Prime Highlight:
- Helen Pugh has been recognised as one of the UK’s leading female founders for 2026 under Small Business Britain’s f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign.
- The recognition highlights her work in building inclusive businesses while advocating for wellbeing and opportunities for disabled and chronically ill entrepreneurs.
Key Facts:
- Pugh founded Helen Pugh Business Solutions in 2022 and launched Ablepreneurs in 2025, supporting small businesses and disabled entrepreneurs, respectively.
- The #IAlso100 campaign, launched in 2017, celebrates 100 inspirational women in business and supports them through events, training, and networking.
Background:
Helen Pugh, a business founder based in Shropshire, has been named among the UK’s most inspiring female entrepreneurs for 2026. She has secured a place in the f:Entrepreneur #IAlso100 campaign, run by Small Business Britain, which showcases 100 women making a strong impact while running successful enterprises.
Pugh founded Helen Pugh Business Solutions in 2022 and launched Ablepreneurs in 2025. Her work has gained national attention as she builds successful businesses while putting inclusion, well-being and community support first. She will now appear alongside female founders from across the country who are recognised for their leadership, innovation and resilience.
Helen Pugh Business Solutions works closely with small companies in the property sector, helping them improve operations and grow sustainably. Ablepreneurs is a growing movement that supports entrepreneurs, freelancers, and creatives who live with disabilities or long-term health conditions. The initiative creates safe, supportive spaces where people can build their businesses while also looking after their well-being.
Commenting on the recognition, Pugh said the honour reflects the determination and creativity of disabled and chronically ill business owners across the UK. She noted that Ablepreneurs was shaped by personal experience and aims to challenge traditional ideas of productivity by placing wellbeing at the centre of entrepreneurship.
Small Business Britain launched the f:Entrepreneur campaign in 2017 to shine a light on women-led businesses and their contribution to the economy. Michelle Ovens CBE, the organisation’s founder and CEO, praised this year’s honourees, saying they demonstrate why female founders are vital to both economic growth and social progress.
The #IAlso100 programme also offers participants training, events, and opportunities to network. Research suggests the UK economy could gain up to £250 billion if women created and scaled businesses at the same rate as men.
