Small business owners don’t lack ambition, they lack capacity

I was genuinely delighted to be invited to take part in #SMESafari in #Warrenpoint, hosted by Warrenpoint Credit Union, alongside Emma Jones CBE and her team.

What struck me most throughout the day was just how familiar so many of the stories felt. Different sectors, different stages of business and yet the same underlying themes kept surfacing.

It was refreshing and oddly reassuring to hear that we’re not on our own. Many small business owners are navigating the same pressures, the same trade-offs, and the same quiet exhaustion that comes from juggling everything at once.

There’s also something powerful that happens when a small group of people gather in one room with openness and honesty. The momentum, insight and collective energy that builds in those conversations never ceases to amaze me.

Seeing small business up close

One of the real highlights was visiting Elk Books in Warrenpoint in a walkabout and spending time with Helene, alongside Emma’s team, to hear first-hand about the realities of running an independent bookshop.

It reinforced just how vital trade associations and peer networks are particularly in sectors like publishing, where margins are tight and visibility matters. I couldn’t help but reflect on how invaluable our own trade body, The Flexible Space Association has been for coworking operators navigating regulation, policy shifts and long-term sustainability.

When small businesses are connected, informed, and supported, they’re far more resilient.

Late payments: a persistent and compounding issue

Late payment remains one of the most persistent and damaging issues facing small businesses and it’s felt particularly acutely by those trading across the Northern Ireland–Republic of Ireland border.

For many SMEs, delayed payments aren’t just an inconvenience; they directly affect cashflow, confidence, and capacity. When you’re already juggling rising costs, staffing pressures, compliance requirements and delivery deadlines, waiting 60, 90 or even 120 days to be paid can be the tipping point between stability and crisis.

I was particularly interested in Emma’s work around late payments and her continued push to encourage more Northern Ireland businesses to sign up to the Fair Payment Code. Wider adoption especially by larger organisations and public bodies would make a tangible difference on the ground.

What also emerged clearly in the discussion was the complexity of enforcement and redress, particularly for businesses operating cross-border. Knowing where to go, who to contact, and what support actually exists is far from straightforward. When capacity is already stretched, many owners simply absorb the loss rather than pursue it.

Late payment isn’t just a financial issue.

It’s a capacity issue – one that quietly erodes resilience and accelerates burnout.

Access to finance: support that fits real life

We also spoke candidly about access to finance and the reality of grant funding for small businesses.

While financial support is welcome, the application process itself often becomes a barrier overly complex forms, repeated follow-up queries, long delays, and timelines that don’t reflect the pace small businesses are operating at.

For micro and small business owners already stretched thin, applying for funding can feel like another full-time job. Support needs to be simpler, better aligned and far more seamless if it’s genuinely going to help businesses rather than drain the very capacity it’s meant to protect.

Opportunities for impact: where policy meets reality

The conversations highlighted several clear, practical opportunities where relatively small shifts could have serious & positive impact for SMEs and the ecosystems that support them.

• Review the rating treatment of coworking and multi-occupancy buildings, ensuring fairness and consistency across jurisdictions
• Improve accountability and timelines in grant delivery, with clearer expectations and fewer repeat queries
• Ensure meaningful consultation with private providers before launching publicly funded services that risk duplicating or undercutting existing private infrastructure & services
• Recognise coworking spaces as frontline SME infrastructure, not just property, but places where business support, connection and productivity actually happen
• Simplify and centralise SME guidance, reducing duplication and confusion across agencies
• Provide clearer points of contact for late payment issues, including cross-border enforcement and escalation routes

The message I keep coming back to

If there was one thread running through every conversation, it was this:

Small business owners don’t lack ambition, they lack capacity.

Capacity and ‘the invisible load’ that’s steadily eaten away by:

• constant compliance
• rising overheads
• late payments
• staffing pressures
• and the often unseen emotional labour of holding everything together

Burnout doesn’t come from a lack of ideas or drive.

It comes from carrying too much, for too long, with too little support and very little recognition of the invisible load so many owners are shouldering.

Why days like this matter

My thanks again to Warrenpoint Credit Union for hosting such an open and grounded roundtable, and for bringing together so many local faces and lived experiences. A big thank you to Dan Wilson for helping to put the event together

Getting the message out about opportunities, access to finance, and support remains a real challenge in Northern Ireland. There is a growing need for clearer, more coordinated signposting and a genuine, human point of contact for small businesses trying to navigate an ever-changing landscape.

Conversations like this matter.

Listening matters.

And designing support that reflects real capacity and not just ambition matters.

A final thought

I’d love to know what’s the one thing that’s currently taking up the most capacity in your business, quietly but consistently?

These conversations matter to me because I live this work every day. Alongside running The Hub Newry, I support micro-business leaders and neighbourhood coworking operators who are carrying a lot, often invisibly. My focus is on helping people build businesses and workspaces that are sustainable in real life, not just on paper, with enough clarity, structure and support to protect both energy and ambition.

If any part of this resonates, you’re very welcome to reach out.

With heart,

Suzanne 💛