Why Entrepreneurship Is Tougher Than It Looks

There are many entrepreneurs in my neighborhood. A few are doing reasonably well, but most are just getting by. There are three main reasons for this. First, the economic situation is genuinely difficult. Second, all the bureaucracy — taxes, payments, regulations and forms — takes up a huge amount of time and energy. And third, many are worried about their own ability to cope with the demands of work. Is there anything that could make life a little easier for entrepreneurs?

Finland’s economy has been struggling for a long time, but this cannot continue forever. One challenge many entrepreneurs face is the increasing administrative burden that takes time away from the essentials. As a major service provider, we want to ease that load by staying one step ahead. Our goal is to help you handle urgent issues and requirements more smoothly. It’s crucial to find a balance between the personal, one‑stop service that entrepreneurs value and the fact that services are becoming increasingly digital.

When illness strikes, micro‑entrepreneurs carry a heavy load

Another challenge is staying healthy and able to work, something many of us are reminded of during flu season. If you catch the flu, you may recover in days or weeks. Even that can be demanding for an entrepreneur. But if Seija injures her back or Niko needs ankle surgery, the recovery may take months. During that time, they might have no clear idea how to keep the business running and bills paid.

A friend of mine, a micro‑entrepreneur, employs two people. During the pandemic, they had to find income in completely new ways and still tighten their budget. Back then it helped to know everyone was struggling. Now things are difficult again. The dark season and economic uncertainty affect us all, but when illness hits—either the entrepreneur or an employee—small business owners are in a very different situation.

When an employee falls ill, their wellbeing comes first

My friend is waiting for hip surgery. She has already postponed it several times because one of her employees has been on sick leave for long periods. You don’t need to be an entrepreneur to understand that this is not sustainable.

Is there any way to find relief in a situation like this? Can entrepreneurs prevent these challenges?

Good insurance can help prepare for unexpected situations. But broader economic uncertainty has no simple fix. Unfortunately, we’ve seen the number of bankruptcies rise, especially among sole entrepreneurs and micro‑enterprises.

Shared challenges don’t have to be faced alone

There’s no single solution to work ability challenges either, but sometimes one good piece of advice at the right moment can make all the difference. My friend eventually received guidance on the different services and organisations that could help her. She accepted the support, and her surgery is now finally scheduled.

The lesson for all of us is this: you don’t have to solve everything alone—and often you shouldn’t. Even though we talk about “sole entrepreneurs”, no one needs to face every challenge by themselves. And micro‑entrepreneurs shouldn’t have to push through endlessly without support.

Katja Atsar
Work Ability Development Manager
Ilmarinen

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• Entrepreneur Well-being and Work Ability