That's changing. A quiet revolution is brewing in Britain's small business community, where neurodiverse entrepreneurs are ditching conventional planning methods for visual approaches that better match their thinking styles. And they're seeing remarkable results.

"I spent years feeling like I was doing business 'wrong' because I couldn't get my head around traditional planning methods," says Sarah Mitchell, Founder of Hertfordshire-based artisan bakery The Sourdough Project. "Then I discovered visual planning tools. My whole business transformed when I started working in a way that matched how my brain actually processes information."

She's not alone. Research suggests approximately 25% of UK business owners are dyslexic, while one in seven people is neurodiverse in some way. Yet most business support remains resolutely neurotypical in its approach.

"There's this persistent myth that business planning has to look a certain way," explains Dr Elena Thompson, a cognitive psychologist specialising in neurodiversity in business. "But different brains process information differently. For many entrepreneurs, visual thinking isn't just a preference – it's how their minds naturally work."

This insight is driving innovation in business planning tools. As someone with dyslexia, I was able to use visual business planning to succeed in my role developing branding in-house at Eurostar, before founding my own business, Creative Stripes. I developed a visual planning tool called the 'Mapper Card' system after noticing how many entrepreneurs struggled with traditional planning methods.

Visual tools aren't just about making things pretty, they're about creating systems that work with different thinking styles, not against them. When you give people permission to plan in a way that matches their natural thought processes, the results can be extraordinary.

Take James Chen, whose London-based tech consultancy grew 300% after switching to visual planning methods. "Instead of forcing myself to write lengthy business plans, I now map everything visually," he says. "Customer journeys, project timelines, even financial forecasts – seeing them spatially helps me spot patterns and opportunities I'd miss in a spreadsheet."

The benefits extend beyond individual businesses. Dr Thompson's research suggests visually-oriented companies often demonstrate stronger innovation and creative problem-solving capabilities. "Different thinking styles bring different perspectives," she notes. "In today's complex business environment, that diversity of thought can be a significant competitive advantage."

So what does this visual revolution look like in practice? For Mitchell, it meant replacing her traditional business plan with a series of visual maps showing customer journeys, product development cycles, and growth strategies. Chen uses digital tools to create interactive visual models of his business processes. Others combine physical and digital approaches, using everything from wall-sized mind maps to augmented reality planning tools.

The movement is gaining traction with investors too. "We're seeing more pitches using visual formats," says Sarah Williams, an angel investor focusing on early-stage startups. "Often, they communicate business models more clearly than traditional presentations. It's about substance, not just style."

This shift comes as research increasingly links neurodiversity with entrepreneurial success. A 2023 study by the University of East London found neurodiverse business owners often excel at spotting market gaps and developing innovative solutions – precisely because they think differently.

"The future of business planning isn't about forcing everyone into the same mould," concludes Dr Thompson. "It's about creating flexible tools that work for different thinking styles. When we do that, everybody wins."

For Britain's neurodiverse entrepreneurs, that future can't come soon enough. As Mitchell puts it: "Being neurodiverse isn't a limitation – it's a different way of seeing the world. When you embrace that, it becomes your superpower."

Key Tips for Visual Business Planning:

• Start with a mind map rather than a linear plan
• Use colour coding to categorise information
• Create visual customer journey maps
• Transform financial data into graphs and charts
• Use spatial layouts to show relationships between different business elements
• Incorporate images and symbols for key concepts
• Consider digital tools designed for visual thinkers

For more startup news, check out the other articles on the website, and subscribe to the magazine for free. Listen to The Cereal Entrepreneur podcast for more interviews with entrepreneurs and big-hitters in the startup ecosystem.