The Importance of Community
What kinds of things do we get from spending time with our peers?
Community provides perspective. Without it you don’t know what “good” is. So many shop owners operate their organizations in a vacuum and have no way to know if they are doing well or not. That is where a peer group comes in. By talking to other shop owners, you can compare yourself to others, and that information is critical to be able to make adjustments in how you run your business. Without it, you are guessing at best. But with a peer group, you can openly disclose and discuss your numbers and benchmarks in complete and total detail.
Community provides relationships. Through community, you are able to build deep and valuable relationships with vendors, other peer group members, and subject matter experts. We would never have had the opportunity to even meet many of these people if it weren’t for the opportunity to connect through community.
Community provides guidance. Without it, the ability to stay relevant is more difficult. Through community, you can share and receive many best practices from companies that have already figured out the problems you are facing. There is no reason for anyone to figure out every mistake on their own. We need to learn from one another.
Community provides growth. Good things happen when you spend time with others. It allows for sharing of values and life, and provides the opportunity to get acquainted with other business owners, and find those compatible and interested in working together or even joining forces. The risk goes way down because there is a great trust level and deeper understanding of each other.
Community provides success. That is the bottom line. It takes work. It requires time. It costs money. But all things that matter do. And the more you invest, the more you will receive. But thinking about getting involved, wishing you would take the step, pondering what it might do for your company – none of that matters. You have to take the time and be part of community to gain the benefits.
Interested in joining our Bottom Line Impact Groups? Call 800-755-0988 to get started today!
