What does it take to get a new business venture off the ground? In this Meetup Live event, we’re discussing the dos and don’ts of community building and entrepreneurship.
Learn from BlkWomenHustle® founder and Networking Maven™ Lashawn Dreher on Meetup Live. Hear about the role of authenticity in building social capital and growing a thriving community. In this hour-long discussion, you’ll learn how to go beyond posting on social media platforms and start genuinely engaging your digital audiences.
- Outside of BlkWomenHustle I always recommend First Generation University by Dr. Eve Hudson because for a lot of us navigating this territory is new. Many of us haven’t had parents, or people before for us in corporate America, or college graduates, or entrepreneurs. So I always recommend people go to FirstGenerationUniversity.com because it’s a place you won’t feel alone. Dr. Eve curated a place for you to find the resources you need. Find the people, and make those connections with people from around the world who can relate and resonate with getting started with your business and building a community. There are 4 people that you should always have.
- The first is someone either where you are or is getting where you are.
- The second is someone who is where you’re trying to go.
- The third person is a lawyer.
- The fourth is to find an accountant.
- A lot of people are afraid to ask for help. That’s a huge thing, especially when you’re trying to build your network and grow in general. You can’t be afraid to open your mouth and ask for exactly what you want. Even if your voice is shaky, being nervous about it doesn’t matter. Open up, ask for exactly what you want.
- When building a community, it’s important to have a purpose. Know exactly why you are starting this and why are you choosing to build this community. There are so many reasons people have to build communities. Figure out the reason first, and then after that, if you were working digitally, choose a platform. Social media is nothing more than a lead generator. Choose where you’re going to lead your community.
Top Q&A Questions and Resources:
- Do you have any experience in trying to start a mutually beneficial partnership with a reluctant or suspicious partner?
- When it comes to partnerships, I approach those like I approach everything else, with intention. If it is not benefiting my community, if I feel like the person’s hand is only out to take, it’s a no. Sometimes you have to ask yourself before you enter a partnership, “Is this mutually beneficial” or “Is this gonna benefit the intended party?” Sometimes it’s a matter of meeting their needs before yours and that can be okay, but if this is a partnership and we’re going into this together, you have to have an open discussion of what this looks like.
- Is it best to leverage social media platforms strictly for business/professional purposes to stay focused on your goals/customer reach?
- If it’s a business page, yes you definitely want to focus on your goals but you can’t achieve them without people.
Resources:
Last modified on August 23, 2022
