If you develop policy for small business owners or provide services to them, then you have an opportunity to support both their mental health and business health. Or you may be able to help educate the broader community on how to support them.
Supporting a small business owner doesn’t mean providing counselling or therapy. Being mindful of the impacts your decision-making has on small business owners and having a process to get feedback from a small business or their peak bodies, will help ensure new policy or regulation keeps their needs in mind.
The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, in collaboration with key stakeholders including mental health organisations and small business peak bodies, have developed some principles to guide policy makers, policy implementers and the broader community, in considering and supporting small business owners’ wellbeing and business health.
These principles will foster a greater understanding of the mental health and business health needs of small business owners, while encouraging genuine collaboration between all key stakeholders.