Running a business can at times be a lonely and challenging place and to know there are others who share your journey and can lend a hand on the way is invaluable.
As a growing business ourselves we understand the constantly changing landscape that business owners face.
We’ve been thinking a lot about what this means to us at de Jong Phillips and why we believe that collaboration within a community of peers is so important for a small business’s success.
Speaking from personal experience, I have been active in a community called the Xero Partner Advisory Committee (XPAC) for a number of years and it has been a fantastically important community for me.
XPAC is organised by Xero and is made up of a diverse panel of Xero partners who champion the needs of the accounting community and help drive conversations that will make a difference to small businesses.
The benefit I get from XPAC is being part of a group of forward thinking accountants who come together to share ideas, discuss where the industry is going and what the future may look like.
Another community that I love being part of is the Go-Proposal facebook community. This is an online group of around 1000 engaged, forward thinking accountants who are actively supportive of each other’s journeys and share knowledge and experience across every topic you can think of.
So why do we think being part of a community is so important?
Learn from your peers
As business owners there is so much to learn. We know that when you collaborate with others, you can solve problems faster and develop better ideas together.
One thing we know for sure is that you won’t be the first person to experience a problem so why not share it with others and learn from their experiences?
Keep your finger on the pulse
The pace of change is faster than ever before and the race to keep ahead of the curve means businesses need to be able to learn and develop ideas quickly.
Being an active member of the right community is a great way of keeping current with trends in the industry so you can make sure you are prepared for these and are leading the way rather than running to catch-up.
Meet some great people
Owning a business can sometimes be a lonely place. It can be difficult to find someone to speak to who really understands your problems or even to just moot ideas with.
Being part of a group of people with similar experiences is a great way to make connections and feel supported.
What can we do?
Excitingly, at de Jong Phillips we are building a community for our clients. Something which we believe has the potential to greatly support you. We want to create a space for open conversations and collaboration exclusively between business owners.