About The Los Angeles Small Business Owners Group

The Los Angeles Small Business Owners Group was created in December of 2006 and the first meeting was held on January 24th, 2007 in Pasadena.

With Los Angeles being the spread out, scattered city that it is, meetings were and continue to be held on both the Eastside (typically Pasadena) and the Westside.

Our members span a wide range of professions including IT professionals, graphic artists and web designers, health care practitioners, attorneys, store owners, insurance agents, real estate agents, and a host of others! We also have members who have not yet started a business and are looking for ideas and inspiration.

This group is *not* an industry exclusive group. Rather than have just one real estate agent or one web designer, our group is open to anyone looking to be an active member of a supportive professional organization.

This is not a lead-centric group. Members are not required to give leads to other members of the group. Connections happen at every meeting and we believe that this happens naturally as people get to know each other and trust each other as professionals.

Hard selling and sales pitches are not allowed. MLM/Network Marketing Applications are no longer being accepted.

Our meetings always include round table introductions, time to network, and one or more of the following:
- Speakers from outside of the group giving an informative presentation
- Group members presenting on an area of expertise that he or she might have
- Group members presenting on their business or service
- Peer review/critique of a member's business website

We have been successful in creating a supportive environment where business owners can get together to learn from each other by sharing their knowledge, information, and resources. We want to support our active members in their businesses. This is done in many ways, including allowing members to give presentations (a great way for us to get to know what you do!), but also opening up the space for questions, concerns, and feedback. As business owners (or business owners to be), we all have things we need, so members are encouraged to share these needs with the group - whether it's a nagging question, feedback on a marketing idea, or ideas on where (or how) to set up your business.

We have built a strong group of active professionals.

~Participation in this group is essential (and beneficial) for it's growth and success. ~

Group guidelines and policies:


*To be considered an active member you need to log into our Meetup page (http://meetup.com/los...) at least once in a 90 day period.*

Inactive members are members who have not signed on in over 90 days - this means you have not RSVP'd for any events, voted in any polls, etc. These members will be removed from the group.

**While I, as the organizer, am happy to share with others about other great networking organizations (and do on a regular basis!), you may not actively promote for your group or organization without prior consent at one of our events or through our mailing list or message board. If members ask what you do, feel free to elaborate. But do not use our meeting space or time to promote and recruit for your own group**

*RSVP for our events*- even if your RSVP is "no." If you RSVP yes or maybe for meeting and realize that you can not attend, please change your RSVP.

*Be respectful of everyone's time.* Round table introductions are limited to 30 seconds per person. This might be shorter or longer depending on the size of the group. If you have multiple businesses or projects, please remember to keep this time limit in mind. Presentations of longer than 30 seconds must be approved in advance by the group organizer. Sharing info and feedback with each other is encouraged, but please be respectful of everyone in the group. If you have great ideas for a member who shared a struggle or concern, let them know you have some ideas for them, but save your conversation for the time set aside for networking or after the meeting has ended. We strive to avoid turning our limited time together into watching one person give someone else advice specific to their business for 10 minutes. And again, no hard selling or sales pitches are allowed. And please save any recruiting for after the meeting has officially ended.