Small & Supercharged
Small & Supercharged – for small businesses going places
If you’re a small business looking for a friendly and supportive place to ask questions and ‘meet’ people who understand where you are, Small & Supercharged is for you…
So what’s Small & Supercharged?
Small & Supercharged is a free Facebook group that was set up in October 2016 as a way to allow equestrian and country business owners (predominantly) to chat, engage and ask questions. It’s grown rapidly since this time and thanks to the growth in my audience in a more mainstream way, has seen more and more female founded small businesses joining all the time. Although some of the people inside the group run country and equestrian businesses, many run completely unrelated businesses, the only pre-requisite is that you’re connected to a small business. Here’s a link to the group. You’ll notice that there are three questions that you need to answer… let me explain…
Initially, when the group started, I knew everyone who wanted to be part of it so I knew that the group was a good fit for them. As the group has grown and expanded, I don’t know everyone personally. This is fine, because it’s not all about me(!), but I want to do my very best to ensure the group continues to be what it is meant to and fulfils the needs of the members. When someone asks to join, I used to be able to look into them to make sure that they are going to be a good fit (not MI5 stuff, I just have a look at their profile!). Sometimes it was very obvious (one way or another!) from looking at a person’s Facebook profile. Sometimes it wasn’t. And that’s why the questions are there. I want to encourage diversity in the group and make it so incredibly useful for all the small businesses that want to be part of it, but not at the cost of allowing people in who won’t benefit and are there purely for their own self promotion as that’s not what the group is about…
What are the rules of Small & Supercharged?
There are only three rules. These have served all Small & Supercharged group members well so far. I really hope it stays that way!
- Don’t SPAM and advertise. Small & Supercharged is not a place to sell, sell, sell. We’re all bored of having our timelines stacked with posts from people shouting about how great their services are. Small & Supercharged is about connecting with people, supporting business owners on their journey and more. Posts get deleted that are blatantly promotional and add no value to the group as a whole.
- Don’t share content posted inside the group, outside the group. Small & Supercharged is a closed group. This means that people can share their ideas and opinions freely and ask questions. If someone talks about something they’re really proud of and this information can be shared from their public business page, that’s fine, but don’t share from the group. It’s closed for a reason.
- Be nice. It really is as simple as that. There have been some lively debates in Small & Supercharged and that’s fine, but I don’t do ‘unpleasantness’. Isn’t there enough of that in the world already? Small & Supercharged is about support and community. That’s at its heart. And being nice is a simple but important rule.
This Facebook group is free to join. I’m incredibly proud of it and what it’s achieved in its short ‘life’. I’ve had some really lovely messages from people saying how much it has helped them in one way or another. If you’d like to join, you’d be more than welcome. Here’s the link…
And if you want to take your learning and support to the next level, then I would absolutely recommend you check out my membership group for small businesses really going places.
Is Small & Supercharged more than a Facebook Group?
Oh yes, it is. It started off as a Facebook Group to support equestrian and rural businesses. This then evolved and changed to cater for more small businesses in need of the community, support and wisdom shared in the group…
…and then I had an idea of a podcast… and so the Small & Supercharged Podcast was born. And then it went on and won an award. And I continue to interview some absolutely AMAZING people on it who have kindly shared their journeys for others to learn from…
…and then I wrote a book called Small & Supercharged all about how to grow your brand on a budget…
…and of course, you already know about the membership group…