Building Community Support for Your Business

With the rapid changes occurring in the world around us, in what feels like a perpetual state of flux, there’s one thing that is certain: There is no better time than this moment to root and ground yourself by putting a community at the foundation of your business.

Why? Three reasons:

1. Community is more important right now than ever before. It’s the most effective way to navigate a rapidly changing world. A community grounds us in a picture of the world AS IT IS TODAY.
2. Community is the single best way to build new practices and change habits. A changing world calls for us to evolve along with it. When we see other people making the changes we want to make, it motivates and holds us accountable.
3. Community is the single best way to pursue results and transformations. As the world changes, people invest in things that are most important to them, namely their growth and transformation. And community is the best way to go about it.

You will need a formal strategy for building community support. 

Develop a proactive and collaborative strategy to obtain needed local government approvals and address any community opposition for the project can be done in six steps: 

1. The development team meets early to research, assess and plan in the five key areas outlined below. 

2. Prepare a political strategy that coordinates all your work toward getting needed votes. 

3. Prepare a strategy to build active community support for your proposal. 

4. Prepare a strategy to work through community concerns and deal with active opposition. 

5. Prepare a strategy to protect and use your legal rights. 

6. Prepare a public relations/media strategy to send your message to decision-makers and the public. 

This individual planning approach is like a “due diligence” process, in which you consider and make deliberate decisions about five key areas that may be important for every development proposal. 

Conducting this planning process is not the same as deciding to adopt a high-visibility entry with early notification of neighbors. Rather, whether to notify neighbors (and, if so, how and when) is one decision to make in this planning process.

In this moment of uncertainty and change, you have opportunities to launch, build, and grow something that becomes essential for people as they navigate shifting tides.

Building community support can increase your advocacy impact by delivering one consistent message to policymakers.

You can build community support by connecting with groups and individuals who share a common interest, such as teachers, students, parents, community groups and businesses.

How to Build a Meaningful (and Massive) Community:

1. Find Ways to Support & Celebrate Your Organic Ambassadors. ...
2. Bring Your Followers Into the Business-Building Process. ...
3. Encourage Connections Within Your Community. ...
4. Stay Guided by Your Why.