The power of community in business

I’m going to start today’s post with some facts, you know you love them. In the UK, there are roughly 5.2 million businesses. Of those, 99.3% are considered small businesses. This pattern is repeated all around the world. Of those same statistics small businesses only account for 33.2% of the total private sector turnover.

In other words, business is tough!

If you work in a small business, which if you’re reading this post you probably do, then you’ll know just how tough it is. But you’re not alone. In fact, the great majority of businesses out there are just like you.

If you run a small business, whether it’s a single person consultancy or small studio, it can be hard to make the right choices without a guiding hand. While living on an island and figuring out “stuff” as you go along can be appealing, it’s not without its problems.

Work alone, suffer alone

If you work alone and aren’t connecting with others, the only reason you have for innovating is when things go wrong. And with no one around to let you know what you’re doing wrong, it may well be your client who says "Hey!"

For areas that you specialize in, it's not an issue, but for all those small things you’re not an expert in, what do you do? Who do you turn to?

You’re part of a huge group of people that make up the majority of the economy. And many of those people suffer from the same problems as you, so look to them for support. A community of like minded business people could be one of the biggest sources of growth you’ve yet to discover.

Folks like you, just a step or two ahead

“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with.” – Jim Rohn

There are innumerable communities who hang out because they have similar goals or experiences. Just take a look at meetup.com and you'll see that pretty much any group of people you could wish to find is right there. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Once you actually start digging into community, you’ll find that people everywhere are looking to connect with someone just like you too.

Connecting with like-minded people is a real energy booster, and this alone can help tremendously. But you know what’s really great about communities? You get to connect with people who are one or two steps ahead of you. These are the people you want to hang out with. They represent all that is possible and all you can achieve if you’d just speak to the right people.

How many times have you thought to yourself: “If only I’d known that a year ago…” Well, these people have already traveled that road. Let them help you.

I want to grow, you want to grow, we all want to grow

Meeting like minded people is awesome, seriously, but don't let the fact that someone comes from a different sector deter you. Most times, the fact that someone does have a different background can make their advice all the more valuable. It allows you a different perspective. By trade I’m a designer but some of the most valuable advice I receive comes from friends and colleagues who work in development, marketing and even from founders in completely different segments to Nusii. It’s the “perspective” that makes their advice so great.

Being part of the right community can be a game changer. It can put you in touch with other business owners that do something else entirely, and yet somehow have a service, product or perspective that in combination with yours is, once again AWESOME!

That’s the power of Community.

People talk, and that’s a good thing

Odds are, you’re passionate about what you do. And passion is contagious. While not every community is suitable for direct sales, they do have a way of somehow getting people all “gee’d up” about other people's’ products and services. Every business has problems, and your business might just be the one to offer a solution. Even if someone isn’t looking for a service like yours, they might present you to someone who is.

Remember to be natural, don’t play the sales game. Talking about what you do is just fine but people just don’t like to be sold, and even less in a community environment.

The Nusii Room

I was a solo consultant for a long time and I know of the importance of community. I also knew how difficult it can be to get help from peers. Which is why we created The Nusii Room. The Nusii Room is our private community for Nusii customers. It’s a place to come together and be amongst like minded folks. A place to get help with proposals, feedback on business ideas and a place to hang out with fellow creatives.

We’d love to see you in there.