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Posted: Tue 5th May 2026
4 min read
Enterprise Nation is on a mission to take the loneliness out of entrepreneurship. Through our local meet-up campaign, we're offering a ready-made support network to small business owners across the UK and Ireland.
These monthly meet-ups wouldn’t exist without our army of Local Leaders; amazing individuals who are passionate about supporting small businesses and are committed to their local communities.
We meet Paul Shaw, your South West London Local Leader.
I'm a business coach, consultant and mentor. I've been running my business, Mercatus Consulting, since 2012, although I've only been focusing on the SME sector for the past nine years.
My goal is to improve the lives of small business owners by helping them build healthier, happier, more efficient and more profitable businesses. My specialism is and strategy, and I love to get under the skin of a business to really understand what makes it tick.
I'd been a member of Enterprise Nation for a few months when COVID struck. The local meet-ups programme seemed like a great way of getting to know local business owners and to understand some of the challenges and uncertainties that they were facing at the time.
I volunteered to become a Local Leader to do what I could to help local business owners. Helping out with information and advice on the support available to SMEs and sharing ways of navigating the ever-changing regulations became a big feature of meet-ups at the time.
South West London is home to a really vibrant business community. People here have a huge range of skills and talents, and that is reflected by the sheer volume and diversity of SMEs and start-ups in the area.
I never fail to be impressed by the passion, enthusiasm, agility and tenacity of local business owners – as was particularly evidenced during lockdown.
Similar challenges to many other areas, I would imagine. Rising energy costs, inflation, the cost-of-living crisis, and finding good people at affordable rates – all play their part in creating a difficult business environment.
Many start-ups I speak to find it hard to access support from local or central government, and it's often the subject of discussion at local meet-ups. Another popular subject is the impact AI is having on the SME world. It can be an opportunity and also a threat.
Many small business owners are struggling to understand how to apply AI tools to their business in a positive and productive way.
It's a great place to connect with other like-minded business owners. A "safe space", if you like. Somewhere to share challenges and successes with people who really appreciate what it's like to go through what you’re going through and who can offer support and practical advice as you develop your business.
Local meet-ups take place every month. Find your nearest and reserve your place
