The following case study have been developed from an amalgamation of the research data.
Sam is the owner of a small business providing IT support services. He set up the business less than a year ago and has yet to see the business make a profit. This is despite his having to work more than 12 hours a day to keep on top of the administration and marketing alongside delivering IT support. He thought life would be easier working for himself but he has found it tough. There were times he felt lonely, despite attending lots of networking meetings which often started early in the morning. These just seemed to add to the pressures he faces. Perhaps not surprisingly, Sam’s health was suffering. He was not doing any exercise, his diet was poor, and he was drinking more to help him unwind. Sam watched the news every evening and was all too aware of the societal and environmental challenges the world faced but felt powerless to do anything about it.
The intervention was just what Sam needed. He could access it at times that suited him and he was able to select topics that dealt with the challenges he was facing at the time. It helped him to see the importance of good physical and mental health, and financial well-being, as well as the importance of building relationships and working more effectively. It also helped him to identify what gave his life meaning and to ensure that this was reflected in the way he ran the business. This included getting involved in the local business community and finding ways that he could act in ways that were socially responsible for example, using the car less and recycling or reusing more.