March 06, 2026 Industry news
Today, 1.8 million women run incorporated or self-employed ventures across the UK, the highest share on record.
Nearly half of all UK entrepreneurs are now women. This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating eight female founders in the GS1 UK community who are proof of what’s possible when you spot a real opportunity and build solutions that matter.
These founders spotted gaps in the market, from a lack of stylish skiwear to missing allergen information and filled them. What ties their stories together is not just ambition or resilience. Its purpose and the practical tools that enabled them to scale: standardised data, trusted barcodes and a supportive community of fellow builders.
From kitchen table to national retailer
Lizzie Carter’s journey started with a single microfibre towel and a frustration shared by millions - the lack of products designed for natural curls.
Lizzie Carter, founder of OnlyCurls
“What began at my kitchen table with a single idea has grown into something extraordinary,” she reflects on Only Curls, now stocked in Boots and Amazon with more than 42,000 customer reviews.
The path from a £100 Shopify store to retail partnership was built on one key principle. Listening to her customers.
“We reply to every single DM, every comment. Customer service became our growth engine,” Lizzie explains. That obsession with detail extended to operations. When she knew retail was the next logical step, she didn’t wing it. “
We put barcodes on our products when we launched the hair care line because we knew long term we would need them for retailers. Joining GS1 UK gave us the GTINs we needed to work with retailers and third-party logistics providers.”
Authenticity over advertising budget
Daisy Kelly’s approach to scaling proved that you don’t need a big marketing budget if you have authenticity.
Daisy Kelly, founder & CEO of Glow For It
She had a problem she’d solved for herself, a prostaglandin analogue free lash serum that actually worked. And the willingness to show up as herself.
“I just showed up on TikTok and said, ‘Hi, I’m Daisy, founder of Glow For It,’ and talked about why I started it,” she recalls. Today, Glow For It is the UK’s bestselling lash serum on TikTok with 160,000 followers and more than 280,000 units sold.
But success on social media didn’t mean Daisy could afford to be casual about the operational side. When the opportunity came to scale into retail via Boots, GS1 barcodes became essential.
“When you’re small, you’re trying to prove you belong. Having GS1 barcodes shows retailers you’re serious. It sounds simple, but it’s a huge step in being retail ready.”
The power of purpose
Not all founder stories begin with spotting a market gap. Some begin with personal experience that becomes a powerful mission.
Hanna Sillitoe, best selling author, skin healing expert and founder of Hanna Sillitoe Skincare
For Hanna Sillitoe, it started when she took control of her own health journey. Facing chronic skin conditions (acne, eczema, severe psoriasis), she decided to find a different path. “I gave myself 28 days to change everything, my diet, my lifestyle, my mindset.”
The results inspired her to share what she’d learned. She began blogging about her journey, and people connected with her story in ways she hadn’t anticipated. When the Daily Mail picked it up, her blog became a bestselling book overnight. Dragons’ Den followed, and with investment from two of the five Dragons who bid for her company, Hanna Sillitoe Skincare was born.
“Our customers aren’t just customers,” Hanna explains. “They’re people on a healing journey. That’s why we still answer emails ourselves and check in on long term subscribers. That community is everything.”
What’s remarkable is how many of these founders channel personal experiences into their business vision. For Roshanne Dorsett, founder of Glowcery, working in law gave her a deep understanding of what matters; integrity and real impact. She saw an opportunity to bring that same principle to beauty. For Julianne Ponanan, founder of Creative Nature, living with life-threatening food allergies meant she understood exactly why her customers needed products they could trust completely.
Scaling with intention
There’s a clear pattern across these stories. All of these founders grew thoughtfully.
Renee Fraser-Shepherd, founder and CEO of Sloobie
Renee Fraser-Shepherd, founder of Sloobie skiwear, spent two years conducting customer research before launching a single product. She conducted 350+ interviews and tested 60 design concepts. “Every decision we make is based off primary data from the get-go,” she explains. That upfront investment in understanding her customer meant that when Fenwick came calling for a retail partnership, she was ready. When a last-minute barcode issue threatened the launch, GS1 UK’s online process solved the problem within hours.
Meanwhile, Hannah Calder and Harriet Armston-Clarke, founders of Belly Dance, took a different route. They launched their gut health water kefir in October 2024 and won the GS1 UK Taste & Rate competition within days. “It helped open conversations we wouldn’t have had otherwise,” Hannah reflects. “When you’re that early stage, it was amazing to get that validation.”
All of these founders invested in getting the fundamentals right. They didn’t skip the important stuff, even when scaling felt urgent. That commitment to the basics is what enabled them to move confidently when real opportunities arrived.
Beyond the UK
For Jennifer Bailey, founder of Calla Shoes, the global reach came almost organically. Started as a solution to her own wedding day shoe hunt, Calla now serves customers in more than 60 countries.
“The great thing about GS1 barcodes is that they’re globally recognised,” Jennifer notes. “That’s really helped me sell overseas.” That global infrastructure, a barcode that works the same way in Singapore as it does in Surrey, proved critical as Calla scaled internationally.
Similarly, Julianne Ponan’s Creative Nature has expanded from a struggling candle business (inherited through a management buyout with £56,000 in debt) into a thriving allergen free superfood brand stocked in 16 countries, including major retailers like Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Asda and Wholefoods.
“We always wanted to take Creative Nature global,” Julianne explains. “That’s been my vision since we first started.”
The role of standards and community
What’s striking about these stories is how often they highlight a single theme: the importance of getting the fundamentals right early.
Barcodes might not necessarily make headlines or inspire Instagram posts. But they’re essential infrastructure. Every single one of these founders credited GS1 standards and GS1 UK’s community as critical to their growth trajectory.
Roshanne Dorsett, founder of The Glowcery
“Joining GS1 UK was one of those big steps that made the business feel real,” Daisy reflects. “Barcodes gave us the foundation we needed to get products into retail and onto marketplaces. Customers don’t see it, but it makes all the difference behind the scenes.”
Beyond barcodes, GS1 UK’s community and networking opportunities have created unexpected pathways. Hanna Sillitoe connected with major retailers through GS1 UK’s partnership with Product Guru’s Huddles, a face-to-face opportunity with real buyers that proved far more effective than cold outreach. Belly Dance found early validation and visibility through GS1 UK’s Taste & Rate competition.
“There’s a whole ecosystem of people who’ve been there and are willing to share what they’ve learned,” Hannah Calder notes. “You just have to ask.”
What comes next
For these founders, 2026 is about consolidation and expansion. Sloobie is scaling retail. Hanna Sillitoe is planning major retail rollout. Creative Nature continues its global expansion.
Their advice to other founders thinking of starting? Start. Don’t wait for perfect timing or perfect conditions. Identify the problem, build the solution, listen to your customers obsessively, and invest in the fundamentals early. Find mentors. Build a network. Ask questions.
More than 60,000 businesses have started their journey with GS1 UK. Among them are countless women solving problems they encountered, serving communities they understand, building companies that matter.
This International Women’s Day, we’re celebrating the female founders in our community who are solving real problems and building thriving businesses. If you’re building something meaningful and need the right standards and support to scale, we’re here to help.
