81: 8 Places to Meet Small Biz Friends
Welcome back to Making Good, the podcast for small businesses who want to make a big impact.
I’m your host, Lauren Tilden, and this is episode 81.
In today’s episode, I’m going to talk about 8 places to find your small business PEOPLE -- the other small business owners that will have your back and cheer you on along the way.
BUT. Before we get started, a couple of things I wanted to chat about first..
Let’s talk about content. One thing that I hear over and over again is: I can’t figure out what to SAY in my marketing. If that sounds like you, I have an awesome workbook that will walk you through a process for generating A LOT of content ideas that your audience is guaranteed to love. To download that, head to: makinggoodpodcast.com/content.
Second, I invite you to join other values-driven small business owners for inspiration, accountability and lots of business and marketing strategy. That all takes place in the free Facebook community for this podcast, the Good Business Community. The link will be in the show notes, or you can go to makinggoodpodcast.com/community to be redirected.
FINALLY, if you love this podcast, there are a few ways you can help spread the love! First, I’d be so honored for you to leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Stitcher to help others find the podcast. And second, take a screenshot while you’re listening and tag me on Instagram @laurentilden -- I would so love to connect with you and cheer you on!
OKAY! Let’s get started with today’s episode… on my 8 favorite places to find your small business friends.
Here in the U.S., summer has wrapped up and we are squarely into fall. I live in Seattle, so this means the days are getting shorter, the sky is getting grayer, and the rain is starting to do its thing.
And don’t get me wrong -- I love summer as much as the next person -- but there’s something really special for me about this time of year. It’s the time of year for cozying up inside, indoor hobbies, and for me -- doing a little bit of hustling to get prepared for the winter holidays, where, as a product-based business owner, my sales are by far, the highest they are all year.
So, this has got me thinking about what I was doing this time of year in all of my other jobs…
In high school, when I worked at a home decor and craft store, I would be setting up fake christmas tree after fake christmas tree, and selling all manner of holiday home goodies.
In college, when I spent many nights driving the van that took students around to the different stops on campus, I’d be filling up my mug with coffee and cranking up the heat in the van to keep warm.
After college, when I worked part time in an organic cafe, we’d be transitioning our menu from summer salads and iced drinks to hearty soups and warm teas.
And in my years in corporate marketing, we’d be gearing up our final marketing pushes to try to end the year on a high note.
At first glance, these different jobs don’t have much in common.
But, just a few short months into my journey as a full-time small business owner in 2017, I would have been able to tell you one critical thing that all of these jobs have in common.
And that is PEOPLE.
Until I began working for and by myself as a small business owner running my stationery brand, Good Sheila, I had always been surrounded by PEOPLE as I worked.
But I soon found that working for yourself, by yourself, all day long is lonely, and isolating. And it can be really, really hard to keep motivated.
For me, at least… I felt like there was no one around me who “got it”. No one to commiserate with. No one to give me a pep talk when I was feeling down. No one to bounce ideas off of.
But after several months of working in complete isolation, whether it was consciously or subconsciously, I started making friends with other small business people, and I started to feel SO. MUCH. BETTER.
All the sudden I had people to check in with, had friends who keep me accountable, had people to bounce ideas around with when I needed another set of eyes.
I want to say that I’m fortunate enough to have really supportive “REAL LIFE” friends and family who I have of course consulted along the way, and their support has been so important to me. But starting a small business is such a unique experience that you can really only understand if you’ve been there yourself.
And this pattern has continued throughout my small business journey. I have my ups and I have my downs -- and usually what makes me feel better when I’m feeling low is finding community with other small business people.
Some of the things that finding community has done for me:
Learning from people who have skills and experiences I don’t
Feedback when I need it
Collaborating with others which often leads to real business results
Introductions to other people
A general sense of belonging
Some really incredible friends
I’m sure you’d agree that these are really great things to have.
But how do you FIND these small business friends and community?
I know it can feel intimidating. As an introvert, it DEFINITELY did for me. And I know I’m not alone in this -- I hear this from small business owners ALL THE TIME that they don’t know where to start when it comes to building a small business community.
So, in this episode I want to talk about 8 different places you can find your small business communities. You don’t need to try to all of these things, but hopefully as you listen, a couple of ideas will stand out as good places for you to start.
1. Instagram and other social media platforms
When it comes to social media, I’ve come to believe that the magic word is INTENTION.
We all know that social media can be great for helping our businesses grow… but it can also suck away our time and leave us feeling things that aren’t always so helpful.
But, by applying some INTENTION, social media can be a really special place to make connections and make friends… particularly for small business owners.
First of all, get intentional about how you’re using social media. Before you open the app, let’s say Instagram, have a REASON for doing that.
Are you going to go leave some love for people you follow?
Are you going to go respond to your messages?
Are you going to go out and find new people and cheer them on?
Have a specific purpose for going on to social media, and then I would suggest you even set a timer so that you don’t just get lost there.
There’s a quote I’ve heard that says “Friendship isn’t a big thing, it’s a million little things.” -- and that is so so true when it comes to social media. Relationship building on social media happens over time. Every small gesture of support, kindness and appreciation stand out and add up, because not very many people do them.
If you follow someone who you relate to, engage with them on their posts! Share their posts. Mention them on Instagram stories. And, most powerfully, send them a thoughtful direct message to say what you appreciate or relate to.
Sometimes, these acts of kindness will simply make that person’s day.
But sometimes… they’ll go a lot further. The person will respond, follow you back, engage on your content, and a conversation and friendship will begin.
2. Clubhouse / social audio
I absolutely love social audio… and for me I specifically focus on Clubhouse. Clubhouse is a social media app where audio conversations are held. Think of it like a conversational version of podcasting.
So if I were talking to you right now on the app Clubhouse, it would be live. You could raise your hand, and I could bring you up to the “stage” where you could join the conversation, ask questions etc.
Generally these conversations aren’t recorded, but they are fantastic places to build community with other people who have businesses like yours. And this is because the voice is powerful.
We can write amazing marketing content for our Instagram or email list, but ultimately, there’s something so, so powerful and human about hearing someone’s voice.
I’ve met some incredible people on Clubhouse, who I am so happy to call my friends. Some of them you’ve heard on this podcast, and the reason we became friends so quickly is because having real conversations where you hear someone’s voice is an immediate way to connect.
3. Coworking / creative community space
First up, I take COVID-19 safety super seriously so I think I’m mostly recommending this particular suggestion for when it’s possible to do safely and for vaccinated people.
This isn’t a possibility for everyone, but if you’re in a situation where it might make sense, consider joining a coworking space or another creative space where you can physically do your work -- at least sometimes -- somewhere other than your own house.
This could be a coworking space, or a building with a lot of different artist studios, or some other community networking space.
It’s hard not to make connections when you’re physically in a space with other people. Plus, many of these spaces have a calendar of events for networking and learning over breakfast, lunch, or after work, that can also be great opportunities to build connections.
4. Content creation
I create a lot of content with and about other people.
For this podcast, I interview guests, and we all promote the episode!
For my product businesses, I feature a lot of other businesses that I love.
I’ve done giveaways, joint Facebook Lives, guest lectures, etc.
Every time that you create content with or about another small business owner, you’re supporting them in a very real way, but you’re also -- essentially -- collaborating.
Many of the people I didn’t know at all before interviewing them on this podcast, I’ve become friends with after getting to know them better through our conversations.
For most of us, we could come up with a way to jointly market our business and also support another business -- it could be something like a joint Facebook or Instagram Live, a blog post, a podcast interview, a giveaway…
These are great opportunities to build relationships that often turn into friendships.
5. Friends of friends
If you like to get scrappy, this one is for you. But one way to grow your creative community is to start with your existing network.
If you have a friend who has mentioned another friend they have who is a creative small business owner, ask for an introduction.
Or, send an email out to 10 or 20 of your friends and family saying something simple like this:
Hi friend! I’m looking to get connected with other makers/small business people. Do you know anyone you could connect me with?
It really can be that simple, and I think you’d be surprised with how this plays out for you. When you’re put in touch, set up a Zoom or phone call to get to know each other better, and then follow up!
6. Facebook groups
There’s a Facebook group for just about anything you can imagine. I’m personally in Facebook groups related to my neighborhood, progressive politics, watercolor and calligraphy, body positivity, podcasting, houseplants, even my local dog park.
You can look for a few different types of Facebook groups:
The first category is groups related to running a small business.
The second category is groups related to whatever field your business is in. For example, if you’re a jewelry designer, look for Facebook groups for jewelry makers.
The third category is Facebook groups for business people in your area.
I have a free Facebook group that I would LOVE for you to join if you’re looking to build community. Head to makinggoodpodcast.com/community.
So what do you do when you’re in these groups to actually make friends?
You need to participate! Interact, ask questions, answer questions, and then to take it to the next level, set up a conversation to go further. You could set up a quick Zoom or phone call to get to know each other a little better. At the end of this conversation, ask the person if there’s anything you can do to support their business. A little thoughtfulness goes a long way.
You can also just be super direct! Start a comment thread in a Facebook group saying something like, “hi! I’m a retail shop owner looking to expand my network! If you have a brick and mortar store and would be up for a chat, I’d love to connect with you”. Or if there are people in the group that you connect with, you can message them directly and simply ask.
There’s actually going to be an episode coming out soon on Facebook groups, so stay tuned for that :).
7. Paid programs
I’m a big fan of investing in yourself as a business owner. Whenever I’m looking to purchase a course or make another investment in myself, I always look to see if there is a community element.
These communities can be on Facebook, they can be on Slack, or another private membership area all-together… but the great thing about paid programs is that because everyone has had to invest some of their money to be part of the program, the overall level of participation tends to be higher. People have skin in the game, so they want to get the most out of it, and this tends to be an awesome place to make friends.
8. In-person events
This is one of my favorite ways to make small business friends, although it is a bit tricky right now with the COVID-19 pandemic. So, I just want to say, if you do any events right now, only do in-person events that are safe for you and allow you to protect yourself and others as best as you can.
But, since COVID-19 hopefully won’t last forever, I did want to include events in this round-up, because this has been a big one for me.
I’ve met some of my closest small business friends at events.
For me, this has often looked like craft shows! Sometimes the highlight of a craft show is the connections I make with other makers, not necessarily the sales I earn. When you spend a full day (or sometimes multiple days) with people, you get many chances to chat and get to know people.
I’ve also been to in-person events for developing myself as a business owner. I went to an in-person Retreat for a few days, all with people I’d never met before, and it was amazing how strong of connections you can make in just a few days.
Before we wrap up, I have two more things to say… about the mindset you approach making friends with.
First, there’s no “right” way to make friends… but one thing that I really believe will make it happen for you a lot faster is if you’re willing to put yourself out there a little bit.
This might mean… reaching out to someone you don’t know and asking if they’d be up for a quick Zoom call to get to know each other, actively engaging with people online, approaching people in person to start a conversation.
These kinds of social interactions might seem uncomfortable for many of us, but sometimes the best things happen outside of our comfort zones :).
I highly recommend that you channel your inner 1st grader, the kid who would go up to someone on the playground and say, I like your shirt. Do you want to be my friend?
Second, always remember the Golden Rule! Do for others what you would like them to do for you. If it makes your day to receive snail mail, write a thank you note to someone you just met! If showing some love and shouting your business out on social media feels good to you, go do that for someone else.
So! There are my 8 places to meet your small business BFFS! What did I miss? I would love to hear your suggestions to add to this list -- tag me on Instagram and let me know @laurentilden.
You can find all the notes from this episode at makinggoodpodcast.com/81.
If you’re interested in learning more about my small businesses, Good Sheila and Station 7 -- the links are in the show notes!
And again, I would so love to have you in the Facebook community for this podcast: head to makinggoodpodcast.com/community to join.
Thank you for being here, and for focusing on making a difference with your small business!
Talk to you next time.