This blog post discusses the importance of building a community for small businesses. While identifying the target market and niche is necessary, the community is what creates a connection with customers and aligns them with the brand’s values. The example of Thankyou, an Australian social enterprise, demonstrates how a strong community can be built through transparency, engagement, and involvement of customers in decision-making. Defining the values of your business is the first step of building your own community.
While your target market identifies the demographics of your ideal customers, and your niche determines what your specialised, unique appeal is, your COMMUNITY identifies the CONNECTION you have with these people. Your community is who you create your brand to target.
Once upon a time, you could sell your products and services by simply putting them out there and then take a back seat while the products and services speak for themselves. Now, in a highly competitive market, people want connection — they want to buy from and work with businesses they believe are aligned with their values. They want uniqueness and to align themselves with people who share a collective passion, vision, stage of life, or desire for change. The individuals who make up your community are your core client base — they are the people that truly “get” you.
One example of an Australian small business with a good community is Thankyou, a social enterprise that sells consumer goods such as food, water, and personal care products. Thankyou’s mission is to end global poverty by funding projects in developing countries through the sale of its products.
Thankyou has built a strong community of supporters and customers who share its mission and values. They have achieved this through their transparency in sharing information about their impact and the projects they fund, as well as their engagement with their customers and supporters through social media and events.
Thankyou has also created a sense of community by involving its customers in decision-making and product development. They have launched campaigns where customers can vote on new product lines, and they share updates and stories from the communities that their projects are supporting.
Through its strong community, Thankyou has been able to expand its reach and impact, and it has become a popular and trusted brand among consumers who want to make a positive difference through their purchasing choices.
This might be a large leap from where you are now as a small business owner, but this example demonstrates how values are essential in your community and your branding.
Determining the values of your business is the first step in creating a community. Consider:
- What inspired you to start your business in the first place? Was it a desire to make a difference, to provide a valuable service or product, to achieve financial independence, or something else?
- What are the most important aspects of your business that you want to maintain or improve upon? Is it quality, customer service, innovation, or something else?
- What are some of the core principles that guide your decision-making process? Is it honesty, integrity, transparency, or something else?
- What do you want your business to be known for? Is it exceptional customer service, ethical practices, environmental responsibility, or something else?
- What kind of workplace culture do you want to foster for your employees? Is it collaboration, respect, growth, or something else?
- What social or environmental issues are important to you and your business? Is it diversity and inclusion, sustainability, philanthropy, or something else?
- What are the non-negotiable values that you will not compromise on, no matter what? Is it honesty, ethics, or something else?
In today’s highly competitive market, small businesses need to do more than just sell their products and services. Building a strong community that shares the brand’s values and vision is essential to creating a loyal customer base and achieving long-term success. Through transparency, engagement, and involvement of customers, small businesses can create a sense of connection and shared passion with their community. By identifying their values and leveraging them to build a community, small businesses can differentiate themselves from their competitors and attract customers who want to make a positive difference through their purchasing choices.
