How to Leverage Community to Scale Your Business

We believe very strongly that entrepreneurs should have community. Entrepreneurship and being a business are hard enough. You shouldn’t have to go through it alone. A community that can help you overcome your losses, celebrate your wins and provide you with opportunities is what we wish for all business owners. In addition to that, you can leverage community to scale your business. That’s why this year, we really focused on creating a community and providing network opportunities. One of our communities is the She Boss Tribe that we host on Facebook and YouTube.  

Some of the She Boss Tribe members and Shantè met up on YouTube recently to discuss ways to leverage the community to scale your business. They discussed: 

• What it means to be part of a community
• How to show up and build relationships 
• Use every benefit at your disposal to access new opportunities

You can check out the interview by clicking on the video below. 

In this blog post, we’ll be focusing on the importance of community, how to find your own community and how to leverage community to scale your business. 

Why You Need Community 

Humans, by our very nature, need community. According to Well Being People, “Community gives us a sense of belonging. It enables us to share personal relatedness and support perpetual growth of each other, ourselves and our environment.”

While you may already know you need community in your personal life, you may not realize it’s beneficial in your career and business as well. Don’t underestimate the importance of community regardless of where you are in your business.

 If you’re just starting out or have been in business, having a community can help you:

• Keep motivated
• Achieve your goals 
• Get better access to resources and opportunities
• Increase your visibility and brand awareness
• Make life-long connections
• Scale your business
• Increase your knowledge
• Avoid common pitfalls
• Celebrate your wins
• Thrive 

“In a community people look out for you. When you’re with a community there’s opportunity to collaborate”

Eurydice Moore

How to Find Community

Before you can leverage community to scale your business, you first have to find community. The good news is, no matter where you are, you can find community. When picking a community make sure that you:

• Feel welcomed
• Contribute to the community
• Feel like you’re getting value

The first community you join may not be the one for you but don’t give up. If you’re looking for community you can:

Look for an Existing Online Community 

Find out if your favorite business owners or thought leaders already have a membership community created. Usually, for a small monthly fee, business owners and other content creators will host a membership on a platform. 

The members of these communities are getting exclusive access to resources and sometimes mentorship. Don’t let the price deter you. Research and figure out which memberships are right for you then make the investment.

 If you’re interested in hanging out with other go-getters, you can join our membership. You will get:

• Expand your network with movers shakers and money makers
• Expand your knowledge and income with exclusive access to very helpful content
• Increase your brand awareness with exclusive public-facing membership badges, special emojis mentions during live broadcasts, and member spotlight posts.
• Mentorship and accountability partners
• Discounts on our products
• Special grant opportunities 

I’m so thankful for this tribe. It has opened so many doors. I’m one of the ten thousand dollar grant recipients because of this this tribe I’m so thankful for that.

Gwen McLeod

Find Entrepreneurial Communities in Your Town 

Find out if there is a community of entrepreneurs already existing in your town. Some people actually prefer having in-person meetups and so looking for a community of business owners in your town may be great. 

If you’re looking to connect with entrepreneurs nearby, Classy suggests, looking for the local chapters of entrepreneurial organizations such as Entrepreneurs’ Organization. 

Chances are there are already several entrepreneurial communities in your town or city, you just have to ask around. 

Network in Your City 

If you’re an online entrepreneur or don’t really go out much, there are many benefits to actually going out to meet people. 

If you’re not sure where to start, Classy recommends a coworking space. Classy says, “The synergy of working alongside other entrepreneurs can bolster inspiration, productivity, and perspective.” You may start chatting with another entrepreneur, who introduces you to more people and you already have a small community.

In addition to coworking, you can attend local events in your city geared toward entrepreneurs. Use sites like Event Brite to find them, as well as ask around. 

Once you’ve started networking, don’t be afraid to create your own entrepreneurial community in your local town. You can put the word out there, gather emails, and have meetups at a coffee shop. Don’t be discouraged if your community starts out small. You only need one member to start reaping the benefits. 

Form Your Own Community Online 

If you don’t find an existing community that meets your needs, are not a fan of in-person events or want even more community, you can form your own community online. 

To form a community online, you first have to pick a platform. Entrepreneurs often start by creating and nurturing an audience on social media, a podcast, or YouTube. To build your community there, we recommend being:

• Authentic- People can usually tell if you’re not being authentic. Express your values, opinions and show your personality. People love feeling like they can relate to someone or aspire to be that person.
• Consistent- If you really want to build a community online, you have to be consistent. Whether that means posting on YouTube once a week, publishing a podcast twice per week, or posting on Instagram several times a week. Find out what consistency looks like for you and always give value to your audience. You can’t pop up only when you want to sell something. Schedule time to check in with your community and talk about things other than the products you’re selling. Post inspirational content. Post content that helps your community. You’ll naturally attract more people that way.

• Engaging- Corporations and celebrities can get away with ignoring their audience on social media platforms but smaller brands can’t. Take the time to respond to your comments, direct messages, and emails. 

Once you have your community, the next step is to continue to nurture and show up for them. You can further segment the community into memberships for those who require more help or connection. Try membership sites such as Patreon if you want your own membership. 

How to Leverage Community 

Now that you have found your community, it’s time to put in the work. Simply being in a community is not going to be beneficial if you don’t engage or take advantage of the opportunities. Here are some tips to leverage community and scale your business:

Engage With Other Members

You have to show up for your community if you want your community to show up for you. Showing up for your community can mean:

• Periodically posting in the membership or speaking in the group chat. Make sure you’re staying in touch. 
• Responding to messages. If community members reach out to you, respond and help as best as possible.
• Celebrate wins with your community members. If they shared the good news, congratulate them. 
• Keep your community motivated. Don’t feel afraid to motivate your community members randomly or if they’re going through a rough patch. 

Even though we recommend that you don’t go long periods of time without engaging, we know there may be periods of life where you can’t. A supportive community will be able to understand and support you as you traverse through difficult times. 

Share Your Expertise 

There is something that you know, that someone else doesn’t. Maybe you’re a whizz at Instagram, writing emails, making websites, or finding brand deals. Whatever you’re good at, share your expertise with your community. You don’t necessarily have to do it for free. However, you have to provide value to the group and not only take advantage. 

If you offer your expertise, someone else in the group will do the same. Sharing expertise among yourselves can help you scale your business. We’re better together!

There’s an exchange. You’re getting value and you’re also giving value.Show up as the expert. Be willing to be a connector. Be a resource and it’s not just all about you remember you are part of a community.

Collaborate 

We’re huge fans of collaboration. Collaboration can look like this:

• Being a guest on each other’s podcasts
• Hosting a joint event
• Guest blogging for each other’s blogs
• Applying for grants together

The possibilities are endless when it comes to collaboration. Leverage your community for collaboration which can help you scale your business. 

Focus on One or Two Groups 

Being in a community, as we said, requires effort and energy. Therefore, it’s not a good use of your time to try and juggle many groups. Pick one or two groups that you can really put time into and you’ll be better able to reap the rewards. Otherwise, you may become overwhelmed, miss opportunities in the group, and weaken the connections you had. 

Conclusion

By being part of a community and actively engaging, you’ll be better able to scale your business. Your fellow community members will share their expertise, opportunities, and resources with you so that you can thrive in your business. If you’re looking for a supportive, engaging and active community, consider joining our tribe!