A growing number of UK small business owners are struggling with exhaustion, isolation and loneliness,
as rising costs and tax pressures push many to the brink and leave “break-even as the new benchmark”.
There are so many factors at play but for me, this underlines the need for good, empathetic mentors. They have been critical to my survival. As I say in the article, external guidance saved a previous business from collapse. “Friends couldn’t understand, staff needed reassurance I didn’t have, and clients couldn’t know how close we were to failing. A mentor helped me separate real crises from noise.”
You can read the rest of this excellent expose here: ,https://notltd.co.uk/work-life/lonely-business-owners-isolation-small-business-2026/