Why businesses need a little help from their friends

Did you know that researchers at the University of Virginia found that people perceive a hill to be steeper when they are on their own compared to when they’re with a friend?

Now substitute the hill for anything you’ve ever struggled with.

When people engage, they grow

For an inherently social species, humans have had a tough time of it lately. But when a locked down world opened up again, so did people’s perceptions of what they had missed.

When people have a strong support system around them, it’s good news for their physical health and mental wellbeing. It can even boost the immune system and increase life expectancy, with research showing that a lack of strong social connections can be more detrimental to people’s health than obesity, smoking and high blood pressure.

When businesses engage, they grow

It makes sense that what is true for people would also be true for the business community.

The best performing businesses – the healthiest – are often meeting, talking, asking, answering, debating, creating, collaborating, arguing, reconciling, growing.

Climbing up that hill

Business owners know exactly what it feels like to stare up to the top of a hill and wonder how they are going to make it. What they need is that friend alongside them to help them realise they’re not alone.

A business community is a support system. When businesses engage with this support system, it’s good for their health and life expectancy.

We see the fruits of this engagement every day at Buckinghamshire Business First, and we’re in a privileged position to be both the friend to businesses and the fulcrum of a community that has shared meeting places, opportunities aplenty and no end of goodwill.

Finding your friends

Whatever your business may need at any given point, the Buckinghamshire Business First team and our 14,000-strong business community are here to help where we can, as:

Take a positive step

And you know that same hill that looks harder when you’re on your own? It looks harder when you’re in a negative state of mind too.

So, stay positive and reach out for support. Whether you end up running up that hill or taking a more sedate approach, you’ll get there.

Make one of these your first step: call 01494 927130, email BusinessSupport@bbf.uk.com or visit www.bbf.uk.com.

Written by Philippa Batting, Managing Director, Buckinghamshire Business First

Business community ambassadors