Build a small business community: Avoid cliques and fuel collaboration online and in person

Farley breaks down how small business owners can build a healthy, high‑trust community, online, at networking events, and in local meetups. Without letting cliques take root. She explains why cliques quietly damage growth, how to design inclusive spaces, and practical ways to turn community into collaborative momentum.

What you’ll learn

• Why cliques hurt growth: How gatekeeping erodes trust, diversity of ideas, and referrals.
• Signals of a healthy community: Clear norms, rotating voices, and visible on‑ramps for newcomers.
• Inclusive design tactics: Simple structures that make participation easy online and in person.
• Collaboration systems: Repeatable practices that turn connections into shared wins.
• How to course‑correct: What to do when exclusion shows up.

Key topics and takeaways

• Define the purpose: A community exists to create value for members, not to be a social club. Write a one‑sentence purpose and share it everywhere.
• Set clear norms: Publish simple guidelines (welcome newcomers, no hard selling, credit collaborators, disagree respectfully). Refer to them consistently.
• Design for inclusion:
  • Online: pinned intros thread, monthly “ask/give” post, themed discussion days.
  • In person: name badges with “ask” and “offer,” mix‑and‑match small groups, facilitator-led rotations.