The quiet power of community for small business owners. Approximately 70% of new businesses in the UK start off in the home, contributing £300 billion to the economy. This significant figure highlights the growing trend of home-based enterprises and the potential for networking among home entrepreneurs.
Of course, with that huge percentage of people working alone in their home environment it brings a whole raft of additional issues including the impact it has on their mental health. A study by AXA Insurance found that 48% of home-based business owners often experience loneliness due to spending excessive time alone without anyone to discuss their day-to-day problems or concerns with.
This statistic seems to rise with freelancers, with a survey of 750 UK freelancers showing that 64% regularly felt lonely because of the type of work they did.
It’s clear from these statistics that the impact of being a solo business owner can be detrimental to your mental wellbeing, and it highlights just how important it is to find a group of people with whom you can connect and share.
When the wrong people are in the room
This is an example of real scenario.
I was in a group of nine women, all entrepreneurs and each running their own business. The women represented a range of industries, stages of business, and reasons for attending but they had common ground and shared experiences.
One of the most poignant discussions had between these nine women was around visibility: how they each felt about stepping into the spotlight as part of their marketing.
During this conversation, one woman shared a story about returning to work after maternity leave. She had met up with a group of fellow mums, and they asked how work was going. The lady had answered, honestly and happily: “I loved it, I’d forgotten how good I am at what I do.”
The response was laughter. It was labelled as arrogant, a personality quirk, something amusing rather than a valid feeling about her own worth.
Another woman shared how a friend had once shamed her for offering to meet during the day, snapping, “Some of us have full-time jobs,” as if her business was a hobby rather than the full-time, full-hearted commitment that entrepreneurship demands.
A third said that she could never host a podcast, despite wanting to, because a friend had once told her she sounded like “a squeaky My Little Pony.” The comment, though meant in jest, lodged itself deep in her mind and left her doubting her ability to ever put her voice out into the world.
These are just a few of the stories from small room of nine women, but they reflect a much broader truth. Most entrepreneurs don’t choose friends who intentionally tear us down, but people don’t always understand the weight of their words – or the impact of their casual dismissals. This shows how much we need a group around us who can understand what we go through every day, can support and lift us up.
The impact of the wrong and the right
Entrepreneurs are programmed differently, we are by nature risk takers. Every business owner out there has made the choice to carve their own path, often going against the grain of societal expectations and that is something to be proud of. But it’s equally important to recognise that not everyone will understand, and that’s okay.
As a business owner, if your circle is made up of people who are all employed it can make finding understanding difficult. If you are surrounded by people who belittle or slight your achievements, then it may be time to re-evaluate those relationships. But if your friends are kind and good-hearted yet simply don’t get what it means to run a business, then that’s something you can accept.
The key then is to find spaces where you are understood. A community of people who face similar challenges and successes around the clients, the sticky situations, the highs and the lows. People who don’t need you to explain why a late payment can cause a sleepless night, or why a glowing testimonial can feel like gold dust. They don’t need to be with you every step of the way, but you need them there for some of it.
Find your people
Ideally, we would all have a community where we could be fully ourselves, all the time. A single safe place where our confidence, creativity, and ambition aren’t questioned or muted. That may not always be realistic in every part of our lives, especially in the digital world we live in and especially as entrepreneurs breaking the norms on a daily basis.
But finding a group of people where you can let out the part of yourself that needs to be seen in that moment is a powerful thing, so how can you do that?
- Online forums and groups are a great place to start, with groups available that cover just about every interest and every aspect of business
- Face to Face networking can be great when you find a group where you feel comfortable
- Events that interest you are bound to be filled with people who are drawn to the same things
- Join a smaller group like a mastermind where you are in a small container with people are a similar stage of business to you
- Use co-working spaces to meet, to network and to grow your community
Above all, finding your people is about getting out there and making connections.
You do have to recognise though, that building connections is not about selling and it’s not about quid pro quo, it’s about being genuinely interested in other people’s stories and having them be interested in yours.
Overcome the hurdles
All of this involves putting yourself out there and that can be challenging, especially if you’re an introvert.
So, what are some tips for handling this fear and pushing through any hesitation you might have?
- Start with smaller, curated spaces where there are less people in the room
- Start with small, manageable goals such as chatting to one person or making 2 new Linkedin connections
- Mentally reframe networking as connecting or making friends so it feels less intimidating
- Have a few easy open-ended questions prepped in case you have a mind blank in the moment
- Start online before going face to face as it can be easier, and you can think before you ask or answer
- Go to events specifically designed for introverts
- Leverage your strengths, if you thrive in 1 to 1 scenario, focus on engaging individuals in chat rather than breaking into groups
- Give yourself permission to leave, as and when you need to
Conclusion
Connection, communication, and collaboration matter in every area of life. But for small business owners, they are essential if we are to grow into the people and leaders we were meant to be.
The biggest hurdle to meeting this need is pushing yourself out of your comfort zone and finding the confidence to enter these rooms as yourself, shining bright so you attract likeminded individuals and it’s okay to start small with this and work your way up.
We all know how debilitating loneliness can be, affecting our mental health and performance in work. By putting yourself out there and finding connections that help you thrive you can ensure that you are set up for continued business success.
