What Small Businesses Can Learn from Each Other

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about how bloody hard it can be to do business on your own.
Not the “I hate Mondays” kind of hard – the constant juggle of ideas, energy, self-belief, and wondering if you’re actually getting anywhere. The bit no one warns you about when they tell you to “follow your passion” and “be your own boss.”

Running your own thing means wearing every hat. Some days you’re the marketing department, the finance team, and customer service all before 10am – and other days you’re just trying to remember why you started in the first place.

But here’s the thing: we’re not supposed to do it alone.

The magic of learning from each other

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the years is that you can read all the business books in the world, but nothing compares to learning from someone else who’s been in the thick of it.

• The small business owner who’s figured out a smarter way to handle bookings.
• The creative who found a system for planning content that actually sticks.
• The shop owner who’s discovered that one little tweak to her customer journey that saves her hours every week.

That’s what I love most about communities of small businesses – we don’t need gurus in suits, we need each other’s real stories.

Every conversation, collaboration, and shared struggle teaches you something new.
Someone else’s “here’s how I fixed it” moment could be the thing that keeps you from giving up next week.

Systems aren’t just for the big guys

I know the word systems sounds corporate and cold, but honestly?
Systems are just the things that stop you losing your mind.

They’re not just spreadsheets and software – they’re your routines, your checklists, the ways you keep your business moving when motivation takes a day off.

I’ve been leaning hard on them lately across both The Growth Nexus and another project I’ve been quietly building behind the scenes – ikandoo.

ikandoo is my way of celebrating and supporting local businesses, creatives and community life here in South Lincolnshire – a place for small business owners to connect, be seen, and share what they do best. It’s a mix of local stories, features, and resources – the kind of space I wish existed when I first started out.

And you know what? The same systems and strategies I talk about here at Growth Nexus are exactly what keep ikandoo ticking.

Even something as simple as having a checklist for new content, a weekly Trello board for tasks, or a process for client follow-ups can make the difference between “winging it” and “I’ve got this.”

Building community around the chaos

Working on ikandoo has reminded me just how powerful community is.
When small business owners share what works – the shortcuts, the lessons, the little tricks that save them from meltdown – everyone benefits.

Small businesses are masters of survival.
We make things work with limited time, tight budgets, and sheer bloody determination.
We’re brilliant problem-solvers – and when we share what’s working, everyone grows faster.

It’s the same spirit I’ve tried to build into The Growth Nexus – giving women (and especially those of us building purpose-driven businesses) the space to be real, to talk about what’s hard, and to figure it out together.

Start simple. Stay human.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this:
You don’t need to systemise your life overnight or build a colour-coded empire.
Just start with one messy bit of your business and make it easier.

• Write down the steps you always forget.
• Batch a few social posts.
• Make a tiny rule for yourself that keeps future-you sane.

And when you find something that works – share it.
That’s how we build better businesses, together.

Final thought

Systems make things smoother.
Community makes things lighter.
And courage makes things possible.

So don’t buy into the myth that you have to have it all figured out alone.
Sometimes the best strategy isn’t another course or productivity hack – it’s learning from someone just like you who’s already tried, failed, adjusted, and found a way through.

We don’t just grow by doing more.
We grow by learning from each other.