GREG JENNINGS discusses Beyond Blue’s NewAccess for Small Business Owners service, a free mental health coaching program to help small business owners get back on track.
Many hearing practitioners face a uniquely demanding dual role. Not only are they entrusted with delivering high-quality healthcare to their clients, but many also shoulder the responsibility of running the day-to-day operations of their own practice.
This means they’re having to navigate the complexities of small business ownership, manage staff, finances, compliance, and marketing, all while tending to others’ health and wellbeing. Amid the pressure to remain constantly available and compassionate, there’s also the essential need to safeguard their own mental health – yet time, resources, and other pressures can make that a difficult priority to uphold.
When this delicate balance between delivering personalised hearing care and managing the operational demands of running a clinic tips too far in either direction, it can contribute to burnout, fatigue, and put strain on your personal and professional life. The sense of responsibility and pressure to do it all, without adequate support or systems, can leave you feeling overwhelmed and disconnected from the very purpose that drew you to this work.
These types of symptoms are felt by many small business owners in all sectors across Australia. While many small business owners find fulfilment through autonomy, purpose-driven work, flexible schedules, and stronger ties to their community – all of which enhance job satisfaction and wellbeing – the pursuit of balance can still prove elusive.
In 2023, Beyond Blue partner, Xero, conducted a survey of small business owners, finding that financial stress and cashflow issues over the preceding 12 months resulted in feelings of stress (57%), anxiety (50%) and trouble sleeping (48%). Left unchecked, this presents a real risk to the long-term mental health of small business owners.
PHONE OR VIDEO COACHING
Recognising the widespread impact of these stressors on small business owners’ mental health means targeted support programs are more crucial than ever.
And that’s where Beyond Blue’s NewAccess for Small Business Owners (NASBO) service comes in.
In the four years since NASBO was launched, the service has supported more than 8,500 small business owners across Australia with practical mental health coaching. It’s a completely free service and no GP referral is needed. The service is designed to provide early support and coach them back to good mental health via phone or video coaching.
NASBO is tailored to the realities of small business life, pairing each participant with a trained mental health coach who understands the pressures of entrepreneurship firsthand because they each have a background in small business.
Whether it’s managing rising costs, navigating uncertainty, or simply trying to maintain a healthy work-life balance, this successful service helps people cope more effectively and feel more in control.
Since its beginnings, NASBO has repeatedly received outstanding results with positive feedback from participants who continue to report powerful outcomes. Nearly 90% of participants have reported they feel better equipped to handle stress after the coaching sessions and service data shows that almost seven in ten participants recovered from a mental health condition.
GROUNDED IN CBT
Many participants have praised the service for the value of being heard by someone who truly understands the pressures of small business ownership. They’ve shared how the coaching helped them identify personal roadblocks and regain clarity. Others, initially unsure they could spare the time, expressed gratitude for making space to engage, and reported clearer thinking and a renewed sense of productivity as a result.
NASBO is based on Beyond Blue’s highly effective NewAccess program and is grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioural therapy, offering six free coaching sessions with two follow-up appointments. It’s flexible too, operating outside standard business hours and linking participants with other support services such as financial counselling when needed.
Importantly, NASBO helps fill a gap in the mental health system, easing pressure on traditional services and addressing the unique needs of the small business community. For many owners feeling overwhelmed, isolated, or stuck, this can be a turning point.
NASBO serves as a vital reminder that support is within reach, without judgement, without cost, and with support from mental health coaches who understand what small business owners are going through.
I encourage small business owners to reach out for support early, before things get beyond them.
NASBO is available to sole traders and small businesses with 20 or fewer employees and is funded by the Commonwealth Government Treasury.
For more information, call 1300 945 301 or visit beyondblue.org.au/nasbo.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Mr Greg Jennings is Beyond Blue’s small business and workplace mental health expert. Beyond Blue is an Australian mental health organisation that provides information, resources, and support to improve mental health and make it easier for people to feel better earlier, get well and stay well.
*This story was published in the lead up to R U OK?Day on Thursday 11 September 2025. R U OK? is an Australian suicide prevention charity and registered public health promotion that encourages people to stay connected and have conversations that can help others through difficult times. The organisation encourages people to ask R U OK? any day because life happens every day. Its research found that those who are regularly asked, ‘are you OK?’ report increased feelings of wellbeing, and a third of Australians say they’ve been asking others more often over the past year .
