When founders succeed, startups succeed and we all win. According to a report by We Are 3 Sixty, entrepreneurs and SME founders are often celebrated as UK growth-heroes – where the intrepid entrepreneur risks it all, with a drive to make a difference and the promise of a financial reward at the end.
Success is championed in magazines, on stages and all over social media, fuelling a glossy, heroic image of entrepreneurship. But behind the gloss lies a very different reality. As demonstrated by the results of this study, startup life is far more complex. The reality is often a lonely rollercoaster filled with exhilarating highs and anxiety-inducing lows.
Entrepreneurship offers freedom and flexibility that those in more regulated environments often envy. 93% of our founders are happy to be entrepreneurs, 91% are passionate about making a difference and 81% say they are creating a mission-driven company with purpose. But, this freedom comes at a price.