Columnist

We don’t talk about money stress enough

In founder-led and owner-managed businesses, money is often the elephant in the room. 

And that silence has a cost, because financial pressure doesn’t stay neatly in the finance box; it seeps into everything: your decisions, your confidence, your relationships and your sleep.

As an accountant, people assume my world is numbers. 

But after years sitting across the table from business owners, I’ve come to believe financial wellbeing is as much a mental health topic as it is a financial one. 

When business is going well, you feel it in your body. 

You’re confident, grounded and able to think long-term. 

The numbers aren’t screaming for attention. 

You lead calmly, decide clearly and have the headspace to be strategic instead of reactive.

But running a business means living with change, and sometimes it arrives suddenly: a client leaves, a cost rises, a project stalls, cash dips. 

In seconds, your mindset can go from calm to storm. 

Cashflow uncertainty has a way of creating a persistent background anxiety, because financial fear comes fast when payroll, overheads, suppliers, customers and your family’s livelihood sit with you every day.

Financial stress isn’t theoretical. 

It’s not just ‘oh no, my P&L isn’t ideal’. 

It’s wages. Mortgages. Your team’s welfare. Your reputation in the market. Your identity. 

People depend on you, and you depend on the business. 

This is stress that lives in the body, that shows up in short fuses, postponed decisions and 3am thoughts where you re-run every number in your head like a broken film reel.

Yet we rarely say out loud that we’re stressed about money; we soften it into ‘just busy’ or ‘lots going on’. 

Talking about money feels vulnerable, and most founders carry the belief they’re supposed to be the strong one in the room, the one who has it together. 

But silence doesn’t make pressure smaller; it just makes it lonelier.

In meetings, I hear a phrase all the time: “Jon, I just need to know where I stand.” 

That’s rarely a purely financial question.

It’s someone searching for stability, clarity, empathy and support.  

What they’re really saying is: “Help me breathe again.” 

The fear of the unknown is often what really gets people spiraling.

When we don’t know something for certain, we start to catastrophise, and this is why financial wellbeing needs a different definition. 

It’s not about being wealthy.

It’s about feeling safe enough to think clearly about tomorrow. 

Safety brings perspective. Perspective brings choice. Choice brings calm. 

And calm is what enables you to lead.

A big part of that calm comes from facing the numbers, rather than avoiding them. 

Avoidance makes anxiety louder, feeds imagination and turns small issues into invisible monsters. 

Looking at the figures, even if they’re not great, reduces stress because now you’re dealing with something tangible and real.

Taking care of your financial wellbeing is similar to getting fit… start small, create new and better habits, and take it one day at a time.

This could include:

·      Checking the numbers weekly

·      Having clear dashboards

·      Being transparent with yourself and those around you

·      Talking early

·      Knowing your runway and margins

·      Seeking help before you’re in crisis

It sounds simple, but when clouded with anxiety, getting back to basics is key; it will eventually create deep confidence. 

Then once the financial noise quietens down, the firefighting stops, ideas return and you get space to lead again.

When a leader is financially stressed, the team feels it. 

Your emotional state becomes the atmosphere. 

But when you’re calm and centred, the room settles. 

So, here’s my message to founders and business owners: financial wellbeing is key to mental wellbeing. 

It deserves the same priority as sleep, therapy, coaching, exercise and connection. 

And if you’re reading this thinking, ‘I should be able to handle it’, I’ll say it clearly: you don’t have to handle it alone. 

Getting honest about the numbers isn’t a weakness. It’s leadership. 

And it’s care for your business, your people and your own mind.

Jon Dudgeon is co-founder and chief executive of North Shields, Newcastle and London-based accountancy and business advisory firm Blu Sky

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →