Blog 30 July 2025

Why self-employment support matters for people with complex barriers

By Tevfick Souleiman

Self-employment can be a powerful path to independence, dignity, and economic empowerment. But for individuals facing multiple and complex barriers, the journey into self-employment is far from straightforward. Without targeted support, their entrepreneurial potential may remain untapped.

For many people, the traditional route into employment is paved with relatively few obstacles. But for others, those facing multiple, complex barriers, this path can feel more like a maze with no exit.

In this reflective blog, I explore why self-employment support tailored to those with complex barriers is not just important, it’s essential for inclusive economic growth, where the benefits of economic expansion are shared by all segments of society, and that opportunities are available to everyone, particularly those who are most disadvantaged. These reflections are formed from both my own lived experience of entrepreneurship and the criminal justice system.

I have also reflected from my role as Head of Enterprise at Forward over the last 5 years and in particular, our recent Dragons Den style events funded through our City Bridge Foundation project and our Brent Residents project, funded through the Brent Community Grants Team. These events provided an opportunity for 10 service users to present their business idea and to receive valuable feedback from professionals and potential investors. The winners received some funding and a package of intensive, targeted support from our service.

Breaking down the barriers

For many, the dream of starting a business can feel out of reach. Some of the most common barriers include:

Limited access to capital: Traditional financial institutions often view individuals with poor credit histories or unstable income as high-risk borrowers.
Lack of formal qualifications: Many aspiring entrepreneurs may not have the formal education or credentials often seen as prerequisites for business success.
Mental health and wellbeing issues: These can severely impact confidence, motivation, and the ability to engage with mainstream business support.
Social stigma and marginalisation: Individuals with criminal records, long-term unemployment, or homelessness often face judgment or exclusion from conventional business networks.
Digital exclusion: In a digital-first economy, lack of access to technology or digital literacy can shut people out from online business opportunities.

Even the process of starting a business, registering with HMRC, opening a bank account, writing a business plan, an feel insurmountable without help and it’s important to note that these barriers don’t exist in isolation – they overlap, making entry into self-employment particularly challenging.

Why self-employment support matters

As of June 2025, in the UK, there are just over 4.2 million self-employed people, which represents approximately 13% of the total workforce. This is quite a large section of the UK working population. Self-employment support isn’t just about providing advice on business plans and tax forms. For people with complex barriers, it must be holistic, trauma-informed, and flexible. Here’s why it’s vital:

1. Empowerment through ownership: Self-employment allows individuals to take control of their time, income, and career path. For someone who has been disempowered by authorities or circumstance, this can be transformative.

2. Flexibility for individual needs: Many people with physical or mental health conditions need flexibility that traditional employment cannot offer. Self-employment can provide that flexibility, allowing people to work around their health or caring responsibilities.

3. Building confidence and resilience: Tailored support, especially when delivered by trusted, community-based organisations, can help individuals build confidence, reduce social isolation, and foster resilience.

4. Creating inclusive economic growth: Supporting underrepresented entrepreneurs contributes to a more diverse and resilient economy. It ensures that innovation and productivity are not limited to those with privilege or access.

5. Reducing long-term dependence on services: Effective self-employment support can help people move away from long-term reliance on welfare, housing, and health services, reducing strain on public resources.

What effective support looks like

At Forward, we have been providing enterprise support since 2019 and have supported over 700 people from disadvantaged backgrounds with their entrepreneurial journey. From a very early stage, we swiftly identified that supporting people with complex needs into self-employment isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. Further, we also recognised the importance of developing our service users’ behaviours; 94% of Forward Enterprise clients presented with improved behaviours.

Through our experience and expert knowledge, we subsequently created the Forward Enterprise Bootcamp programme designed to take these challenges into account and to offer effective, flexible support, including:

Holistic wraparound support: Including financial mentoring and digital skills training.
Peer networks and mentoring: Connecting aspiring entrepreneurs with others who’ve walked similar paths.
Long-term engagement: Acknowledging that success takes time and providing support beyond business launch. (80% of our service users on our City Bridge project moved into Trading or demonstrated growth in their business.)
Non-judgmental, inclusive environments: Spaces where individuals are treated with dignity and not defined by their past.
Access and/or support to seed funding: Forward £1k micro-grant, mainstream and charitable foundation grants, and alternative financing models to support startup costs. We have awarded over £16,000 by way of Forward Micro-grants over the last 4 years.

Moving forwards

Self-employment is not a silver bullet, but for many facing multiple complex barriers, it offers a meaningful and realistic pathway out of poverty, economic inactivity, exclusion, and dependence. With the right support, people who have been overlooked or underestimated can become innovators, business owners, and community leaders.

The question isn’t whether we can afford to provide this support; it’s whether we can afford not to.

Are you an organisation working with marginalised communities? Consider building or partnering on programmes that provide tailored self-employment support.

Are you a funder or commissioner? Fund programmes such as Forward’s Enterprise Bootcamp, which focuses on inclusive entrepreneurship, not just for the “high-growth” startups, but for everyday people with extraordinary potential.

Are you an individual who’s walked this path? Share your story. You might inspire the next entrepreneur to take the first step.