While the word “community” used to make me cringe, I’ve set forth on a mission to redefine the word in its tracks and showcase what community really is about.
Community is all about connections. It’s about having a place for members to come together and connect, to share their thoughts and ideas with one another. It’s about giving and receiving the support that entrepreneurs need, fostering a community that encourages individual and collective growth.
And as an entrepreneur, there are many benefits that being part of a true community can bring you, including the following:
1. Enhance Your Connections
You can attend networking event after networking event to meet and small talk with random people, or you can put in the time and effort to make deeper, more meaningful connections with people who are part of the same community.
Community isn’t about selling your services to others or having them sell them to you — it’s about creating a space for mutual support, encouragement and innovation. When you gain real connections (which can be done in a real community that recognizes your value and supports you), you’ll have more insightful conversations, greater support, and improved relationships overall.
2. Greater Opportunities for Innovation
There’s an old African proverb that states: “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together”.
While it might seem more efficient to keep your ideas to yourself and go at your own pace (since you don’t have to coordinate activities amongst others), when you collaborate with others or discuss your ideas together, you’ll have greater creativity flowing.
The truth is that when different people come together to share their own individual thoughts and ideas, that’s where the magic happens. Once you meet the right people, you never know what ideas you might come up with, or what opportunities may arise.
3. You’ll Feel More Connected With Others
While there are many benefits to being an entrepreneur, from flexible hours to making your own rules to doing what you really want to do, it’s not always glamorous. Just like with anything else in life there are cons that come with it, with feelings of loneliness being among the most common factors.
When you join a community, you’ll gain a network where you can find a strong network of support and communication. You can also build more long-lasting, meaningful friendships with others and experience the many benefits close relationships bring us, including greater strength and resilience, reduced feelings of loneliness, and a strong support network to fall back on.
After all, you don’t have to entrepreneur solo. There are many ways that you can connect with others while working on your business, such as going to professional events, reaching out to others on social media, and planning zoom chats.
Find a Community
If you’re a go-getter entrepreneur who’s ready to reap the amazing benefits that being part of a community will bring, take your time to learn more about what we do at Diary of an Entrepreneur. Our focus lies on building a strong, reliable network of like-minded individuals who are ready to get in touch, support one another, and get innovative.
