Whiteley-based business advisor urging professionals to prioritise mental health

Colin Bielckus, who runs Avenue Business Services, says that as businesses come out of Covid, but the cost-of-living crisis becomes a rising concern, managing directors and company owners are under an increasing amount of stress.

He said: ‘For the last two years, we’ve had to “keep calm and carry on”, without really realising how much stress we’ve been under simply doing what we’ve been doing for a long time.’

Colin’s advice comes after his own personal struggle with mental health, having experienced a business failure during the last recession, which cost him around £300,000.

He said: ‘I’ve been in that dark place and I imagine a lot of business owners are facing similar struggles post-Covid.

‘We all try our hardest and put all of our energy into keeping our businesses afloat, but the most important thing is our health.’

He is also encouraging business owners and managers to put processes in place that make it easy for staff to access support for mental health.

Colin added: ‘A happy team equals a happy customer.

‘If your staff aren’t happy, they won’t perform at their best and your company will suffer as a result.

‘What can you do to support your team? Is it clear enough to them where they can go to access help when they need it? Have you made it clear that they can come to you when they need to? It’s these small things that could make a difference.’