In fact, the small business and start-up environment might heighten levels of stress, anxiety, and poor mental health; research shows that 87% of employees working in start-ups said that work had negatively impacted their mental health at some point (Sifted).

At Essex based This Can Happen, a company that support organisations improve mental wellbeing, we’re experts in consulting with businesses – of all sizes and industries – on their mental wellbeing strategies. We know first-hand that running a small team can often mean limited resource on-the-ground, which can make it especially challenging to know where to focus efforts to make the biggest impact. Here are our five recommendations on impactful and engaging mental wellbeing initiatives that truly deliver change at a companywide level.

1. Firstly, as entrepreneurs, you are able to help distil psychological safety within your organisation right from the get-go, and ensure that this kind, empathetic and supportive environment is baked into the heart of your culture as a business, especially as you might look to grow. One of the most impactful ways of creating change here is through personal storytelling, especially at a leadership perspective. Consider how you, as senior leaders within the business, can speak openly and honestly about mental health, be that your own lived experience or more broadly in general terms, helping staff to recognise that they can speak up when they might be experiencing challenges. This could, for example, be delivered in person as part of an internal panel event, or it could be a video montage that’s hosted on your company intranet for future access. Being brave and tackling the stigma here from day one will help to set you apart from the crowd.

2. Secondly, research is critical. Take the time to really understand what your staff are thinking and feeling, and get to know what challenges they might be facing – both within the workplace, such as stress or anxiety, as well as outside of the workplace. This could be done via a staff survey, or via line manager conversations. Are any of your employees carers for example, or parents, neurodivergent or within the LGBTQ+ community? All of these elements might impact how they experience and engage with mental wellbeing, and as you start with a small team, you have a rich opportunity to really understand them as an audience demographic, which will inform how you can offer them tangible, bespoke and nuanced support.

3. Which brings us nicely onto point three – manager training in mental wellbeing. Less of an initiative and more of an essential, if you’re encouraging conversations about personal mental wellbeing in the workplace, then it’s critical for line managers to be trained to handle these conversations with their line reports, listening with an empathetic ear and signposting them to the correct, appropriate resources that can give them the help and support that they need. Be prepared to offer employees access to an Employee Assistance Programme as part of this, and if possible, flexible work arrangements that could support their mental health.

4. Fourthly, develop community support and on-ground action through Mental Health First Aiders (MHFAs) or champions, advocates or allies. The title might vary between companies, but these are members of staff specifically trained in mental wellbeing, who can help to have these conversations at a grassroots level across the whole organisation, delivering true, companywide impact. MHFAs or equivalent are a trusted person that staff who are struggling with mental wellbeing might speak to. MHFAs are trained to listen and signpost to the relevant support and resources that can help each employee with their respective challenges – and can help a wellbeing culture to truly thrive within an organisation.

5. Finally, create a content calendar of activity that highlights key conversations within the wellbeing space that you would like to speak about with employees. Consider how this could tie in with topical moments throughout the year (for example, Neurodiversity Awareness Week in March) to amplify activity. Consider specific themes that could be ‘easier’ routes into the mental wellbeing conversation, if your organisation is completely new to this. For example, financial wellbeing as a topic intersects directly with mental health, but is perhaps easier to begin conversations around, speaking to employees about managing their personal finances, budgeting and financial literacy. Likewise, speaking to staff about work / life balance, along with how and when to set boundaries, can nicely segue into conversations about the levels of stress or anxiety that they might be feeling in their role. Ensure that a dedicated Wellbeing Lead keeps on top of this content calendar, and is responsible for continuously driving the conversation and overall wellbeing agenda forward.

These are initial thoughts on how to truly make a difference to the mental wellbeing of your staff at a companywide level, from leaders like yourself, all the way through to MHFAs or champions at a grassroots level. The most important thing is to listen what your staff are thinking and feeling; small businesses and start-ups are unique in some of the challenges that they face. One size definitely doesn’t fit all when it comes to mental wellbeing, so it’s critical to listen with an open ear and craft nuanced efforts and initiatives in light of this.