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{{propApi.successMessage}} {{region}} Change locationSmall business, big worries
Small business, big worries
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Gabrielle Chariton
Content Writer
CONTENT WARNING: This article involves a discussion on mental health and substance abuse. Reading this story may be difficult, especially if you’ve had similar experiences or supported a friend or family member. If you’re feeling impacted, contact Beyond Blue for immediate support, Lifeline on 13 11 14 , Headspace, or your local GP.
If you’re the owner of a small business in the residential housing industry, you’re not just a carpenter, plumber or draftsperson – you’re the one keeping the whole boat afloat and the show on the road. It’s a lot of work and a huge responsibility. So, it will probably come as no surprise to hear, statistically, small business owners face an increased risk of developing a mental health condition.
‘Research shows that around one in three small business owners have experienced stress, anxiety or depression in the past 12 months. And over a third of small business owners will experience a mental health condition in their lifetime,’ says Greg Jennings, Chief Engagement Officer at Beyond Blue. ‘I think it comes down to the unique set of stresses that small business owners face in their daily life.’
With an estimated 90 per cent of the residential construction sector made up of small businesses and sole traders*, this is an issue that runs deep into our industry’s core. That’s why HIA recently convened a webinar titled Safeguarding the mental health of small business owners, providing mental health information and support to this sector of our membership base.
During the webinar, Greg Jennings, together with David Butler, a HIA member with lived experience of mental health, and mental health coach Carly Alexander, shared tips and advice for small business owners, the warning signs to look out for, and strategies for self-care.
They also looked in-depth at the mental health support services available to small business owners, particularly the NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) program. This has already helped countless small business owners get their lives back on track.
The perfect storm
Greg Jennings describes running a small business as ‘a perfect storm’ of competing pressures: ‘things that are outside our control such as the economy and natural disasters, plus the realities of cashflow difficulties, feeling a sense of responsibility for your business, for your staff, for your family. All these things can start to feel like a burden for small business owners.’
For HIA members, this can be compounded by industry-specific factors such as long working hours and intense or physically demanding working conditions.
David Butler’s experience reflects this. After establishing his own business, Butler Building, and a new father in quick succession, life got difficult. He responded to the sudden escalation in pressure by cracking open a beer at the end of each workday.
However, he says that ‘slowly turned from three beers of an afternoon to six and then six to eight. It was a very snowball effect’.
When it comes to mental health, the terms ‘vicious cycle’ and ‘snowball effect’ crop up repeatedly. That’s because common coping mechanisms such as drinking can lead to addiction and eventually impact every part of your life – compromising your performance at work and hurting your loved ones at home.
‘David’s drinking really created a wedge within our little family unit,’ says David’s wife, Lizelle Butler. ‘It also created a wedge with us business-wise. He almost wasn't thinking straight and had an attitude of, “Oh, bugger it”.’
Carly Alexander adds that when people are anxious, stressed or depressed, ‘they tend to be less logical and systematic when they make decisions. So small problems can build up and become really overwhelming.’
When to take action
One of the core pieces of advice offered in the webinar is that mental health niggles are best addressed quickly. ‘Things don’t get better by themselves,’ Greg says. ‘While it’s never too late to get support, it's best to get support early before your problems snowball.’
Learn to recognise the early warning signs. Some red flags to look out for – in yourself and others – include:
- a sense of emptiness
- low motivation
- difficulty focusing
- feeling indifferent about life
- feeling stuck
- lacking a sense of purpose.
Greg says that many small business owners’ sense of self-esteem is inextricably linked to their business, and ‘they will often prioritise their business health over their own personal mental health and wellbeing.’
But it’s impossible to run a healthy, successful business when your own health is suffering. ‘This is where the NASBO program can actually help, by educating business owners in ways to practically manage their stress,’ Carly says ‘And it’s free.’
Helping you to help yourself
While talking to a friend or family member can be helpful, NASBO’s trained mental health coaches understand the unique pressures and challenges small business owners face and their assistance is tailored accordingly.
This free, six-week program implements low-intensity cognitive behavioural therapy, which, Carly explains, identifies the link between our thoughts, feelings and behaviours, ‘and specifically how positive change in one area of your life can trigger positive change in multiple other areas. And this results in an overall improvement.’
She describes it as ‘guided self-help’, with an emphasis on ‘helping participants to help themselves’.
‘It's not about solving the problems for them but helping them to build the resilience and to look at ways to change those possibly unhelpful behaviours by identifying ways they can find the answers for themselves.’
And the great news? The unique format of this program delivers fantastic results. Between 2021 and 2024, 90 per cent of participants felt more productive and confident to deal with future business challenges.
So, what are you waiting for?
Check out the webinar
In the webinar, Carly and Greg go into much more detail about how the NASBO program works and how to access it, along with other support resources such as Ahead for Business, the Small Business Debt Helpline, and Beyond Blue’s 24/7 Support Service.
David shares some coping strategies he uses to keep his mental health on track, as well as practical tips he’s learned to reduce some of the more stressful elements of managing a small business.
Download the webinar.
Celebrating 10 years of partnership
HIA Charitable Foundation (HIACF) is committed to the wellbeing of members of the residential construction industry and proudly supports Beyond Blue.
In the past 10 years $1.3 million has been raised, funding a world-first National Suicide Prevention Research Project and now the Beyond Blue Support Service.
Of that, $850,000 has directly supported the Beyond Blue Support Service, helping over 16,500 people during this time.
To find out more or to make a donation, visit HIACF.
First published 27 September 2024