The drive to be one’s own boss means that many entrepreneurs thrive as solo employees in their own companies. Alone and lonely, however, are two very different things—in the early days of starting a company, founders may find themselves wearing many hats, while lacking the camaraderie and feedback loops common to other workplaces in the process.
Entrepreneur loneliness has been linked with an increased risk of a number of physical and mental health concerns, and can significantly impact business performance. Research shows that isolation can impair critical entrepreneurial skills like decision-making, creativity, and risk assessment—so it’s critical for entrepreneurs to proactively seek out ways to alleviate it.
Read on to learn strategies for combating entrepreneur loneliness, including tips on how to build meaningful connections, maintain mental health, and achieve better work-life balance.
The impact of entrepreneur loneliness
The challenge of entrepreneur loneliness has become increasingly recognized as a business performance issue, not just a personal one. According to recent studies, absenteeism attributed to stress and loneliness costs US employers an estimated $154 billion annually. This economic impact highlights why addressing isolation is critical for entrepreneurial success.
When entrepreneurs experience the health effects of prolonged isolation, their businesses suffer in measurable ways. Loneliness can impair decision-making abilities, reduce creative thinking, and lower overall productivity.
Research indicates entrepreneurs experiencing loneliness are more likely to:
- Make risk-averse decisions that limit growth opportunities
- Struggle with effective team building and delegation
- Experience decision paralysis on important business matters
- Miss networking opportunities that could lead to partnerships or sales
10 effective strategies to combat entrepreneur loneliness
- Seek out a shared workspace
- Connect with like-minded individuals
- Eat well, together
- Crowdsource your fitness plan
- Reach out proactively
- Make time for face time
- Get outside
- Take—or teach—classes
- Attend in-person or online events
- Aim for a sustainable work-life balance
With young people at a higher risk, the next cohort of entrepreneurs may be hit the hardest by loneliness. If you’re an entrepreneur—or aspiring to become one—be proactive in your efforts to reach out for support and camaraderie.
Here’s how to deal with entrepreneur loneliness as a small business owner, with advice from founders who’ve been there.
1. Seek out a shared workspace
Often, just being in the presence of others can kickstart creativity. Seek alternatives to the tiny workspace wedged into the corner of your kitchen: Answer emails from a café, get a membership at a co-working space, or consider pooling together with other entrepreneurs to share a studio.
Sophia Pierro, owner of Present Day, started her business in her basement. Moving into a shared studio space has helped her curb loneliness and gain motivation to keep more “normal” hours and create space between life and work. “My cats helped with isolation but were also super distracting,” she says. “I now have studio-mates, which is much better.”
2. Connect with like-minded individuals
Where do you meet friends as an adult? It’s a big, lonely world out there. There are plenty of apps that follow the swipe-right dating model, but are designed for platonic or business connections. If that’s not your thing, existing niche communities on social media and platforms like Discord or Reddit are a great place to start.
There are numerous entrepreneur-specific communities you can join to combat isolation, including:
- Shopify Community: Connect with fellow entrepreneurs using the same platform to share challenges and solutions
- Entice: A Slack group specifically for solo founders focusing on mental health alongside business growth
- Founders Network: Offers both virtual and in-person meetups in major cities worldwide
In-person networking groups and meetups are also a goldmine for seeding friendships. “I joined a few local networking groups of people my age, which have been incredibly beneficial for my business,” says Sophia. “It’s impossible to run a business fully on your own, so taking the time to meet others in your community will, without a doubt, help you in the long run.”
Feelings of entrepreneur loneliness can occur because of non-existent social networks. But, they can also impact people with large networks of toxic or low-quality friendships. Surround yourself with people who support your business and lifestyle.
3. Eat well, together
When multitasking, it’s common to let meals be replaced by a spoonful of peanut butter or a handful of chips. Eating poorly isn’t a cause of loneliness, but you can use mealtime as a reason to disconnect from work and engage with humans if you’re already feeling lonely.
You could use a nutrition app that helps track eating habits and connects you to a community to share recipes and tips. Or start a lunch club with friends, rotating the responsibility of preparing healthy meals. Self care means treating yourself to an indulgence every once in a while, too.
4. Crowdsource your fitness plan
The advantage of working from home means that your commute is little more than a slippered shuffle from the bedroom to your home office. Good luck logging 10,000 steps.
As a busy entrepreneur, you may find that fitness is often first on the chopping block as you prioritize packing orders or answering customer service emails.
Physical activity isn’t just good for your body—it’s essential for mental wellness, too. Among studied entrepreneurs, those with higher ratings of overall quality of life were nearly five times more likely to also report high levels of physical activity.
A regular fitness commitment is also a great way to combat isolation. Join a run club, hit the gym, or sign up for group fitness classes—anything that involves other people. Exercising with other people can help you hold yourself accountable to moving your body, while also forming vital bonds that fight loneliness.
5. Reach out proactively
Out of sight, out of mind, as they say. As a small business owner, you may not be interacting face to face with your stakeholders or customers on the regular. If human contact isn’t built into your work, be proactive about making contact regularly, even if it’s virtually.
A more formal approach may work for you as well: Schedule time into your calendar to make contact—it’s one of those items that might otherwise be put off forever. “I designate time every single day to take a break from it all and connect,” says freelance content designer Josie Elfassy. “If I don’t, I just can’t focus, because I’m browsing through social media all day long, looking to fill that space.”
Don’t forget about those critical personal connections. Reach out often to loved ones, whether it’s family members or friends.
6. Make time for face time
Technology makes it easy to run a business without ever leaving your couch. Meeting IRL may be out of the question if most of your interactions are remote. But you can keep your social skills sharp by taking meetings with your camera on, or booking time to get to know people in your industry through Zoom happy hours.
If meeting face to face is possible for you, do it. No need to be lonely when you can squeeze social interaction into your day-to-day business tasks: Visit your suppliers in person, deliver local orders by hand, and meet your designer over coffee.
Online business owners can combat the social disconnect from their customers by dabbling in temporary retail. Schedule a pop-up shop or rent a booth at a local market—this is a great way to also build your network of like-minded entrepreneurs.
7. Get outside
Spending time in the fresh air is great for productivity and strategic thinking, and a good dose of green can also alleviate symptoms of depression, loneliness, and anxiety.
“If there aren’t built-in reasons to move during your day,” write Jason Fried and David Heineneier Hansson in Remote, “find excuses to move—for example, instead of eating lunch at your desk, walk to a café or sandwich shop.”
Even better? Use the break from your desk to take an outdoor walk with a friend or fellow entrepreneur. Chances are they may be feeling lonely too. Walking through your local park can help.
8. Take—and teach—classes
Combat loneliness, connect with other entrepreneurs, and hone your craft by enrolling in business workshops and ecommerce courses. For more seasoned business owners, pay the knowledge forward by applying to teach locally or remotely. You could even develop your own online courses, either taught live or sold on-demand.
“Now that we’re sharing a space, we’re putting a whole new plan into action,” says Sophia. “We’re starting community workshops, classes, and programs that are connecting us even more with our community.”
9. Attend in-person or online events
Whether you’re treating yourself to a trip to attend a small business conference abroad, or popping into a local meetup, events are great not only for learning new tricks of the trade—they’re also replete with other cabin-fevered entrepreneurs looking to connect.
Networking events and trade shows also offer opportunities to grow your network, practice your pitch, source investors, and bounce new ideas off seasoned entrepreneurs.
10. Aim for a sustainable work-life balance
When working from home, it’s easy to blur personal time with dedicated working hours, and you may find yourself bailing on social gatherings to tackle invoices. Establishing office hours, setting deadlines, or scheduling tasks in your Google calendar can help with work-life balance.
Walking a dog or other daily establishing events can also act as workday markers. Corbé founders Kaitlin and Ryan Lawless try to save business conversations for after their first coffee. They take respite from their work life by focusing on their relationship over the daily morning ritual.
Allow yourself to step away from the business to focus on hobbies and friends outside of your industry. The effects can actually be good for your business. Studies show that some hobbies help reduce depression and boost dopamine, which in turn can help you cope with work-related stress.
Digital solutions for fighting entrepreneur loneliness
The digital landscape has evolved significantly, offering entrepreneurs new ways to connect virtually while running their businesses. These tools can help reduce isolation without requiring physical presence.
Virtual communities and platforms for business owners
Beyond general social media, several platforms have been specifically designed to help entrepreneurs find meaningful connections:
- Slack communities: Join entrepreneur-specific channels where founders discuss challenges and celebrate wins.
- Circle: Business owners can gather in topic-focused spaces on this community platform.
- Geneva: Organize virtual hangouts with entrepreneurs sharing similar interests or industries.
- Discord servers: Find industry-specific servers that cater to niche business types.
These virtual communities can provide the same sense of belonging and support that traditional networking offers, but with the flexibility that busy entrepreneurs need.
Recognizing when to seek professional support
Sometimes self-help strategies aren’t enough to combat entrepreneur loneliness, and you may need support from a medical or mental health professional. It’s important to recognize when isolation might be affecting your mental health and business in more serious ways.
Watch for these indicators that entrepreneur loneliness may be impacting more than just your social life:
- Decision paralysis or unusual risk aversion
- Declining quality of customer interactions
- Reduced creativity and innovation
- Procrastination on important business tasks
- Decreased motivation to pursue growth opportunities
- Difficulty maintaining work routines
These signs suggest it might be time to seek additional support beyond the tips provided in this article. Talk with your doctor or therapist to find your own best path forward.
You are not alone: building long-term entrepreneurial resilience
Solo work has its perks. Without the constraints of a cubicle and punch card, you’re free to make your own hours or take your business with you while you check places off of your travel bucket list. Alone time can be precious, but if loneliness sets in, don’t ignore it. The effects can have serious implications on your health—and your business.
Deal with loneliness before it strikes. Building strong networks in the early stage of your business means that the cure for a bout of loneliness is just a Slack message away. Take care of yourself. Your business will thank you.
Feature illustration by Loren Blackman
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Entrepreneur loneliness FAQ
How common is loneliness among entrepreneurs?
Research indicates that 27% of entrepreneurs struggle with feelings of loneliness and isolation, with average ratings of loneliness levels at 7.6 out of 10. Solo founders tend to experience higher rates of loneliness compared to those with co-founders. This isolation is particularly common during the early startup phases when founders are handling multiple roles with limited team interaction.
What’s the difference between healthy solitude and problematic isolation?
Healthy solitude is intentional alone time that refreshes and energizes you, often leading to increased creativity and focus. Problematic isolation feels involuntary, draining, and persistent, negatively affecting your mood, decision-making, and business performance. If you find yourself consistently avoiding social situations or feeling disconnected even when among others, you might be experiencing unhealthy isolation.
How can I quickly alleviate feelings of loneliness when they arise?
- Scheduling a video call with a fellow business owner
- Joining an online community discussion
- Working from a café or coworking space for a day
- Calling a friend or family member
- Attending a local business meetup
Even brief social interactions can significantly reduce feelings of isolation.
How does entrepreneur loneliness differ from general loneliness?
Entrepreneur loneliness often involves the feeling that others don’t understand your specific challenges and pressures. While general loneliness might be alleviated through any quality social connection, entrepreneurs sometimes need peers who understand their unique experiences with risk-taking, decision fatigue, and business responsibility. Additionally, entrepreneurs may feel they can’t share business struggles with friends and family, creating a specific type of isolation.
Can technology help reduce entrepreneur loneliness?
Yes, technology can be a valuable tool for combating entrepreneur loneliness when used intentionally. Virtual communities, video conferencing, and entrepreneur-focused social platforms can provide meaningful connections. However, passive technology consumption may actually increase feelings of isolation. The key is using technology as a bridge to real connection rather than a replacement for it.
Note: The tips in this story are not intended to replace the advice of professionals nor address serious mental health issues. Please talk to your health care provider or seek mental health resources in your area.
