“One of the toughest things about starting a business is the feeling of loneliness and isolation. Here are some ways to burst through the loneliness: Join peer business group; Build a trusted team; Plan regular networking lunches.”
- A Peer Group: 5-6 members who own and operate a small business.
- A Trusted Team: Members who understand, support and offer advice to each other.
- Regular Networking: Monthly meetings over breakfast or lunch.
Contact us today to learn more and apply to be part of a SBG Team.
Monthly Meeting Agenda
- Follow-up: Previous presenters report on progress towards goals.
- Presentation:
- Each month a team member presents a pressing issue. This “issue” may be a problem needing resolution, ideas to grow the business or anything else which assists the owner or business.
- Style and manner of presentation are up to presenter.
- The week prior to presentation, presenter and facilitator meet to review presentation for clarity and, if needed, recommendations for additional data.
- Typical meeting:
- 15 minutes: Networking
- 15 minutes: Follow-up
- 15 minutes: Presentation
- 45-60 minutes: Team input and discussion
Additional Topics
- Expert Speakers: Topics geared to the needs of the team with relevant professionals invited based on their expertise on the topic.
- Business Evaluation Tools: Review and examples of appropriate uses of methods such as S.W.O.T. analysis, financial ratio analysis and forecasting.
- Annual Evaluations: Business owners rarely receive feedback on communication style, performance and progress towards personal and business goals. Team members annually provide each other this valuable feedback. This also provides a model for owners to use in annual evaluations of their own employees.
- Mission & Vision Statements: Succinct statements characterizing a company’s guiding principles and intended future direction enhance branding, motivate staff to work together towards a common purpose, improve employee retention and provide clarity for development of business goals. One session to be used for the development and review of these statements for members’ companies.
