Running a micro-business in Okehampton right now can feel like paddling across Roadford Lake in a leaky canoe while answering customer messages and remembering you still haven’t done your tax return.

And the strange part, most people think this is normal.

But here’s the uncomfortable truth. Most micro-business owners are wearing seven hats at once, and week by week, something slips.

This isn’t a fringe issue.
It’s the majority of the UK.

The scale of micro-businesses 

As of October 2023, the UK had 5.6 million businesses.

Around 4.2 million of them are micro-sized with just one employee, currently ‘alone’ in their business (but not alone in the community!).

The ‘little business doing everything’ model isn’t niche.
It’s the backbone of the country. And, always has been.

So, if you’re feeling stretched, you’re not failing.
You’re part of the biggest business group in the UK and the one under the most pressure.

The 7 hats problem

If you’re self-employed, you already know the fun list:

• Boss
• Finance department
• Marketing team
• Operations
• HR
• Customer service
• The person actually doing the work

That’s not entrepreneurship.
That’s constant cognitive overload.

And when every department is you, every department gets diluted.

Marketing becomes “I’ll do it when things quieten down.”
Finance becomes “I’ll sort it later.”
Strategy becomes “I’ll think about that next year.”
Holidays become “maybe one day.”

When was the last time you took a proper break?
Not a long weekend.
A real one.

If you can’t remember, that’s not a personal flaw.
That’s the weight of too many roles.

Personality matters 

Here’s something rarely said out loud.
Self-employment doesn’t suit everyone. And that’s okay, and also a problem.

So, I’ll explain what I am getting at.
Self-employment isn’t going anywhere.

ONS data shows micro-business numbers continue to rise, particularly in rural areas like Devon where stable employment options are limited.

People want independence.
People want control.
People want to build something of their own.

So, the real question isn’t whether micro-businesses will exist, it’s more, can we help people build ones that actually work?

Depending on your personality, your natural strengths, and how you think, you might be excellent at some hats, and exhausted by others.

So ask yourself…
Is your business built around who you actually are?
Or who you think you’re supposed to be?

The financial reality 

Let’s talk money.

Micro-businesses, not just in Okehampton are facing:

• Economic uncertainty
• Rising costs
• Increased regulation
• Business rate pressure

Many report profits under £10,000 a year.

That isn’t living the dream.
That’s surely just surviving.

Added to that, around 40 percent of new businesses don’t make it to five years.
Even larger size, small businesses with staff struggle to stay profitable early on.

So, here’s the question. If the odds are this tough, why do so many people continue without a clear plan?

Are we in a perfect storm?

When you step back and look at it all together, it’s hard to ignore the pattern.

Is my business right for me right now.
Rising costs.
Economic and political uncertainty.
Higher expectations from customers.
More admin, more compliance, more pressure to be visible.

All landing on businesses run by one person.

None of these pressures is new on its own.
But together, they create something different.

A situation where capable, hardworking people aren’t failing, they’re being stretched from too many directions at once.

If this feels like a perfect storm, it’s because structurally, it is.

Customers do want to buy from small businesses

But, with conditions.

People actively choose small businesses for:

• Professional services
• Home and lifestyle products
• Personalised experiences

But most customers split their spending between big and small brands.

Small businesses win when they are visible, confident, and clear.

They already have strengths big businesses can’t replicate:

• Community
• Personality
• Care
• Curated offerings

But if marketing is inconsistent, operations are stretched, and strategy is reactive, customers simply don’t find you.

Not because they don’t want to
But, because they can’t see you.

The impact at home

When you’re stretched across too many roles, things slip
Not because you’re bad at business, but because you’re human.

Across West and Mid-Devon, we see:

• People are not taking breaks
• People are not planning for the future
• People are burning out quietly
• People are surviving week to week

This affects families, confidence, health, and the wider community.

So, the real question becomes, is your business supporting your life?
Or quietly draining it?

We’re all shaping the local economy

Every micro-business owner in Okehampton is shaping the future of local work.

How you price
How you market
How you grow
How you treat yourself

All of it ripples outward.

We’re not just running businesses.
We’re shaping the local economy.

So, what kind of business community do we want to be? One that’s always firefighting
Or one that’s confident, planned, and sustainable.

Can Okehampton become progressive?

Okehampton is full of skilled, capable people doing meaningful work.

But skill without clarity burns people out.

Progressive towns aren’t built on exhaustion.
They’re built on insight, support, and businesses designed to fit the people running them.

So, maybe ask yourself:

• What would your business look like with real control
• What would your life look like if it worked for you
• What would this town look like if more people felt steady rather than stretched

The pressure is real.
However, so is the opportunity.
You deserve a business that works for you.

Stay tuned for the next installment of ‘Are Okehampton business owners in a perfect storm?’.

January is a time to take stock and look down at your business. So, what do YOU want? 

We explore how there are loads of help out there, like Business Information Point, BID, consultants, and online courses; however, nobody is really there to practically lead you beyond an appointment or a template. After that, you’re on your own, and the business consumes you again. We explore the tools that can get you not just surviving, but thriving, for good.