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Working well: finding the right support

By Dr Leanne Faulkner
24 August, 2026
3 min
WRITTEN BY HUMANS

Dr Leanne Faulkner discusses where small business owners can find ongoing support.

This post was written by Dr Leanne Faulkner, a small business mental health expert. Dr Faulkner’s PhD focused on the unique mental health hazards faced by sole-traders and micro-business owners. She has consulted on many national small business mental health programs to support the self-employed.

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Learning to thrive

The NRMA Working Well series has so far taken us on a journey of self-awareness and forward planning to help identify, manage and mitigate stress for small business owners. Now, it’s time to share a range of resources to help support and maintain your efforts to work well and thrive.

Tapping into available resources

There’s a wide range of services and resources available, so it’s important to identify the type of support you need. Whether you’re looking for help managing budgets, ways to meet new people or you’re seeking counselling support to talk through challenges, rest assured there’s people ready and willing to help you. Here are just a few:

4 helpful small business support services

Australian Government: Business.gov.au

If you’re looking for resources to help you with the practical demands of business development, the business.gov.au website has a range of templates, guides and resources available to explore. If you need help with budgeting, marketing, or business planning, visit the site for more information. This resource is an excellent way to implement tools at work that help you to feel more in control of the work you do.

Australian Government: Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman (ASBFEO)

The team at ASBFEO are national small business advocates. In addition to providing advice and insights to policy and decision makers, they also service small businesses and family enterprises with insights, case studies, reviews and support on:

  • dispute resolution
  • financial wellbeing
  • disaster preparation and recovery.

Beyond Blue: New Access for Small Business Owners (NASBO)

The New Access For Small Business Owners program is a free mental health support program for small business owners and sole traders who are feeling stressed or worried about work. Eligible self-employed people can contact the service directly (there’s no GP referrals required for access) to receive 6 coaching sessions via phone or video call.

The Small Business Debt HelpLine

It can be difficult to manage financial worries when you work alone, or in a small business. The Small Business Debt HelpLine was established to ensure small business owners had the support they need when there’s a financial crisis. Established by Financial Counselling Australia, the helpline is available to discuss any financial concerns you may have and provide support where appropriate. It’s a free and confidential service.

Remember, you’re not alone

There are a range of excellent resources and support available to the small business community. However, support doesn’t have to be business specific to be helpful. It’s important to talk to someone if you’re struggling. Make an appointment to see your doctor or access a local counselling service to talk about your concerns.

Lifeline is available 24 hours a day to talk, call 13 11 14.

Everybody deserves to enjoy their work, and identifying ways to work well is an important part of your exciting small business journey.

Information is current as at the date of publication and may be subject to change. All content on the NRMA Insurance Blog is intended to be general in nature and does not constitute and is not intended to be professional advice. It does not take into account your individual objectives, financial situation or needs. References to third-party organisations, products, services or brands on the NRMA Insurance Blog are for informational purposes only and do not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by NRMA Insurance, unless expressly stated otherwise.

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Mental health Small business Stress Working well

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