Nobody taught you how to run a business.

So you've been guessing, and guessing is the most expensive way to run a business.

The Small Business Owners Community is where small business owners get help from other owners: every week, a room full of owners works your problem with you.

Owners only, nobody pitching, $19 a month.

Small business owners at the SBOC Conference

How the help happens: the Idea Slam.

Every Thursday afternoon, owners meet on Zoom for the Idea Slam. One owner brings a real problem, and a room full of owners works it with them. Every Slam is written up, anonymized, for members only, so the room gets smarter every week.

Any member can bring any business owner to one Idea Slam as their guest. No permission needed, and nobody pitches the guest.

When: Thursday afternoons on Zoom. The start time rotates between 1pm and 4pm Central.

Nobody showed me either.

I spent twenty-two years in radio. Then I owned a business, and I found out fast that nobody shows you how. I started the Small Business Owners Community on June 1, 2020, when every support system an owner had closed at once. I don’t have all the answers, and I never wanted to be the guy who does. I wanted a room full of owners who’d help each other figure it out. That’s still the whole idea.

Pat Miller, founder of the Small Business Owners Community, where owners get help from other owners

The people and the support, help and love they provide is seriously one of a kind!!!

Courtney

Jennifer Hensley, SBOC member

This is a small business community like no other. It’s amazing to have such a creative, fun, and giving group to brainstorm ideas with and get feedback.

Jennifer

Owners only. Nobody pitching.

This group is for the person who signs the checks, solo or with a team of twenty. It isn’t for employees, people thinking about starting a business someday, or anybody whose first move is a pitch. Everybody giving you help has skin in the game.

You’ll also find a 24/7 message board where you can ask questions and support other owners, plus monthly networking to build new relationships, Wednesday co-working, the Friday Finish Line, Coffee Club matches, legal, tech and bookkeeping hotlines, a member directory, and the annual SBOC Conference.

Questions owners ask

Who is the SBOC for?

The Small Business Owners Community is for small business owners, the people who sign the checks. Solo or a team of twenty, it doesn’t matter. It isn’t for employees, people thinking about starting a business someday, or anyone who’s there to sell.

What is the Idea Slam?

The Idea Slam is the SBOC’s weekly meeting where a room full of small business owners works one owner’s real problem with them, live on Zoom. Every Slam is written up, anonymized, for members only, so the room gets smarter every week.

When does it meet?

The Idea Slam meets every Thursday afternoon on Zoom. The start time rotates between 1pm and 4pm Central.

What does it cost?

The Small Business Owners Community is $19 a month, or $190 a year. There’s no contract.

Can I bring a guest?

Yes. Any SBOC member can bring any business owner to one Idea Slam as their guest. No permission is needed, and nobody pitches the guest. To keep coming after that, the guest joins.

Is anyone going to sell me something?

No. Nobody pitching is one of the SBOC’s terms, and it covers members and guests alike.

What if I'm not in Milwaukee?

You don’t need to be. The SBOC serves small business owners nationwide, and we’re proud to have members from all over the country, with more joining every day. The Idea Slam meets weekly on Zoom, so you can join from anywhere.

What else is in the community?

You’ll also find a 24/7 message board where you can ask questions and support other owners, plus monthly networking to build new relationships, Wednesday co-working, the Friday Finish Line, Coffee Club matches, legal, tech and bookkeeping hotlines, a member directory, and the annual SBOC Conference.

How is this different from a Chamber, BNI, or a networking group?

In the SBOC, an owner brings a real problem and other owners work it with them. Nobody pitches, there’s no referral requirement, and the one thing you need to join is a business you own.

How is this different from asking an AI?

An AI gives you an answer. The SBOC gives you owners who’ve run into the same problem in their own businesses and can tell you what happened when they tried to fix it.

Brad Herda

It is a place to learn from amazing people! When you are a small business owner, there are few places to go to to have your real problems solved and direction provided. The ROI of my time and money invested is better than most other groups of associations I have been part of in the past!

Brad

Nobody taught you how to run a business. Get help from owners who've figured it out.

Your seat at the Idea Slam is here when you decide. It’s Your Dream, Don’t Grow It Alone®.