Self Care Tools for Small Business Owners
This is a blog to get messy with! It’s a living tool to be read and used. The more active you can get, the more use you will get out of it.
I imagine you are here because you are a small business owner (or at least, planning to become one.) So, before we go any further, just take a moment to pause and imagine all the other entrepreneurs reading this and seeking to invest in themselves. You are not alone. Being a small business owner may feel isolating but there’s millions of us in the UK alone… over five and a half million of us in fact, which is absolutely mind blowing. (GOV.UK, 2023)
There’s a wonderful quote from A.S. Byatt: “Think of this – that the writer wrote alone, and the reader read alone, and they were alone with each other.” I hope that you know that that is now true of us, we are “alone with each other.” I imagine you curled up with this, hopefully with a steaming cup of something by your side, and ready to learn how self-care can improve your wellbeing, resilience and, ultimately, your business.
I am writing to you from the corner of my living room, the only space in my little flat that has been transitioned into an office (more on creating your workspace later!) I have a window to my left and look out on a surprising amount of greenery given I’m writing from a busy suburb in Manchester. My mug is a Christmas one because this is December 10th. As a small business owner, the only time I could conceivably hope to write this is in this window when things wind down for Christmas and before they kick off again in the New Year.
“That doesn’t sound very good for your wellbeing,” I hear you say… “isn’t that rather hypocritical?” Well, perhaps. Like many small business owners, I can be rather obsessive about my work and struggle to switch off. I’m not sure if it’s possible to ever reach the perfect balance between striving to grow our businesses and protecting our wellbeing. But I’d encourage you to let go of that golden idol, ‘perfection’ right now.
Please don’t make ‘self-care’ another thing to add to your list and feel guilty about not completing. I hold my hands up wholeheartedly and admit that I am imperfect in this area myself… but that’s the very reason I wanted to research and write this for us. Being a small business owner can feel like it demands all of you, so it’s essential that we find something like balance and keep working on readjusting that as we and our businesses grow and change.
Ultimately, it’s about choices. Writing this blog is a form of work, but it’s one that brings me huge joy. I can feel myself reaching out to you and love the thought that some of what I’ve learnt may resonate and help you. I’ve made the choice to work on this for a certain number of hours each day because maintaining some kind of structure over the winter holidays is actually helpful for me.
I’ll still run outside whenever the sun makes an appearance and almost certainly light a candle and have a bath this evening… self-care isn’t one thing. Sometimes it’s treating yourself and sometimes it’s making those tough choices which will make life better in the long run. I am not here to preach to you, as writer and reader we are now a team: “alone with each other.”
I also believe it to be true that small business owners around the world are “alone with each other” – no one will ever understand our challenges in the way a fellow entrepreneur can. I think we have more in common with one another than people who work in ‘normal’ jobs within our niche. There’s just something about needing to be Head of Marketing and Chief Financial Officer in the same day that has to be experienced to be understood.
The significance of this, is why I’ve chosen to start the blog with the value of ‘finding your tribe’. (See next weeks post!) In my experience, this really can be make or break for businesses. I run an events business and the first thing I launched was a local community network to help entrepreneurs find and connect with one another. I talk a lot about how, whilst contacts and collaborations are very important, finding your tribe of support is essential.
When you work alone, or even in a small team where you’re the one responsible for most of the big decisions, it’s imperative that you have people to check in with you, bounce ideas around and empathise with what you’re experiencing. From now on, you’re not alone. We’re going to work together to make sure you have everything you need to look after yourself and your business at the same time.
On average, 20% of new businesses fail in the first year. (Lennox, 2024) The main reason for this is often put down to finances – specifically cash flow. Now, far be it from me to argue with economists, but I think there are often more subtle factors at play as well. Small businesses are run by individuals and how that individual is coping determines how the business is operating. No one wrestling with imposter syndrome is going to chase an invoice. No one with anxiety is going to face up to their pile of receipts. No one who’s unsure of their own personal direction, is going to invest the best of themselves into a business plan…
So, what do we do about this? We look after YOU, of course! I would love to be in a position to influence government policy and better protect small businesses… but, for now, we’re going to have to do this “alone with each other.” We’re going to figure out exactly what you need to make sure that you’re in a good place. A good enough place to grow the business of your dreams. A business which will, in turn, take care of you.
Small business owners are absolutely essential to the rich fabric of our society. They give soul to our country, they’re about personal connection, creativity and community. We must never lose that! Never doubt that what your business has to offer is valuable and that you have what you need within you to make it happen. So, are we ready to begin?
A reminder from the very start, that the most important thing is for you to put this into action. As I publish this weekly blog, you’ll find lots of recommendations for things to DO. These are then compiled for you in the very last chapter so you have an action plan to take away and bring to life… See you next week!
