Do You Need to Be a Stoic to Run a Small Business?

If you’ve ever run a small business – or even just thought about it – you’ll know it can be an emotional rollercoaster. One day you’re smashing it. The next day, your supplier’s ghosted you, your biggest client wants a refund, and your cat’s knocked coffee all over your invoices. Lovely.

So it’s no surprise that some people start looking for ways to cope. One word that gets thrown around a lot is stoicism. It’s been buzzing in the self-help world for a while now, with quotes from dead Roman blokes popping up all over LinkedIn and Instagram. But is it actually useful for small business owners? Or is it just another trend that sounds good but doesn’t really help when you’re three months behind on rent?

First off, what even is stoicism?

Stoicism (with a capital S) started in Ancient Greece and was made famous by Roman philosophers like Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus. It’s not about having no feelings or being a robot. It’s more like choosing how you respond to things – especially stuff you can’t control.

The basic idea is: you can’t stop bad things from happening, but you can control how you react. For example, if your delivery van breaks down, instead of flipping out, beating it with a bit of dead tree (remember that scene in Fawlty Towers?) or crying into your tea, a stoic would take a breath, say “Alright, that happened, now what?”, and get on with fixing it.

Why are people banging on about stoicism now?

Good question. Stoicism has made a big comeback in the last few years. You’ve probably seen quotes like:

• “You have power over your mind – not outside events.”
• “It’s not things that upset us, it’s our opinion about things.”
• “Memento mori” – which means “remember, you’ll die” (cheery, right?).

These quotes hit hard, especially when life feels out of control. Running a small business in today’s world – with rising costs, staff shortages, random search ending algorithm changes, changes to legislation, and everyone expecting next-day delivery – can feel like trying to surf during a hurricane. So the idea of being calm, focused, and unfazed? Yeah, that sounds tempting.

So, should you try being a stoic as a business owner?

Let’s break it down. There are definitely some parts of stoicism that can be helpful. But there are also a few bits that might not work for everyone.

The good stuff

1. Helps you deal with stress

Business can be full of drama. Late payments. Unhappy customers. Tech issues. If you take every problem personally, you’ll burn out fast. Stoicism encourages you to pause, breathe, and ask: “Is this in my control?” If the answer is no, let it go. If it’s yes, do something about it. Simple but powerful.

2. Keeps your ego in check

Let’s be real – when business is booming, it’s easy to get cocky. But stoicism reminds you that success is temporary, and staying humble helps you make better choices. You’re less likely to overspend or take dumb risks just to show off.

3. Encourages resilience

One of the key ideas in stoicism is that setbacks are part of the journey. You’re meant to expect them, not be surprised by them. So instead of moaning when something goes wrong, you treat it like training. Like, “Okay, this is tough, but I’ll learn from it.”

4. Makes decision-making easier

When you’re less ruled by emotion, you can think more clearly. That helps when you’re trying to decide if you should hire someone, ditch a dodgy client, or invest in a new bit of kit or software. Emotions are useful, but they can cloud your judgement if you let them take over.

But here’s the flip side

1. Emotions aren’t the enemy

Some versions of stoicism sound like you should be cold and emotionless. But emotions are part of being human. They help you connect with customers, understand your staff, and make your brand relatable. You don’t want to be a stone statue running a coffee shop.

2. You might ignore real problems

There’s a fine line between being calm and being passive. If your business is struggling, it’s good to stay grounded – but not to the point where you stop caring or taking action. A stoic attitude could be used to avoid hard decisions if you’re not careful.

3. Not everyone vibes with it

Some people just aren’t wired for stoicism. And that’s okay. You might be the passionate type who needs a good rant to let off steam. Or someone who thrives on feeling things deeply. You don’t have to change your whole personality to run a business.

4. It can feel a bit… lonely

Stoicism is about internal control, but sometimes what you really need is external support – a chat with a mate, a business mentor, or just someone to say “Yeah, that sucks.” If you take stoicism too far, you might bottle everything up, and that’s not healthy.

What does stoicism actually look like in real life?

Let’s say you’re running a small bakery. One morning, your oven breaks down, your apprentice calls in sick, and a customer leaves a nasty review. The stoic response isn’t to pretend it’s fine. It’s to go:

• “Okay, the oven’s broken. Can I fix it now or do I need a backup plan?”
• “Sick staff – frustrating, but out of my control.”
• “Bad review – hurts, but can I learn from it?”

It’s not about suppressing your feelings. It’s about not letting them drive the bus. You still care, but you don’t spiral. You respond, not react. You keep moving forward.

Is it “necessary” to be a stoic?

Nope. You can run a brilliant small business and never read a word of Marcus Aurelius. There are loads of different ways to cope with the ups and downs. Some people journal. Some go for a run. Some scream into a pillow. Some listen to death metal (on a side note, have you ever heard of The Hu – when things get really bad I listen to them or classic country – the latter is always about someone that’s worse of then I am). Whatever works.

But stoicism can be a useful tool. Not a cure-all, not a religion, not a personality transplant. Just one more way to help you stay grounded when the world’s doing its best to knock you sideways.

What’s the bottom line, then?

If stoicism helps you, brilliant. Borrow the bits that work – like focusing on what you can control, staying calm under pressure, and treating setbacks as lessons. But don’t feel like you’ve failed if you get emotional. That’s part of the deal when you care about what you do.

Running a small business is hard. It’s messy, unpredictable, and full of feelings. And maybe that’s the point. You’re not a Roman emperor – you’re a modern-day legend building something out of nothing. Whether you do that with a stoic mindset or a Spotify playlist full of 90s bangers is entirely up to you.

Quick Takeaways

• Stoicism is about controlling your reactions, not pretending everything’s fine.
• It can help reduce stress, build resilience, and sharpen your focus.
• But being too stoic can make you emotionally distant or passive.
• You don’t need to follow a strict philosophy to run a great business.
• Use what helps, ditch what doesn’t – and don’t forget to be human.

At the end of the day, your business doesn’t need a philosopher. It needs you – doing your best, learning as you go, and figuring it out one day at a time.