Small Business Community:
Build It and They Will Come

A small business community is what YOU make of it.

It should include a number of the support and/or business groups listed here:

1. government agencies, such as Small Business BC, or Small Business Canada, or if operating out of the United States, then Small Business USA. All three of these sites are government-run, and simply examples of how state, provincial, regional and national governments provide support to small business entrepreneurs;
2. the right type of association (for example, industry and trade associations);
3. an internal committee (for example, made up of employees and/or business stakeholders, such as suppliers, customers, shareholders);
4. a small business advisory group (which can work like a board of directors);
5. a small business network - which is a peer group either within your industry or outside of it or perhaps this could be a peer exchange group (where your business exchanges information with a peer business in another part of the country - non competing region);
6. one or several business mentors - choose someone who's done it all before and is willing to share;
7. a resources group, website, company and/or databank;
8. and, finally, your employees, families, friends and associates.

A peer group or peer exchange can also be built into a valuable business network. And if these groups don't exist in your industry or line of business, build one. You will be amazed at how eager people are to connect.

A home-based business can have additional challenges - it can be hard to meet people, and make a connection, from home. But smart home-business owners create connections with others and build their own successful network.

In other words, to build a strong business you need to build a strong support structure and a successful network around your business; and it must include all stakeholders.

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