It’s a
Man’s World Or is it? Taking a look into the lives of businessmen, we ask those who are businessowners to reveal their struggles and setbacks in a world that expects them to never need help WORDS BY KERRY SMITH
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he typical UK businessowner is male. And this year in business has been tough. It’s time to take a look at the stories that have affected men and their journeys to success; the secret sacrifices no one usually talks about. This November, we’re looking at the real men behind the businessmen. With International Men’s Day on November 19 and the worldwide Movember taking place all month, it’s the perfect time to appreciate Leicester’s male businessowners in a way we never have before. We’ve interviewed 14 men on how growing up has made them who they are today, the struggle of juggling relationships and work, striving for career progression, asking for help, proving their worth, and the impact of running a business on their mental health. The brutality of running a small business has been felt by all businessowners this year in particular, with the challenges and disruption the coronavirus pandemic has caused. When you think that on average, one in 10 small businessowners confessed the stresses of running a business resulted in a negative impact on their mental health, causing sleepless nights for 41% of them (according to a survey by Xero), it paints a worrying picture of the effect that 2020 may have had on businessowners.
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A recent report published by Ueni says 67.63% of businesses in the UK are owned by men. Men also accounted for three-quarters of registered suicides in England and Wales in 2019 – the highest it has been for two decades, according to Office for National Statistics. Research commissioned by Gillette showed that three quarters of men put off visiting their doctor when signs of illness occur. Dr David Plans, CEO of mental health platform BioBeats, told online health information provider Healthline: “We train soldiers and professional warriors, and then expect them to be emotionally intelligent enough to open up when they need help. Worse, we expect them never to need help. We must bring vulnerability, as a core principle of emotional strength, into the framework of masculinity.” November is an important month for the masculine soul because it’s the time of year when several events that are important to men are celebrated. Movember is the month dedicated to supporting men’s health. The day following International Men’s Day, November 20, is International Children’s Day, which forms 48 hours of celebration for men, children and the special relationship fathers have with their children. International Men’s Day is built on six pillars: to promote