They say you are not a horse rider until you have fallen off three times. In Growing an Environmental Business: Heather Gorringe, the business owner equivalent is that you are not an entrepreneur until you have woken up at 3am in a cold sweat.

Feeling anxious about tough times in business is normal, especially when you work for yourself. According to the Alison Rose Review of Female Entrepreneurship (2019), just one in three UK entrepreneurs is a woman, with confidence gaps and fear of failure repeatedly cited as barriers. The same review estimated that boosting women entrepreneurship could add up to £250 billion to the UK economy. ONS labour market data from 2024 shows around 1.5 million women in the UK are self-employed. Yet the British Business Bank’s Small Business Finance Markets 2024 report found that all-female founder teams receive less than 2% of UK venture capital investment. When there is no manager to reassure you, the only option is to find practical ways to beat the business jitters.

Here are five of the most common fears that keep UK women founders awake at night, and what to do about each one.

Practical ways to beat the business jitters

1. Fear of public speaking

Standing up and addressing a room is unavoidable in most sectors. Sooner or later you will have to pitch, present, report or speak up in a meeting. Public speaking consistently ranks as one of the most common phobias in the UK.

Beat it. This fear is so common that plenty of help is available, from relaxation techniques and breathing exercises to advice on where to fix your gaze. Our pitch deck guide for female founders can help you prepare investor presentations.

The audience usually wants you to succeed. Prepare your material, practise your delivery and then crack on. Do not overthink it. Make eye contact and smile. Your audience will not spot your nerves nearly as much as you think.

2. Fear of failure

If you are self-employed and a venture collapses, the shame can feel enormous. When you have poured your heart and soul into a business, losing it can feel like a bereavement before you even consider the financial fallout.

The question to ask yourself is whether you are worrying about something that may never happen.

Beat it. A little fear is useful. It sharpens the mind and makes you think twice before rushing into poor decisions. But if fear of failure is paralysing, you need to reduce its grip.

Start with a solid business plan and a realistic cashflow forecast. Mapping out your figures and the steps you will take to hit them does not mean you must follow the plan to the letter; simply laying everything out can allay anxiety.

It also helps to remember that failure is rarely final. Many successful UK entrepreneurs have launched, closed and relaunched businesses before finding the right model. The Start Up Loans programme supports women founders taking a second or third run at a business idea.

3. Fear of confrontation

Whether it is a team member underperforming, a partner not pulling their weight or a difficult customer, many people dread raising a tricky issue. Some business owners avoid firing an employee altogether, leaving resentment to fester and resources to drain away.

Beat it. Check that you are not overreacting, get your facts straight and raise the issue calmly and privately. If the conversation could lead to a formal dispute, invite a neutral witness. ACAS guidance on difficult conversations recommends avoiding accusatory language, explaining the impact of the behaviour, outlining what needs to change and making the consequences clear.

For a staff member, set out the support you will offer and the timeline for improvement. If a conversation feels daunting, rehearse it with a trusted friend, mentor or business coach beforehand.

4. Fear of looking stupid

A spelling error in a big presentation, a mix-up in figures or a question you simply do not understand can make even the most experienced professional feel like a squirming schoolchild.

Beat it. Asking for advice or clarification usually makes you look more competent, not less. Research from Harvard Business School (2015) found that seeking advice from the very person you want to impress can increase their perception of your capability.

Prepare thoroughly, admit when you do not know and follow up with the answer. There is no such thing as a stupid question when the alternative is a costly mistake.

5. Fear of selling

It might seem odd for a business owner to fear selling, yet many become tongue-tied when promoting their own product or service. Whether it stems from a fear of rejection or a worry about seeming pushy, too many SME owners win the meeting then falter when it is time to close the deal.

Beat it. Talk about the benefits you have delivered to past customers. This keeps the conversation outward-facing, what you can do for the customer, rather than inward-facing bragging. Humans respond better to a well-told customer story than to a list of statistics. Practise a handful of case-study stories until they feel natural.

You do not have to face fear alone

Running a business will always involve moments of anxiety, but persistent fear does not have to be part of the job description. FSB research from 2019 found that over half of small business owners have experienced poor mental health at some point. If a particular fear is holding you back, get support. Hire a skilled salesperson, book a session with a coach or mentor, or contact your local Growth Hub for free advice.

Sometimes simply knowing you are not alone is enough to take the edge off. Connect with other women in business through forums, networking groups and local enterprise support. Our guide to women in business networks UK lists communities to join in 2026. The more you normalise the jitters, the easier they are to beat, and the sooner you can beat the business jitters for good.

Four action steps to beat the jitters

• Name the fear that is costing you most time or sleep.
• Write down one practical step you can take this week to reduce it.
• Find one person, group or service you can turn to for support.
• Schedule the difficult conversation, pitch or sales call instead of delaying it.