It was back in December 2008 that we put the final touches on our online forums, vacuumed the carpets and opened the front door. With three lonely members and several empty forums staring back at us, we nervously awaited the response. Would anyone come to the party?
Five months on and we’re delighted to report that the community response has been overwhelming, with more than 1,300 members and over 5,500 posts – and growing.
Much more important than the numbers are the fact the online forums have developed a friendly and positive atmosphere where business owners, and would-be business owners are helping each other out with incredible generosity.
Adding a community online forum had been on our to-do list for ages, years in fact. But in our 2008 survey, we got the message loud and clear: you wanted a place to connect and communicate. Finally, we were persuaded to act.
We were glad we did!
Now, the online forums are alive with vibrant discussions on a range of topics, including:
- Is
now the time to start a business?
- Are flashy business cards
worth the expense?
- Is discounting
in a downturn a good strategy?
- Should I
continue with my blog or give up?
- What type of home
business should I start?
- What makes a perfect
client?
- And many more…
We’d like to thank those of you who’ve contributed your time and expertise back into the community via the forums.
Meantime we encourage those of you who’ve yet to take a look to come and say hello. Our introduction forum is a great place to start.
If you’re wondering why you’d even bother, check out the thread Why join this forum?
We’re so proud to see Flying Solo forums are off to a flying start. In many ways, the online forums embody our philosophy: we may each be Flying Solo, but we’re not alone.
Have you benefited from the online forums? Or have you resisted them so far?
“ The online forums have developed a friendly atmosphere where business owners are helping each other out with incredible generosity. ”
Peter Crocker is a director of Flying Solo responsible for marketing and advertising. As a business copywriter he partners with digital agencies and corporate clients on websites and digital content. He’s the co-author of Flying Solo Revisited – How to go it alone in business.
