Small business health and wellbeing needs are unique and have recently faced some specific challenges. Running a small business can involve stress and demands from a huge range of factors and often the people within the business don’t have the time or resources to address them. If not addressed, these unique challenges can build up and have significant detrimental impact on the business owners wellbeing, as well as any individual associated with the business.
Fortunately, there are many resources out there for small business owners, and experts in the workplace health and wellbeing sector are regularly updating offerings designed to target the health and wellbeing needs of business owners and their staff. Here, we hope to make it easier to navigate all the many resources that are out there, and that this one stop shop offers a comprehensive list of what is available to you.
Research and reports
Council of Small Business Organisations Australia
The Small Business Perspective: A Survey and Review of the events, responses and Impacts of COVID-19 over 12 months from leaders representing small businesses
The Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
Small Business Mental Health – Supporting Small Businesses when they ae Facing Challenged – Insight into how small business owners have been coping in general, and following bushfires and COVID-19 in Austtalia.
University of York
Managing Mental Health in Small and Micro Businesses – Research report exploring the lived experience of managers within small and micro businesses.
Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry
Small Business, Mental Health; Navigating the complex landscape – Understanding the consequences of the complexity of navigating natural disasters, a pandemic, and more as a small business, and outlining much-needed actions to achieve better mental health, participation and productivity outcomes for individuals, workplaces and communities.
Tools for mental health support
Beyond Blue
New Access – Free, confidential calls with a coach who all come from small business backgrounds and will work with you to overcome difficult issues.
Heads Up – Includes downloadable templates for wellbeing plans, simple tasks to shift personal wellbeing and training specific for small businesses.
Small business supporters guide – A guide for those who work with small business and want to know how they can support them.
Small business adviser online training – A free learning course designed to improve mental health & wellbeing literacy for business advisers.
Practical tips to help you run your small business from home – A guide for working from home, supporting your employees, and supporting yourself.
Journal of the International Council of Small Business
Strategies for small businesses: Surviving and thriving in the era of COVID-19 – Practical strategies for navigating uncertainty during the pandemic.
Mindarma
Enhance your resilience with Mindarma – Victorian small businesses with 20 employees or less now have free access to Mindarma, a digital workplace wellbeing tool designed to enhance mental health and grow business and personal resilience.
Everymind
Ahead for Business – A national Small Business digital hub with tailored content, peer support, check-ups, personalised action plans, and other resources.
National Mental Health Commission
Small Businesses and Sole Trader – Information for Mentally Health Workplaces during COVID-19 including managing financial distress and looking after your people.
Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman
My Business Health – Including wellbeing, business management, and natural disaster support.
Black Dog Institute
HeadGear – A free App with simple and engaging daily activities to help reduce and manage stress, improve sleep, connect better with friends and deal with difficult situations.
University of Tasmania
The Path Back from Social Isolation – A guide for navigating the return to the workplace, with a free one hour with strategies for supporting you and your staff.
SafeWork NSW
Mental Health at Work – Free Support for business including free mental health training for small business managers delivered by the Black Dog Institute
First four steps to a mentally healthy workplace – An accessible guide to how your small business can begin its mentally healthy journey, including four key points and how to approach them.
Small Business Tools & Resources – A collation of tools & resources tailored for small businesses
Direct Practial Coaching – Free mental health coaches to help you create practical solutions that are tailored to your needs in improving the mental health of your workers. Available 7 days a week, 7am to 7pm.
Recovery toolkit from SIRA.
Recovery toolkit – Including a multitude of tools and information specific for small business.
iCare
Industry hub – Toolkit to help you navigate the complexities of workers insurance, among other content and resources.
NSW Health
Get Healthy at Work – A free Workplace Health Program with all the tools and resources you need to put together a simple action plan to address a priority health area in your workplace, as well as free healthy lifestyle checks for employees.
QLD Government
Safety Fundamentals Toolkit – This toolkit is for small businesses, including sole traders, and will help you understand your legal obligations and comply with the law to create a safer, healthier and more successful business.
QLD Mental Health Commission
Preparing for Challenging Times guide – A small business owner’s guide to creating a mental health and wellbeing plan, recognising the positive aspects and unique challenges of operating a small business, including the unique stressors on workplace mental health.
Rural & Regional
The Centre for Rural and Remote Mental Health
Wellbeing in Rural Small Business – So many regional businesses are small businesses. This hub has downloadable resources, blog posts, stories and more.
