Running a business in a small town can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do—and one of the loneliest.
In a previous column, I shared thoughts on burnout, referencing a Massey Business School study that found 57% of Kiwi workers are at high risk. Here in the Bay of Plenty, it’s worse: nearly 72%. That’s almost three out of four people barely hanging on.
This stage of my career has been a privilege. I’ve supported local business owners through start-ups, acquisitions, and impressive growth journeys. The pride I feel in what they’ve built is real. But there’s one thread that shows up again and again in the people behind the businesses: loneliness.
You can’t always talk to your staff about financial stress. You don’t want to worry your partner. And often, your mates just don’t get it. So you hold it in. You carry the weight—the responsibility, the risk, the late-night thoughts about what happens if things go sideways.
It’s a story I hear all the time. And it’s one I know personally. The truth? Most small-town business owners feel the same. They just don’t talk about it. Maybe it’s time we did?
A Space to Breathe: The Business Spread Trust
That’s why we started The Business Spread Trust—to support the people behind the businesses. It’s not a networking group or another calendar commitment. It’s a space to take a breath, talk honestly, and know someone’s checking in.
At its core, The Business Spread Trust offers free mental health support for business owners across the Eastern Bay of Plenty. It’s about talking before things boil over. About sharing the hard stuff that doesn’t usually leave the office.
My door’s always open for a chat, client or not. Sometimes, a simple conversation—a coffee or cheeky Friday beer—is all it takes to help reset.
The Weight of Being the Boss
When you own a business, everything lands on your shoulders. Making payroll, fixing problems, managing tricky customers—it’s all on you. There’s no HR department or boardroom to back you up. Just you, a laptop, and a never-ending to-do list.
That’s why I encourage owners to build their own digital C-suite—a concept I explored in a previous article. Because in a small town, the pressure is different. Everyone knows you. You don’t want to look like you’re struggling, not in front of your customers or peers. So you keep pushing. But here’s the catch: that same isolation that protects your image can quietly hold your business back.
Trust Builds Stronger Businesses
In big cities, you can fade into the background. In small towns, relationships matter. The café owner who buys local produce. The builder who recommends the designer down the road. The shop that shares another local store’s post.
That’s trust in action. And it pays off—not just in sales, but in sanity. When you’re surrounded by people you trust, the problems feel smaller, the ideas sharper, and the decisions easier.
Small Circles, Big Impact
The most successful business owners I know all have a small circle they can talk to honestly. It’s not formal. Sometimes it’s a coffee, sometimes a quick chat in the car park. They talk about real things: cashflow dips, staff issues, opportunities.
One owner I know catches up weekly with a local tradie. Different industries, same challenges. They swap stories and advice. That’s not competition—that’s collaboration. You don’t need a membership or a logo. Just a few people who get it.
The Cure for Isolation is Connection
No one’s coming to fix small-business loneliness from the outside. It’s on us. But the solution is simple—human connection. Start a conversation. Ask how someone’s really doing. Offer to listen. That small moment might mean more than you know.
Running a business doesn’t have to be lonely. But it does take courage to let people in—to trust, to share, and to show up as part of something bigger than yourself.
And really, that’s what small-town business is all about.
Curious how this applies to your business? Let’s chat.
