The Perfect Monday as a Small Business Owner

I'm writing this sat in the cafe space at The Space in Burston and honestly, I don't think I could have designed a better Monday if I'd tried.

This morning was our Wellness Morning for small business owners. Izzy led a beautiful

restorative yoga class that included gentle movement, breathwork, a couple of yin poses and yoga nidra, and afterwards we all sat around drinking coffee and chatting about business, life and all the things that seem to come up when you put a group of self-employed people in a room together.

I'd originally planned to head home afterwards. Burston is an hour and twenty minutes from our house, so a morning event already felt like quite a commitment. But whilst we were chatting, I found myself looking around the space and thinking, "Actually, why am I rushing off?"

So I stayed.

In fact, I liked it so much that I signed up as a (free) member.

As I write this, I've already had lunch, been for a walk, done a video call in one of their private rooms and had one of the most productive afternoons I've had in ages. And somewhere between the yoga class this morning and sitting down to write this blog, I realised that what Lisa and Izzy have created here is genuinely one of the cleverest responses to a problem I think a lot of small business owners have.

For those who haven't come across The Space before, it's owned by sisters Lisa and Izzy. I know them quite well because every quarter we spend half a day together working on strategy for their business. They're booked in right through until the end of the year and they're honestly some of my favourite people to work with.

Partly because they're lovely, but mostly because they get it.

They're not creating a space based on what they think small business owners need. They are small business owners. Everything here has been designed from lived experience.

On their website they explain that The Space wasn't born from a business plan. It came from a need. They wanted somewhere to work that didn't drain them. Somewhere to see clients without committing to expensive leases. Somewhere that felt calm and welcoming without having to perform all the time.

When I read that this afternoon, I found myself nodding along because I think so many of us know exactly what they mean.

One of the conversations that came up over coffee this morning was co-working spaces. Or more specifically, why so many of us struggle with them.

I've always loved the idea of co-working spaces. The reality is a different story. My brain absolutely cannot cope with being halfway through writing something important while somebody nearby is having a Zoom call, another person is on the phone and someone else is chatting about their weekend. I know lots of people thrive in those environments but I've never been one of them.

What made me laugh was that literally everyone around the table agreed.

Every single person.

One by one people admitted they'd tried co-working before and hated it.

And then Lisa explained how their model works.

The cafe co-working area is for actual co-working. Laptop work. Quiet work. Focused work.

If you need to take a call, jump on Zoom, meet with a client or have a confidential conversation, you book one of the private rooms.

The reaction around the table was brilliant.

Everyone's face just lit up.

It sounds so obvious when someone says it out loud, but suddenly all the reasons people had given for not liking co-working disappeared.

Even the dogs are carefully thought about. It's dog friendly, which I absolutely love, but they limit the number of dogs that can be in the space at one time. They limit the number of people too. You're never going to arrive and find yourself in a noisy room with thirty people trying to work.

Everything about the place feels intentional. Peaceful. Calm. Like somebody has actually sat down and thought about how people work best.

After lunch I headed out for a walk. One of the things I love most about this location is that you can step straight out onto the Burston Circular Walk. Within minutes you're surrounded by countryside, orchards, vineyards and some of the prettiest Norfolk scenery imaginable.

I genuinely think we've forgotten how important this stuff is.

As small business owners we're constantly looking for ways to improve our businesses. Better systems. Better marketing. Better processes.

But WE are our business.

The way we feel impacts everything.

If we're overwhelmed, exhausted and frazzled, our businesses tend to feel that way too. If we're energised, creative and clear-headed, everything seems to work a little better.

I don't think it's a coincidence that I've had one of my most productive afternoons in weeks after starting the day with yoga, coffee, good conversations and a walk.

And then there was the video call.

Normally I'd never schedule an important call somewhere unfamiliar because I'd spend half the time worrying about the WiFi, the background noise or whether someone would walk behind me.

Instead I booked one of the private rooms and it was perfect.

Private enough to feel professional. Connected enough to still feel part of the community.

The whole thing feels like somebody has taken all the best bits of working from home and all the best bits of co-working and somehow combined them into one thing.

Which brings me onto our next Wellness Morning at The Space…..

We'll be back at The Space on Monday 27th July and this time we'll be joined by Dr Amy D'Sa for what sounds like a genuinely beautiful session focused on helping small business owners, freelancers, entrepreneurs and self-employed people reconnect with themselves.

The morning session will run from 9.30am until 11am and is designed to be a restorative and mindful space where you can slow down, reconnect and be looked after for a change.

As small business owners, we're often the ones holding space for everyone else. Supporting clients, solving problems, answering questions and carrying responsibility. This session is an opportunity to gently put some of that down for a while and turn that care back towards yourself.

Through guided meditation, mindful movement, reflective practices and shared conversation, Amy will help create space for rest, renewal and self-compassion. Whether you're feeling energised, exhausted, curious or completely overwhelmed, you're welcome exactly as you are.

After the session, we'll stay for coffee, snacks and chats from 11am until 1pm, kindly provided by Lisa and Izzy.

And then I'll be doing exactly what I've done today. Staying, working, going for a walk….probably also bringing Matt and Luna 🐶.

I’ll be staying at the co-working space until about 4pm and you're very welcome to stay and join me. Bring a packed lunch, settle in for the afternoon and experience what working from The Space is actually like.

You can come just for the morning session, just for the afternoon co-working, or make a full day of it.

There will be a maximum of 10 people at any one time, so booking is essential.

If you'd like to join us, just drop me a message and I’ll book you a spot - gabriella@coastalmedia.biz

And if you can't make 27th July, I'd really encourage you to take a look at The Space Gathering on 26th June.

It's one of The Space's own community events and is designed around exactly the same ethos that makes this place so special - slowing down, connecting with other people and creating space for meaningful conversations. If you've been curious about what Lisa and Izzy are building here, it's another lovely way to experience it for yourself.

Whether you come to our event, their event, or simply book yourself a co-working day, I think you'll leave understanding why I'm now voluntarily driving an hour and twenty minutes to work from Burston (despite having our own office just 30 minutes from our house 😂).