22% of 15 to 18 year-olds want to start a business

Almost a quarter (22%) of young people aged between 15 and 18 are interested in starting their own business, according to new data from YouGov commissioned by Google.

The survey found that 32% of teenagers believe they would benefit from starting their own business while 47% said they were unafraid of taking risks when it comes to making money.

Interestingly, boys aged 15 to 18 were found to be more confident about starting a business than girls, at 36% against 28%, with boys indicated to be “much more likely” to think about starting a business right after finishing school (14% against 9%).

In addition, the survey reported that teenage were more positive about entrepreneurship as they expressed confidence they wouldn’t make mistakes (41% against 31%), while girls were suggested to be more afraid of failure (45% against 39%). This finding contradicts recent research which showed that the majority of UK young entrepreneurs – those aged under 35 – are now female.

Of those that were not interested in starting a business, 56% perceive it as too risky, 21% as unstable and 11% as reckless.

Sarah Drinkwater, head of Campus London, said, “No matter what their eventual career, we know that teaching students about entrepreneurship builds critical thinking, communication and collaboration skills.

“These are highly important skills for young people as they prepare to enter the world of work, but can also ensure that the UK’s start-up ecosystem flourishes in the years to come.”