One of the small businesses I rarely talk about is my own. It doesn't fit neatly into a single definition. It isn't one business with a single identity, but a collection of very small businesses built over time, shaped by people, place, and a series of decisions that were never entirely planned. My husband Paul and I run it together.

At the heart of our business are a small number of long-standing clients we've worked with for many years on strategic marketing and communications projects and ongoing briefs. These are relationships I value deeply, built on trust and a shared understanding of what good work looks like. Alongside that is the online shop, which Paul runs. Then there is the work I do with small businesses in Fowey: supporting them, telling their stories, helping them find their voice. That includes the networking group that has grown steadily over recent months, becoming a genuine point of connection for local businesses and entrepreneurs.

There is also LoveFowey, which started as a passion project and has grown into something quite substantial: a trusted local guide and community platform showcasing Fowey's shops, eateries, accommodation, events and stories. It remains, at heart, something I do because I care deeply about this place and the people who live, work or visit here. And then there are the three Airbnb properties we run between us, of which we're genuinely proud, with a collective guest rating of 4.99. That detail represents countless small moments of care and attention.

It still surprises me sometimes that this is where we landed. When we sold our previous business, MOOCH, we genuinely thought we were heading into retirement. But it wasn't long before we found ourselves drawn back in: first one project, then another, a small client here, a conversation there. The work didn't feel like pressure, it was driven by purpose. And slowly, almost without noticing, the next chapter built itself.

This Thursday will be the final Fowey networking evening before a summer pause, from 5pm at The Old Bank. That break was always planned. Summer pulls people in different directions, and a natural pause point was already in the diary. What wasn't planned is a slightly bigger pause on any new work.

Over the past few weeks, it has become clear that I've reached capacity. Not because any one part of the business isn't working. Clients, community work, content, LoveFowey, property management, and my Master's in Marketing and Digital Communication have simply, collectively, left very little room for the kind of sustained thinking I need right now. So, from now until the end of August, I won't be taking on any new work. That includes new editions of Inside Small Business, which will pause after this week until September.

The immediate priority is finishing my Master's and giving it the focus it deserves. Academic work can't be done properly in fragments. I'm also not naturally good at saying no, and most of the work I do exists because I said yes to an idea, a conversation, a collaboration. This final stretch deserves my full attention, and right now that means being honest about where my focus needs to be.

Existing work, the day-to-day LoveFowey work and current briefs will continue as planned. Every commitment already made will be honoured. But there will be no new projects, no additional commissions, and no "could you just do this quickly" until September. This isn't a step away from the business. It's my way of protecting it.

Inside Small Business will be back in September. In the meantime, LoveFowey continues as normal, and the best way to support the work is simply to share it widely and follow the social media pages. Every share helps, and I'm grateful for every one of them. If you'd like to be featured in Inside Small Business this autumn, drop me a short note at hello@lovefowey.com and we'll get you booked in.