Younger and older business owners agree on the mindset that matters most, but split sharply on what holds them back, as new analysis of Funding Circle's Beyond The Pitch study reveals
New analysis of Funding Circle and PREM Rugby's Beyond The Pitch research, which surveyed 2,023 UK adults, confirms that adaptability, not a "winning mentality," is the mindset UK adults rate most important for success in both sport and business (28%). But dig into the data by age and gender, and a more nuanced picture of resilience emerges.
The study's headline finding showed "building the right team" as the single biggest challenge facing new business owners overall (22%), but this masks a stark age split. Among 18-24 year-olds, fear of failure is the dominant concern (29%), their highest-ranked barrier by some distance, while building the right team ranks as their lowest priority (18%). The picture reverses entirely for 45-54 year-olds, for whom building the right team is the number one challenge (25%), well ahead of fear of failure (19%).
When it comes to bouncing back, 85% believe that experiencing failure, whether on the pitch or in life, helps prepare someone to run a business, though the way that resilience is expressed differs. Women were more likely to prioritise discipline and consistency as the mindset that matters most (28%, versus 23% of men), while men were somewhat more drawn to a "winning mentality" (17%, versus 10% of women). Read alongside the study's core finding, this suggests most people, across both genders, favour steady adaptability over an all-or-nothing approach to winning.
Perspective on business – and on failure – shifts with age
The data shows a clear generational gradient in how people understand what running a business really involves. Just 40% of 18-24-year-olds see it as “a balance” of people skills and financial decision-making, compared with 66% of over-55s – a 26-point gap. Younger respondents were instead more likely to see business as “mostly about leading and managing people” (24%, compared to just 11% of over-55s).
A similar pattern emerges around failure. While 18-24 year-olds are more likely than any other age group to say failure builds confidence to take risks (41%), they are far less likely to say it teaches perseverance over the long term (17%, compared with 35% of over-55s) – more than double. Older respondents were also more likely to credit workplace experience, rather than sport, as the best preparation for performing under pressure (52% of over-55s vs 28% of 18-24 year-olds).
Taken together, the findings paint a picture of confidence that matures with age: younger people believe more readily in their ability to bounce back quickly, while older respondents have come to see resilience, and the patience to build the right team around them, as something learned over time.
Backing every stage of the journey
Funding Circle is calling on the UK's small business owners, whatever stage of their journey they're at, to back their own instincts and is offering fast-track business loan decisions, with funding decisions in as little as 1 hour and no impact on credit score, so they can focus on the team and the mindset that will take them further, not on chasing finance. Visit fundingcircle.com/uk/small-business-loans to find out more.
Methodology
Research was conducted online by Research Without Barriers (RWB) among a nationally representative sample of 2,023 UK adults, surveyed between 1 and 6 May 2026. All research adheres to the MRS Code of Conduct (2023) and the ICC/ESOMAR World Research Guidelines. RWB is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office and is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act (2018).
