Here are a range of comments from small business owners across the country when it comes to facing adversity, scaling confidence and growing resilience in a role.
A really patient partner at home, a dog so you have to get out and walk in nature and a belief that “This too shall pass”.
Samantha Kelly | Executive Personal Branding Specialist For Leaders
This is a counterintuitive take, but do less networking. I see way too many small business owners spreading themselves thin, attending every event where a new prospect or a partner might be. Some events are the right industry insiders, but not your buyers, so it ends up being wasted effort. You might be able to post photos on LinkedIn, but it is really helping your business grow? It also takes you away from the work, and when you move too far from the work, you can easily lose perspective and credibility. The work/product/service is your best asset, so put most of the time into that aspect of growing your business.
Aim to look at perceived failures, setbacks and those awkward moments when things don’t go to plan, as learning opportunities that will help you better navigate future hurdles. We’ll all ‘fail’ at some point, but the tough moments are actually the ones that you can learn the most from. We’re not robots, but trying your best to see past the emotions in tricky situations is how you can better understand the causes of setbacks and better prepare yourself for what the future holds.
Most people try to build resilience by pushing harder, staying motivated, or “toughing it out”. But that only works for so long. Real resilience doesn’t come from forcing yourself to keep going. It comes from removing the constant friction that’s draining you in the first place. The most resilient business isn’t the one that can survive pressure. It’s the one that isn’t constantly creating it.
Don’t wait to feel ‘ready’. Taking action builds momentum, confidence and resilience. Reframe any fear as ‘Feeling Excited And Ready’ and dive in. Baby steps beat analysis paralysis, procrastination and imposter syndrome. Reframe ‘failure’ as an experiment as you’ll become quite the scientist over time.
Build systems that run without you. Most small business owners are the system. Everything depends on them. One bad month, one illness, one lost client, and the whole thing shakes. The ones who get through it build their repetitive work into automation early. Not because they had a budget for it. Because they did it before they needed it. If the business stops when you stop, it is a job. Not a business.
A big key to resilience is mindset. Reframing setbacks or failures as learning experiences and approaching everything with curiosity so you can build on each experience will stand you in good stead. And taking the time to notice and recognise your stress levels is really important. Once you are aware that you are moving into a ‘red’ zone of excessive stress, you can take action to address it.
For me, resilience is rooted in being around the right people, the ones who (whether offline or online) reaffirm your purpose, make you feel encouraged, safe and excited about what you’re building. And quieting the noise of those who don’t. Being intentional about who you follow and listen to, and who you don’t.
Do the uncomfortable thing. That’s it. The more you push your comfort zone, the more resilience you build. Building resilience is an active, not a passive, process!
Take one day at a time. They really add up.
Don’t be afraid of AI. Enlist Claude’s help to build skills that replicate your skills and manage the repetitive tasks and workflows in your business. Automate as much as you can. Let AI take care of the back office so that you have more time to be the human in your business = more time to connect and build relationships = more sales.
Pam Rigden PCC | Getting Your ICF ACC Doesn’t Have To Be Complicated or Expensive
Two for the price of one one. Cut yourself some slack when making that transition into working for yourself, it takes time, and attitude is as important as aptitude; 2. Run a business, not a time-consuming and expensive hobby.
The biggest lesson I’ve learned about resilience came from launching a business three weeks before the world shut down. We opened Gigawatt Coffee Roasters in February 2020 with a plan to sell into office and corporate environments. By mid-March, that entire market had evaporated. What saved us wasn’t a backup plan, because we didn’t have one. It was that we had built something lean enough to pivot when none of our original assumptions applied. We had no brick-and-mortar location to pay rent on. We had no big team to protect. So when offices disappeared, we pivoted to farmers’ markets, one of the few places people could still gather safely, and we started showing up in person every weekend. Six years later, we’re still doing 250+ events a year, still have no brick-and-mortar location, and still prioritise flexibility over scale. The businesses that survive the unexpected aren’t the ones with the best plans. They’re the ones that stay nimble enough to build something new when the old thing stops working.
Don’t be afraid to chase unpaid invoices, and cash flow is the lifeblood of your business. Without it, you wouldn’t have a business.
Julie Timms | Helping small UK business owners recover money they’re owed
Build your community before you need it. Not a network of people you’ve handed business cards to, but actual humans who know what you do, cheer you on, and tell you the truth when you’re about to make a mistake. When things get hard – and they will – you don’t need a resilience framework. You need people.
Get your community SORTED! Once you have brilliant people in your corner – also running small businesses – you naturally feel more confident. Having someone else to bounce ideas off, or to have a moan at, or to ask ‘what do I do about this….?!’ can really help. Get out networking. Get online networking. Build a community of friends around you to support each other. Then, when something doesn’t go to plan or you have a bad day, you can bounce back much more quickly because you realise this happens to everyone.
Don’t do it alone – that way madness lies!
Linda Harrison | Journalist & PR expert for small businesses
Get scrappy and take messy, imperfect action. You will not get it right straight away… It’s a process of doing, learning, repeating… but always have in the front of your mind what you are doing this for. What are your values, hopes, dreams and needs, and how does this business align with them?
Celebrate the small wins, because they all add up!
Eleanor Turney | Director of Many Hats, professional development workshops for freelancers
Don’t rely on one client. Even if a big retainer project comes along and it takes most of your time, keep working with other clients. That one big project can end. At least you’ll have a few other clients. Make friends with people in your industry/your competitors, as they can help if you have an overspill of work or if you become ill or can’t work. Be visible. Keep on top of your marketing as Mel Barfield tells me… keep pumping that pipeline! Remember, marketing is not only social media. Networking, your newsletter, your blog, website, and PR all work together.
Your time is the most valuable thing you have, so as soon as you can afford it get rid of everyday tasks like cleaning or gardening and use that time to focus on your business instead. It certainly helped me in the beginning.
Build an emergency fund for financial stability, and a smile file (nice things people have said about you and your work) for emotional stability.
There’s a difference between the day-to-day tactics and the long-term strategy. It’s not easy sometimes, but keep that in mind. One helps the other, but the long term is more important.
For me, it’s all about connections, partnership and seeking your tribe. I have had the pleasure of working alongside incredible freelancers who have a shared purpose. When I left the corporate world, I knew the next chapter of my life would be driven by purpose.
Love what you do. You need to have passion and belief that will get you through all the ups and downs, the roller coaster that is business. And, as mentioned here, definitely have a strong support network for advice and delegation. Know what you’re good at and delegate the rest. Don’t try to do it all.
Judy Parsons | LinkedIn® Training For B2B Sales & Marketing Teams
Set boundaries from the start and stick to them! Separate work and home life as much as you can. It’s also completely fine to say ‘no’ to extra work (or just work you don’t want to do), which helps prevent creep. Boundary creep usually comes from the “will you just…” and “it’ll only take a minute” additions that expand scope and erode your time before you’ve noticed. Decide what your limits are before you need them. It’s much harder to draw a line mid-project than at the start.
Also, get a separate bank account early on and pay yourself a salary from that – don’t mix your personal spending with your business spending! It’ll make things way easier when it comes to your self-assessment, and you’ll be able to clearly see what is coming in and going out of your business.
Vicky Hannon | Marketing Strategist & Advisor for Service-Based Businesses
I’ve always felt it’s finding your way of doing business. There are so many tips and advice pieces about the ‘right’ or ‘best’ way to build a business. But figuring out your unique way of building and running your business, and the confidence to lead with this, is how we really see growth and keep getting back up when things get hard. When you have a clear vision and do things in a way that feels right for you, it’s easier to remember your why and keep going through the challenges.
For me, there are so many great practical tips like building support networks and processes, all of which are part of the puzzle, but this has always been the fundamental difference for me, and I’ve seen this in my clients too.
The advice I think about is linked to identity. In a moment when resilience feels like it should be about pushing through something difficult, I pause and think about who I’m becoming. Sometimes that reflection might help us see an identity that isn’t aligned to what we want for the future, and that’s ok, we can take action when we recognise it! or it reassures us that we are moving in the right direction.
Leila Ainge | Psychologist | Researcher | Host of Psychologically Speaking
When you do your competitor analysis, look for the gaps. The differences. Focus on where you can stand apart. I see so many small businesses try to copy their competitors. The real opportunity lies in differentiating from them.
I have one: don’t take it personally. Some people will be excited to collaborate, some will ignore, some will start strong and then ghost you, and everything in between. Stay true to your craft, don’t undervalue yourself, and don’t let negative experiences get to you.
Thumree Sarkar, PhD | R&D Narrative & Technical Documentation
There are a few pieces of advice for resilience in small businesses, but for me, the biggest one is ‘agile’. To be able to pivot and move with different pricing, services, strategy, etc. The business world, particularly the ‘digital’ world, is constantly moving at a ridiculous pace, and not being able to move quickly to keep pace is a main reason some small businesses struggle.
The slight argument to that point, though, is that small businesses can’t keep up with everything, so they keep pace only within their sector of business/service. Don’t try to keep pace with everything going on; otherwise, you’d go bonkers.
Build a network of people whom you can trust to give you good general advice, but pay for professional advice when it absolutely matters.
The advice I always give myself is to keep moving forward. When you’re consistently taking action and making lots of small decisions for your business, the ones that don’t go to plan don’t feel like they matter as much. It isn’t because you don’t care about them, it’s that you know more actions are coming.
When we put all our energy and focus on one outcome, it can be really hard if it doesn’t happen. But if you remind yourself to keep putting one foot in front of the other, resilience starts to build.
Making sure you’re not constantly over capacity and building in time for rest really helps to build resilience. I find taking the occasional solo day off to do something nice really helps refill my tank and makes me more resilient.
Sophie Greenwood | Strategy & Planning Specialist for small businesses and freelancers
Get a good support network around you. It’s one of the very first things I did when I went self-employed, and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. They give me a pep talk when I need it, are there to listen to me when I’m struggling or have a challenge, and have helped me to really see the value in what I do and be confident in myself. And I’ve got some of the best mates I’ve ever had out of it. When I see people struggling in their business, often they feel lonely and like they’re the only one going through what they’re going through – a great community removes this and gives you so much more.
Learn to see it as a business and not as you. People will choose not to work with you – and that’s fine. But taking everything to heart grinds you down. If you can find ways to separate yourself from your business, you’ll be much more resilient because you won’t take rejection to heart, and the whole thing will feel a lot less personal (and easier to do)
You need to build a Sleep Well at Night (SWAN) Fund to help build resilience. This means setting aside a bit in a separate pot for each invoice payment you receive. This means being able to withstand any fluctuations in your income and any economic turbulence. It’s the business equivalent of saving for a rainy day.
Kyle Rushton McGregor | GA4, GTM and Looker Studio Specialist
Have a support network in place of other freelancers who know what it is like to walk in your shoes. You can ask for advice, or just vent – whatever works for you. Make sure that you take time out to recharge – whether a walk in nature, a dog walk, an exercise class, the gym, reading a book, or cocktails with friends. Again – whatever it is that works for you.
Try not to aim for perfection all the time. Good enough is often good enough to get something off the ground, and then you can perfect it as you go. Trying to make something perfect before release drains energy and confidence if it prevents you from getting it off the ground. You only gain resilience by trying and learning from what does/doesn’t work.
Also, build a strong support network and regularly get around people in the same boat… Freelancer Magazine is a good starting point.
Adding to Marianne Avery’s support network: If someone’s advice or support helped you, send a quick message to them to let them know what worked. (Don’t wait to compose a ‘perfect’ email. A DM is ok.)
The biggest threat to any small business isn’t a bad quarter or a difficult client. It’s the story the owner tells themselves about what that bad quarter means. I’ve seen business owners mentally fold long before the numbers actually demanded it. The external problem was survivable. The internal narrative wasn’t.
Build a reset ritual—a short, repeatable process you return to whenever something goes sideways. Three questions, asked honestly. What actually happened, stripped of all the drama? What can I control from here? And what would I tell a friend in this situation? That last question is the most powerful. We are almost always kinder and more rational advisors to others than we are to ourselves. Borrowing that perspective in a crisis is a genuine skill.
Resilience, it turns out, isn’t about never struggling. It’s about building a relationship with struggle that doesn’t frighten you.
