Tuesday 26 May 2026 4:16 am  |  Updated:  Monday 25 May 2026 12:36 pm

James Reed: UK needs entrepreneurs desperately. So I’m gonna fund them

By: James Reed

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My father founded Reed in 1960 with just £75. My new fund will help create the next generation of entrepreneurs Britain so desperately needs, says James Reed

Why I’m backing Britain’s entrepreneurs

British entrepreneurs are remarkably resilient. We have a strong culture of innovation and a long history of building successful businesses from scratch. But if we are serious about economic growth, we need to be much more serious about supporting the people who actually create jobs: our entrepreneurs.

Too often at the moment, the entrepreneurial community feels overlooked or worse put upon. The Government says growth is its top priority, but businesses continue to face rising costs, higher taxes and increasing caution around hiring. The cost of employing someone on minimum wage in Britain is now approaching £30,000 a year once taxes and other costs are included. That is a significant barrier for small firms trying to grow.

At the same time, as Alan Milburn’s review for the Government highlights, approaching one million young people aged 18 to 24 are not in employment,........

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