Highly variable: many businesses fail; owners earn from profit and equity, not a set salary.

Indicative pay bands

Starting out£0 – £25,000
Experienced£20,000 – £80,000
Senior / top end£0 – £250,000

Indicative example estimates compiled October 2026 for planning conversations only. Pay varies by region, employer, sector and hours. Always verify with official sources such as the National Careers Service.

Verify on National Careers Service

Contribution & impact

Creates products, jobs and local value.