Finding the Right Community for Your Small Business

Apple | Spotify

Finding the Right Community for Your Small Business

Are you a small business owner feeling like you’re doing everything alone? Juggling the work itself, marketing, admin, decision-making, and motivation, and wondering if there’s an easier, more supported way to grow? You’re not imagining it. Running a business solo can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be lonely, overwhelming, and exhausting.

In this episode of Small Business Growth Addicts, I’m talking all about community, why it’s becoming essential for small business growth, what community really means and how finding the right community for your small business can completely change how your business feels and grows. Listen Now 🎧

Hit play on the podcast player at the top of this page.

With some members of GSGS on a recent events that 4 members collaborated on!Left: @risestrongwithsusanMiddle: @snackasaurusRight: Me! @amandahughes.uk

Why Community Matters in Small Business

There’s a saying that it takes a village to raise a child, and the same is true for building a business.

So many small business owners leave employed roles looking for freedom and flexibility, only to end up doing everything themselves. Over time, that can lead to burnout, stop-start growth, and losing enjoyment in the very business you started because you loved it.

Community helps solve that.

Being surrounded by other business owners who understand the reality of self-employment can:

• Reduce isolation and loneliness

• Make decision-making easier

• Help you stay consistent

• Give you accountability without pressure

• Speed up learning and growth

Left: Diane @quinnhypnosis Middle @risestrongwithsusan Right: Me! @amandahughes.uk

What “Community” Actually Looks Like

Community doesn’t have to mean one specific thing.

In this episode, I talk about the different forms community can take, including:

• Online business communities and memberships

• Face-to-face networking or co-working

• Informal accountability with one or two trusted peers

• Industry-specific groups

• Even building community through social media or email

What matters isn’t the format, it’s how supported, understood, and encouraged you feel.

Listen Now 🎧

Hit play on the podcast player at the top of this page.

Community Over Competition (Why It Works)

I share personal examples from earlier in my career as a wedding and event florist, where collaboration — not competition — played a huge role in business growth.

By connecting with other professionals in the same industry:

• Knowledge was shared freely

• Problems were solved faster

• Opportunities were created through collaboration

• Long-lasting friendships were formed

Community over competition isn’t just a nice idea, it’s a practical, proven growth strategy.

Free vs Paid Communities: How to Choose the Right One

Not all communities are created equal and this is where many business owners get stuck.

In this episode, I break down:

• The difference between free and paid communities

• What free communities are great for (and where they fall short)

• When investing in a paid community makes sense

• What questions to ask before joining any group

The most important thing? Be clear on why you’re joining and what support you actually need.

Listen Now 🎧

Hit play on the podcast player at the top of this page.

What a Good Business Community Should Give You

A supportive small business community should help you:

• Feel seen, understood, and safe to ask questions

• Get reliable, real-world advice (not just theory)

• Access accountability that supports consistency

• Reduce stress and burnout

• Stay connected, even when life gets busy

It should never make you feel pressured, behind, or out of place.

Can AI Replace Community?

Tools like ChatGPT are incredible for small business owners but they can’t replace lived human experience.

• AI can help with information, but not judgement or nuance

• Real people share context, experience, and empathy

• Communities help you sense-check decisions and ideas

• Human support often saves time and costly mistakes

The best growth often comes from a combination of tools and people.

Listen Now 🎧

Hit play on the podcast player at the top of this page.

Using Social Media to Build Community

Community doesn’t stop at memberships.

I also talk about how to:

• Build genuine community through Instagram and social media

• Use conversation, not content perfection, to connect

• Ask better questions that invite real engagement

• Balance attraction, nurture, and conversion content

Trust and relationships are built in the middle and that’s where long-term growth happens.

Start With My Free Email Community

If you’re curious about community but not ready to commit to a group just yet, this is a great place to start.

I send two emails a week — every Monday and Thursday — filled with:

• Practical small business support

• Social media tips

• Honest behind-the-scenes insights

• Community-led conversation

When you join, you’ll also receive 30 FREE content prompts and hooks to help you get seen and get sales on social media.

👉 You can join our email community here

Episode Sponsor: Word Craft

Thank you to this episodes sponsor Word Craft, founded by Claire a website strategist and copywriter based in the North East of Scotland, working with clients across the UK and beyond.

Claire helps small business owners and creative entrepreneurs with their website’s words, structure, and flow to attract those “I couldn’t-have-asked-for-better” clients.

You can work with Claire through:

• Done-for-you website copy & blog writing

• A strategic website audit (with a clear action plan)

• One-to-one advisory support so you can DIY your copy with confidence

  
  

📲 Connect with Claire via her website here https://wordcraftservices.co.uk/