A community is a social unit with commonality such as norms, religion, values, customs or identity. Communities may share a sense of place situated in a given geographical area or in virtual space through communication platforms like Facebook, LinkedIn or WhatsApp groups.
People join communities for various reasons, from sharing ideas, lessons learned, proven practises, insights and practical suggestions to innovating through brainstorming, building on each other’s ideas and keeping informed on emerging developments.
Considering the huge benefits of joining communities, we at CBNation asked a few entrepreneurs and business owners what community means to them and here are their responses.
#1- Commonality
While physical proximity and proximity to other people help to form communities, they are not required. The community is not dependent on its location. The necessary factors are a commonality and active support for that commonality. At least, that's how I see it.
Thanks to Sep Niakan, Condoblackbook!
#2- Common interest
A community of practice is a collection of people who have a common interest, specialization, role, concern, set of difficulties or passion for a certain subject. Members of the community gain a better understanding through communicating on a regular basis, asking and answering questions, sharing their knowledge, repurposing good ideas and helping one another solve difficulties.
Thanks to Shad Elia, New England Home Buyers!
#3- A group of people with some degree of communication
In the broadest sense, a community is a group of living organisms that may (but not have to) live in close proximity and, in all situations, have some degree of communication among the individuals who make up that community. The particular community, that is a common interest, is determined by the substance of that communication.
Thanks to David Wurst, Webcitz!
#4- How you give back and work with others
Community is how you give back and work with others within your field and individuals within it. Within the legal field, being able to go to other attorneys to brainstorm topics only helps us all learn and grow to all be better for clients within the community in the future. Listening to investigators, social workers and experts helps us expand resources and knowledge so we can continue to give back to one another as well as provide the best results for court clientele.
Thanks to Lauryn Tully, Lauryn Tully Law!
#5- Support
Community, to me, means support. A great community can act as a safety net to its members. This community cheers on your successes and catches you when you fall, if you do, helping you get back up on your feet again. In return, you look out for and care for your community and its members.
Thanks to Deborah Sweeney, My Corporation!
#6- Ability to thrive
Community means the ability to thrive. People alone are hardly able to achieve anything. But together, there is much that can be accomplished. Even today, many communities are coming together to solve problems that experts are using as case studies to solve complex problems.
Thanks to Erik Wright, New Horizon Home Buyers!
#7- Pool of resources and mediums to pass business knowledge
The primary base of product and service consumption is the community and the business revolves around the consumption of goods and services. Business is often tricky at first but we may share trade tips through a community. Having access to individuals who have had some experience allows you to stay one step ahead of the competition. An entrepreneur can always learn from other's mistakes and it is the benefit of the community that we share experiences. People constantly learn new business skills from the community and there is the spontaneous development of new entrepreneurial ideas and skills in the community. Community is therefore the pool of all resources and mediums to pass the business knowledge from one generation to another. People used to tell me that business marketing is all about networking and connection when I first started my career and it's more valid than before. For example, you can conduct favors for each other in a community, fostering trust and confidence in each group member to grow the business.
Thanks to Amanda Green, My Speech Class!
#8- Acts as a family
It's important to have a sense of community within your company. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to make sure that the people who work for you are not only dedicated but also enthusiastic. Every day, they should look forward to coming in and recognize that if we all bleed for it, then we all win from it. It's especially difficult to find people that have the enthusiasm it takes to succeed, to drive and to introduce entire new components to a small business. You must incentivize them in some way to accomplish this. Creating a community for them to be a part of is a great way to start building the family you need.
Thanks to Jasen Edwards, Agent Advice!
#9- Gaps in commonalities
Community includes more than just the people, places, and experiences that we share. It is also the gaps within both those commonalities. It's important for me to see folks who are similar to me as well as those who are different as members of my community. Although we are not all the same, we generally work toward the same goals and have similar requirements. And it is because of this that a community is both complex and lovely. This holds me responsible for seeing the humanity in everyone and taking responsibility for making my small corner of the world a better place for myself and others that are close to me.
Thanks to Anthony Mixides, Bond Media!
#10- Support
These are my people. We speak the same language and they get me and I get them. We can share because we have a lot in common and, between us, someone might have experienced something similar to another’s. So, they understand how to help. We support each other but aren't afraid to challenge differing thoughts. There can be two good answers. Community is so important in life because, you guessed it, it happens.
Thanks to Trey Langford, Build Idaho!
#11- Like-minded people
Starting my own business alone, in my bedroom, in the midst of 2020 was isolating, to say the least. I found an amazing community of like-minded business owners in the palm of my hand. The community I found helped me beat imposter syndrome, allowed me to feel like I had co-workers and was there for every question I had along the way. Without my community, I wouldn't have a business.
Thanks to Ashly Brook!
#12- Platform for sharing ideas
My business community has undoubtedly contributed to my success as a digital marketing agency manager. My network is made up of other digital marketers who work in the same business but under different niches. This allows us to collaborate on ideas, share influencers and relationships, and join forces to achieve our common objectives. In fact, because of this close-knit group, we've been able to make significant progress in our efforts to promote and grow our agencies.
Thanks to Dustin Porreca, Elevate Demand!
#13- A group of entirely unique individuals
When I think of the various communities I have been a part of throughout my life, they all looked very different but shared a similar structure. What I’ve learned is that communities look different because they are entirely unique individuals but they always share some widespread commonality. So, while a community may be full of people with different strengths and personalities, they will all believe in the same mission or share a central value.
Thanks to David Angotti, Hawaiian Islands!
#14- People with common values and like minds
Starting a business can be lonely at times and being a CEO can be stressful as well. So, establishing a trustworthy community can be important to your health and success. Whether it's a peer mentoring group or a moderated forum where you can ask questions, exchange ideas and best practices, or just get honest feedback and advice from someone who has been there before, these networks are essential for avoiding mistakes and correcting courses when things go wrong. I put a lot of groups, organizations, clubs and other things to the test in order to find the proper fit for me. Finally, I discovered that there were only a few groups that made sense to join because they touched on all cylinders–common values, like-minded people, alignment with the group's objective–and I was glad I came after every contact.
Thanks to Travis Lindemoen, Nexus IT Group!
#15- Support system
Being a marketing director, I'd say it's critical to have a community in place when beginning a business. The nature of business is that it has both good and bad times. It's at moments like these that you need guidance from like-minded people or want to share your experiences in order to aid someone else. You can flourish with the help of a business community's support system, whether it's online or in person. When a huge community is involved, marketing becomes easier as members of the group spread the word. Every company's major purpose, in my opinion, should be to benefit the community because you will not be able to sell anything until you have someone who believes in you and your brand. And, in order to make money, you need to sell something (ads, products, or services), right? Yes, of course. That is the primary reason why some companies have had such rapid and sustained growth. Their clients are no longer customers but members of a tribe–a group of aficionados. They don't want anything else other than the company’s line of products. They simply buy and wear whatever is released on the market. It's because of this that they've been able to survive for so long.
Thanks to Anjelica Rivera, Cell Tracking Apps!
#16- Opportunity to give back, form productive working ties and expand reach
In my opinion, as an entrepreneur, becoming engaged in your community is a terrific opportunity to give back, form productive working ties and broaden your company's reach. Working in a large city can present your company with a plethora of options to become engaged, thanks to its enormous population, numerous enterprises and vast resources. The importance of having a community along the way cannot be overstated. Because a business can have both good and bad times, it's critical to have a tribe within your company. If you want to be taken seriously, you need to make sure that the individuals who work with you are not only dedicated but also enthusiastic. They must look forward to coming in every day and they must understand that, if we all bleed for it, we will all benefit. It's especially difficult to find people that have the enthusiasm it takes to succeed, to drive and to introduce entire new components to a tiny firm. In any manner you can, you must incentivize them to do so. Creating a community for kids to be a part of is a terrific way to start forming the family you require.
Thanks to Tim Davidson, Car Title Loan Lenders!
#17- Anything that unites peoples or gives them a common cause
The definition or understanding of community varies. The most basic understanding of community is a collection of individuals who live in the same area or have shared attributes. This is what we often think of as a community: individuals who live in the same area, employed at the same firm or attend the same institution. Apart from geographical location, I believe community is anything that unites peoples or gives them a common cause. A community is a safe space where everyone feels accepted and at home. A healthy community understands and appreciates all its people for their contributions. Creating a community requires everyone's participation, encourages and cherishes every person that contributed to its formation.
Thanks to Alex Alexakis, Pixel Chefs!
#18- Safety net
Community is a safety net. I know that if I'm faced with a problem I can't solve, I can turn to members of my immediate community to help me solve the issue. Community isn't just the people that live in your area, either. It's those people that share your values, interests, ideas, etc. Community can span the entire world but your community is made up of those people you know you can depend on in any situation, wherever they're located.
Thanks to James Green, Build a Head!
#19- Fostering growth with the support of people around you
To me, community means fostering your growth with the support of those around you. It means having a sense of security because you have people to rely on and help you through things that you require help with.
Thanks to Brice Gump, Major Impact Media!
#20- Group of individuals who take on a shared responsibility for each other
Community is a collection of individuals who take on a shared responsibility for each other. I view my business as having a personality of its own, meaning that it is an individual that is part of what comprises the greater whole. As an individual entity, it lives, breathes and thus takes on the same responsibilities as any person in their locality. Once you see your business through that lens, then it has the obligation to be a good neighbor and is a part of the community rather than just something that sells to it.
Thanks to Yuvi Alpert, Noemie!
#21- A group of people with one purpose and goal
The term community can have many different meanings and connotations and is highly dependent on the individual being asked and the scenario in which the question is posed. As a business owner, I view my employees and the individuals I work with as a collective community under one shared umbrella with one purpose and goal. And although this vision is typically set forth by myself and my close team, the very purpose of any community is to bring forth differing visions and goals from all members. But when thinking about the word community, as it relates to the members of my site and the visitors to it, the word takes on a completely different meaning. As it relates to our site, the community is a collective of members all looking for information, explanation and even help to achieve their individual goals. And while the larger community is searching for similar advice, each individual member is undertaking their own burden. We all live in a shared community and many smaller, sub-sects of one. We all act within the generally accepted parameters that these communities have set and we all generally abide by the rules within our respective communities. But, for individuals, a community is really meant to be a larger collective. It is meant to be a set of people who are there, willing to help, reach out and even listen.
Thanks to Steven Duncan, Ball Are Life!
#22- A diverse group of people knit together by a shared purpose, ideal or goal
A community is a diverse group of people knit together by a shared purpose, ideal or goal. These shared characteristics bring about expected attitudes and actions from the members of the community. People who belong in a community are individuals who are unique in their own right but are brought together in a group by some similarities they share with others. This foundation directs how the group expects everyone else to act and contribute to the community.
Thanks to Ian Sells, Rebate Key!
#23- A group of individuals with the same values, ideas and/or goals
Technically, my business is my community. Community is defined as a group of individuals that share the same values, ideas and/or goals. That's exactly what my team is. We're all striving toward the same goal with at least similar ideas and the same values. Each member of our team is integral and fits into the larger community in their own unique way.
Thanks to Brian Donovan, Time Shatter!
#24- A form of social relationship
Community is fundamentally a form of social relationship. It means to act and conduct oneself, taking into consideration the collective and not individually thinking only of one's own interest. The community is something that arises naturally. It is an emotionally acquired commitment to share life schemes, objectives and common social features among them. It is a terminological denomination which involves more than a concept but values that go further in the consolidation of the identity of human groups. Perhaps, here lies the driving force of a community when there are identity elements that defend and define its existence and also establish a difference with other groups or sectors of society.
Thanks to Jeroen van Gils, Fun Zone!
#25- Like-minded individuals
Community to me means being with like-minded individuals who help harbour your growth in the best possible way. It means to have a backbone to help you straighten up when you need help and something to look back on always.
Thanks to Dan Ni, Messaged!
#26- Offering help, support or services
True community is a blessing in which everyone knows that what goes around comes around. It means offering help, support, or services in the ways you can and when you can without needing an immediate benefit. It's an understanding that we don't get anywhere alone and we're meant to do things together. So, whether it's paying it forward by mentoring someone new to the industry or stepping in on questions asked for a friend in need, it's this understanding that we're all connected.
Thanks to Bryan Philips, In Motion Marketing!
#27- A family
Community is a family. It is a place where you feel accepted as a part of a section, supporting, teaching and encouraging each other. It is also a place where you can ask for advice and directions from experts or those with experience. A community is tight enough that people share willingly without judgement or expecting payments in return.
Thanks to Chris Bournelis!
#28- People who teach, share and learn from each other
Community means people who teach, share and learn from each other. One of the great things I love about my community is that everyone has something to bring to the table. Every member has so much to teach and learn. Whereas they may have felt isolated on their wellness path before joining, the community connects them to like-minded people. Not everyone is on the self-development path and having a tribe of other wellness warriors can make a huge difference in your success.
Thanks to Brett Larkin!
#29- A space where people can feel seen and heard, share stories and learn
Community means everything to me as a business owner. It's not just about bringing people together and fostering a sense of connection although that is hugely important. It's about creating a space where people can come to feel seen and heard, share their stories and learn from others. To be part of a community is to be heard.
Thanks to Claire Westbrook, LSAT Prep Hero!