The Loneliness of a First-Time Business Owner

You expect bumps in the road as a first-time business owner. You brace yourself for the late nights, the financial uncertainty, and the endless to-do lists. What you might not expect—what few people talk about—is how lonely it can feel.

Starting a business is often romanticised. You’ll set your hours, make the choices you want and generally have a fun adventure. And while there’s some truth to that, the reality for many first-time business owners is a quiet, isolating experience—one where the weight of every decision rests squarely on your shoulders. Including lots of decisions they don’t feel experienced or prepared to make.

If you’re feeling this way, you’re not alone. And more importantly, you don’t have to remain in this position.

Why It Feels So Lonely When You’re Starting a Business

Starting a business is filled with uncertainty. You’re wearing every hat: marketer, customer service, creator, sales, maker, accountant, and just general admin dog's body! Most of the time, it’s just you and your laptop, trying to figure out what works.

Friends and family will be supportive, but most of them won’t know what it feels like. They don’t understand the pressure of keeping the lights on, or how hard it is to stay motivated when there’s no one to share the small wins—or the big setbacks—with.

There’s also an unhealthy expectation to keep up appearances. To act like you’re confident and thriving, even when you’re unsure and exhausted. That kind of emotional disconnection only adds to the loneliness.

How Isolation Affects Your Mindset and Health

Loneliness isn’t just an unfortunate side product of being a business owner; it can genuinely affect your ability to run your business. Without someone to bounce ideas off of, doubt can creep in, and you start second-guessing everything.

In the worst cases, you question your decisions, your progress, even your decision to create the business in the first place.

Over time, this can all lead to burnout. You might find yourself drained before the day even begins, overwhelmed by everything that needs to be done and all with no one to share the load.

It’s incredibly hard, and you should never see it as a weakness when you feel lonely. It’s a natural human response. We’re wired for connection—even in business.

What Makes the Early Stage Especially Hard

The beginning is generally the loneliest part because you're still finding your footing. You don’t have a team around you. There are no peers around who’ve walked the same path. And on top of that, you’re figuring out everything as you go.

One of the worst things people do is compare themselves to others on social media—those business owners who seem to have it all figured out. But you’re only seeing their highlight reels, not the moments when they are sat on their couch at midnight, wondering if they’d made a huge mistake.

It’s important to focus less on the outward image others portray and instead talk to real people you know and look at yourself more.

Ways to Handle Loneliness When You're Building Alone

While the loneliness is real, there are ways to ease it—and even grow stronger through it.

• Find a community. Whether it’s a local networking group, an online forum, or a mastermind, being around others who are going through similar experiences is incredibly helpful.

• Use co-working spaces. You get to be around other people working—even on different things— and that can lift your mood, give you energy and raise your mood.

• Get a mentor. Find someone who’s been through this before. They will understand your rants and share how they came through the other side.

• Make time outside of work. Schedule time with people who energise you. That coffee with a friend or dinner with family can be the boost you need.

• Attend more events. This has the double benefit of combating loneliness AND giving you the opportunity to network with potential clients!

You don’t have to power through alone; in fact, it’s positively encouraged that you don’t. Reaching out isn’t a sign of weakness—it’s a sign of resilience. Remember that most new business owners are feeling exactly the same – but like you, they are not saying it out loud.

It’s OK to Build Alone, But Don’t Stay Isolated

Just remember you are building something from scratch, so questioning yourself, feeling the quiet, these are all normal emotions.

But remember: building something yourself doesn’t mean you have to stay isolated. There are people who understand what you're going through. James and I are two of those people, because we’ve been where you are. Please do reach out and ask for a chat. We book in a limited number of free mentoring sessions each month, so please take advantage of that, we love talking to fellow business owners.

And remember - you’re not alone in this.

Have a read about the Founders First programme and see if it could help with any of your problems as a first-time founder, including the loneliness.