Small Business Clubs
Small business owners can usually find it hard to get their
business moving during any time of their campaign due to the
lack of resources, finance, skills or knowledge. Consequently,
for small business owners, the key to success can largely depend
on sharing and inheriting experience and knowledge with other
fellow small business owners.
So, where can you find this type of support and advice? The
answer lies in Small Business Clubs: meetings and networking
events held locally at regular periods. There are literally
hundreds of small business clubs (SBC) held all over the country
and are often attended by over 100 small business owners each
time. There will almost certainly be a SBC in your local area
and if not, at least within proximity.
Your nearest SBC can be found via the local newspaper adverts
or through the referrals of local small businesses. They are
commonly held fortnightly during the evenings or at weekends,
but this will vary from place to place. A small fee (around $100
for a year membership) is also required but the benefits will
easily outweigh the cost.
What are Small Business Clubs Exactly?
The idea of SBCs is to encourage small business development
(growth, sales, relations, etc) in the area by allowing business
owners to liaise with others (owners, experts, etc) to help
solve problems and issues, or to generally offer their own
advice. SBCs will also keep you informed of any important information
or changes that may affect local small businesses and offer
advice accordingly.
All small business owners will face problems in their time
and almost none of these will be unique. In such case, why
not get the advice and help from those who have encountered
similar problems and have pulled through successfully.
The program for each SBC is likely to vary from place to place
as they regularly hold training sessions or lean towards a
certain area of business for a period of time during their
meetings. Check with your local SBC to find out what they have
planned for the next few months.
Below is a general overview of the benefits you can expect
from a SBC:
- Business advice from other small business owners
- Business advice from experts
- Regular training in a certain area of business
- Information concerning small business i.e. changes in
legislation, grant availability, etc.
- Regular newsletters and reports
- The development of local business relations
- A chance to express your views and opinions
To locate your local SBC look in your local telephone directory
or contact your local branch of one of the following, who will
either give you contact details (as they all should) or they
may actually be your local SBC (as is possible in many cases).
