What is a Small Business Network?

In the context of our discussion, a small business network is one where you would join with other like and defined businesses to form a connection to better operate your business.

It is somewhat like a small business advisory or small business bureau, except that in a small business connection, you each advise each other (often with some help from an experienced business facilitator).

Whereas in a small business advisory, it can operate with participants who are not stakeholders in the outcome. And a small business bureau is often a staffed, and paid, group which provides advice to the small business owner.

A ‘right’ sized, successful network would include eight to fourteen small business owners who work in affiliated or like businesses and who are prepared to share information and advice with each other.

Basically this connection allows a defined, and participating, group of people to meet, discuss, learn, compare and so much more. The end result is you build your own interactive small business resources.

This could be a group of business owners in the same industry but in non competing locations or non competing services or it could be a group of business owners from different industries with similar challenges to overcome. You can often find connections through your business community and/or the right type of association (e.g. industry or trade associations).

Some examples:

1. A small business owner of a quick printing business might participate with other quick printing business owners in non-competing locations. Advantages: this quick printing group could share information on marketing, finance, operations, human resources that would be very relevant.

2. A real estate company business owner might participate in a group that would include complementary business services: a Moving Company business owner; Appliance Distributorship business owner; Interior Design firm owner; etc.

3. A video production company business owner might participate in a group that would include complementary business services such as wedding planning, photography, florist, event planner, etc.

If you cannot build or join a connection, consider business mentors, or setting up an internal committee, or going to government agencies for support.

But do not give up.

Use the Contact Us form on this site to request help in finding or building your own business community.

Invest time in, and energy on, building your network.
Make business connections.

The goal is to have a connection with people that you can learn from (both their successes and failures). If you chose to belong to a group with complementary business services you might try to make it happen within a common geographical area.

That way you can ‘leverage’ the connection to make it work for your group, i.e. if you are the video production company owner in the above example, you can connect with your group to discuss and improve your business AND by making that connection you might get work through the wedding planner and then the florist in your group might get the work for the wedding’s flower order and so on.

In this context, where the connection also could provide you with leads for sales, it's important to work with business owners who are committed to the same values as you (quality, safety, service, environment, ethics, are just some of the values I'm referring to).

There are criteria for successful business networks and there are also some really sound business reasons for becoming involved in them.

Take action. Find a small business network to join. Or develop your own.

Return from Small Business Network to Community.

Or Return From Small Business Network to More-For-Small-Business.