The Importance of Community
People need people in all aspects of human life. In this article we will look at the necessity for community living from a business point of view. A sense of belonging to a community is important not only for the owners of a business, or its customers, but also for those that want to support small business growth.
While each of us have our own definition as to what a community exemplifies such as a shared identity or passion, or a neighborhood, or fans at a sporting attraction, I want to share the following definition for a business community:
“A feeling that members have of belonging, a feeling that members matter to one another and to the group, and a shared faith that members’ needs will be met through their commitment to be together.” (from the Sense of Community Theory, created by social psychologists David McMillan and David Chavis in 1986.)
According to the theory, there are four factors that contribute to a sense of community: membership, influence, integration/fulfillment of needs, and shared emotional connection. To this list I want to add to the community list by including those who want to support the community. As an advocate for small business support, I don’t believe that it is enough to just say the words, “I support small business”. As supporters we need to know who they are, and they need to know who we are.
Strategic Duck and Biz Quack have as their mission to create a true small business community where everyone (our company, our members, small business owners, and all small business supporters) has a sense of ownership and the opportunity to contribute to the sustainability and success of all. Perhaps Matthew Kelly said it best in his book, The Culture Solution: “Human beings have a powerful desire to belong. But more than simply belonging, we want to belong to something that we can be proud of and take joy in; and when we do, we tell everyone we know about it.” Strategic Duck wants to be that something.
In future blogs I will share more on how we are implementing our business community format and how you can help get American on the right track by participating.
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