GUEST COLUMN:
Julia Percival
Partner
Fronteifi Nature Lodges
When people talk about entrepreneurship, they often focus on finance, strategy or risk appetite. Those things matter, but in my experience one of the biggest barriers is something much quieter: belonging.
I’ve worked at a senior level in large organisations, which has given me access to expertise, advice and confidence that many people simply don’t have. When we started Fronteifi Nature Lodges in Cardigan we didn’t plan to take on finance at all. But development projects rarely go exactly to plan, and at a critical moment, accessing finance made the difference between finishing the project or stalling completely.
That experience reinforced something I’ve long believed: it’s not just about whether support exists, it’s about whether people feel able to step into it.
Many potential entrepreneurs don’t see themselves reflected in business spaces. They look at a room, or a network, or a funding process and think, “That’s not for me.” That feeling isn’t about confidence; it’s about identity, background and experience. If you don’t feel you belong, you don’t step forward.
This affects women, people from diverse backgrounds, and those in rural or lower-income communities particularly strongly. Telling people the support is there isn’t enough if the environment feels alien or intimidating.
That’s why storytelling matters so much. Real stories, not polished success narratives, but honest journeys that include risk, doubt and learning. When people hear those stories, entrepreneurship becomes imaginable.
We also need to meet people where they are. That might be through social media, informal networks or community spaces, and not always formal programmes or institutions. If we want to reach future entrepreneurs, we have to speak their language and recognise their realities.
International Women’s Day should remind us that inclusion isn’t about opening doors and hoping people walk through. It’s about making spaces feel welcoming in the first place and making sure people feel that they belong.
