There’s a quiet revolution happening across the UK, and chances are you’re part of it, or you know someone who is.
She’s the beauty therapist who finally went solo after years of building someone else’s client list. The freelance marketing consultant who left her corporate job with a laptop, a logo, and a lot of determination. The content creator who turned her Sunday morning flat lays into a full-time income. The online business owner who built something from nothing during nap times and evenings after the kids went to bed.
What the numbers say
Since 2007, the share of all self-employed workers in the UK who are women has climbed from 27% to 37%. That’s over one in three of the self-employed workforce. And while self-employment among men actually decreased by around 12% between 2014 and 2024, the number of self-employed women rose by 8% over the same period.
The UK’s solo self-employed workforce now contributes £366 billion to the economy every year. Women are a massive, growing part of that story.
And it’s not just one type of woman or one type of work. It’s the full spectrum:
- Content creators and influencers building multi-platform businesses from their bedrooms
- Beauty therapists, lash technicians, and nail artists running their own salons or mobile businesses
- Freelance marketers, copywriters, and PR consultants doing the creative work they love on their own terms
- Personal trainers and wellness coaches whose client rosters are booked up weeks in advance
- Online educators, coaches, and course creators sharing their knowledge with communities around the world
- Working mums with side hustles who, by the way, now account for 21% of all side hustles in the UK, up 8% in a single year
The women leading the way
You only have to look at some of the UK’s most recognisable self-made women to see what’s possible.
Molly-Mae Hague – built a personal brand so powerful she became Creative Director at PrettyLittleThing, before going on to launch her own beauty brand, Maebe and Filter by Molly-Mae. She recently collaborated with Adidas on her own trainer collection. Read more here.
Candice Brathwaite – author, presenter, podcaster, and brand strategist built a multi-income career entirely on her own terms, going from a job in publishing to becoming a two-time Sunday Times bestselling author and one of the UK’s most recognisable voices on modern womanhood.
Mrs Hinch – (Sophie Hinchliffe) proved that cleaning content could be a business. What started as sharing tips on Instagram turned into brand deals, bestselling books, and a home goods line built on nothing but authenticity and a loyal community.
Lydia Millen – built an empire around interiors, fashion, and countryside living, becoming one of the UK’s most commercially successful lifestyle creators.
Here’s what nobody warns you about
Going self-employed is one of the most exciting things you can do. The freedom, the flexibility, the ability to say yes to the work you want.
But there’s something that often gets missed in the excitement of setting up your Instagram, designing your logo, and getting your first client: when you work for yourself, there is often less financial support to fall back on if things go wrong.
No sick pay, no employer-funded benefits, no HR team, and no safety net.
If you’re employed and you get ill, your employer is legally required to pay Statutory Sick Pay. But if you’re self-employed? You are expected to support yourself. If you can’t work, your income stops and the bills don’t.
And while many think “that won’t happen to me” — Cancer Research UK estimates that someone in the UK is diagnosed with cancer every two minutes*. The British Heart Foundation reports over 100,000 hospital admissions for heart attacks every year. Mental health conditions, injuries, serious illness don’t discriminate, and they don’t wait until you’re in a financially secure place to arrive.
The cover that self-employed women need to know about
Two types of protection are likely worth understanding if you work for yourself: Income Protection Insurance and Critical illness cover. You can read about them here in our Legacy planning guide.
This is your business. Protect it like one.
You probably wouldn’t run your business without thinking about your clients, your brand, your goals. Your income is the engine of all of it.
The most financially confident self-employed women aren’t just the ones earning the most. They’re often the ones who’ve thought ahead, who’ve asked the questions, and who’ve put the pieces in place so that if life throws them a curveball, they’re not starting from zero.
If you’re self-employed and want to know more about income protection or critical illness cover, now could be time to start that conversation, whether this is through exploring your options online or speaking to an adviser in an FCA-regulated firm who can talk you through them.
Important Notice: This guide is for general information only and is designed to help you understand the basics of Income Protection and Critical Illness Cover. It does not constitute financial advice, and Financielle is not authorised to advise on financial products. If you require advice tailored to your personal circumstances, please speak to LifeSearch or an authorised protection adviser.
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Financielle is an Introducer Appointed Representative of LifeSearch Partners Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FCA Registration Number: 656479.
Please note: this article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always speak to a qualified financial adviser before making protection decisions.