Boutique Retreats for micro business owners - creating community, clarity & confidence for Britain's millions.

It won't surprise you to learn that one of the biggest challenges for micro business owners is the necessity to juggle all the key functions of business while keeping a close eye on the world out there, and while their only mentor might be the dog.

It's not that micro business owners don't work hard or aren't highly adept at managing multiple business factors at once, but the sheer brain space required to keep all the ball in the air/plates spinning etc etc, leaves very little time for learning, peer sharing & just the time and and space to think creatively and innovatively.

It's also clear that the power of sharing experiences, challenges and ideas with people who are sharing your journey is often the key to unlock next steps and chapters for growth or success - we know this from Help to Grow: Management, Made Smarter programmes across the UK and other business support interventions. So, how can micro business owners, often ineligible or excluded from such opportunities find a way to step back from business to explore their options and learn through coaching & teaching without a huge price tag or time commitment?

One answer is the growing number of small scale retreats, away days and one day events that allow micro business owners the opportunity to benefit from the same interventions as leaders of larger businesses.

A boutique sized business retreat can be a cost effective and powerful way to pause long enough to explore:

• new business learning, models and frameworks that can unleash creativity and insights about ways forward. Who says that these types of business tools are only for those who can pay the big bucks or those who are studying for an MBA? Broken down into manageable and relevant chunks, micro business owners can take a huge amount from this kind of teaching and learning.

• peer learning & sharing is another key tool that perhaps is easier to come by for a leader of a large business, when networking, conferencing & paid for interventions are easier to come by. Boutique retreats for micros offer a deeply impactful opportunity for micros to share their unique and particular challenges and ideas within a safe and inclusive space.

• new perspectives are hard to come by if you're sitting in the same office or the same negative soup in your head. We're all operating businesses in an unprecedented environment of fear, disruption and bad news, so actively seeking out new perspectives offers a positive opportunity to step away and get creative and innovative about the challenges that are faced by all micros.

• a sense of calm is not a 'nice to have' ut rather a business essential, especially for a micro business owner who will be sailing the ship alone. Stress is a pernicious and deadly challenge for any business owner so taking time to take some deep breaths, face the challenges with support & simply step into a warm and encouraging atmosphere can be transformative.

• some giggling and levity - and why not. So much of what a micro business owner is facing can feel very serious, so exploring answers with some laughter is surely the tonic all micros could benefit from.

Investing in personal and professional development isn't the remit of big business bosses or those climbing a corporate ladder. Given that 95% of all UK business is micro in size, 70% of which are one person businesses, it seems imperative that micro owners get accessible opportunities to develop themselves and their businesses for the benefit of the whole country.

If this has captured your interest, you won't be surprised to learn that Simply Club is hosting another of its boutique business retreats this Autumn in Staffordshire. Set among the stunning surroundings of Field Head Farm, within easy access of the M1, M6 and mainline train routes, the Simply Autumn Retreat is focussed this time on making micro business life easier. Facilitated by Emily, founder of Simply Club, the day is for small groups only and includes all teaching, tools, resources, coaching & refreshments - not to mention oodles of tea and cake. Find out more and book.