Details

Beyond Business Groups provide guided learning for small groups, where you meet each month to have fun, share, learn and take action on your business.
They give you an opportunity to regularly work on your business to keep it focused, strong and profitable.

Like a book group

Beyond Business Groups run like a book group. But instead of monthly books, you receive monthly modules with information and tools designed to help you work on each aspect of your business over the course of a year.

We’ll cover the fundamentals such as market research and data, branding and marketing, financials, sales and customer service and much more.

You create your own group

And the best part? You create your own group! You choose the business owners in your community you want to catch up with. They could be friends, friends of friends, people you know through school or sport, adjacent businesses, people you’ve met at networking events or in online groups.

The Beyond Business Groups Community

Though the focus is on your individual group, all of the Beyond Business Groups connect through a closed Facebook group, providing an opportunity to broaden the discussion and share ideas, opportunities and additional resources across the community.

Who should join?

Beyond Business Groups was designed for small businesses, particularly solo business owners, freelancers, or those who are home-based and would benefit from the social aspect of the meetings. Our groups are suitable for people at any stage of their business journey – startups or established businesses. For all genders. For commercial businesses, social enterprises or nonprofits.

If you are a business owner who values learning and understands the importance of spending time working ‘on’ your business, then Beyond Business Groups is for you.

The modules

Our businesses need regular attention, and business planning is (well it should be!) an ongoing activity. In today’s continually changing business environment, it’s even more important to routinely review all areas of your business, including the foundations.

Our monthly modules build on each other, and fit together to cover all aspects of your business annually. They provide a structured way to review your business and undertake planning on your strategy, systems and processes, finances, branding and marketing.

On the first day of each month (excluding January because people tend to take it easy for fun, sun and rejuvenation!) we’ll email you a new module on a specific topic. The module will contain information, tools and activities, and will direct you to books, articles, podcasts, videos and more to further explore the topic. Keeping up with the latest information will be pain free!

The modules are designed as an integrated program that build on each other as you progress through the year.

  1. Know your ‘why’ and yourself
  2. Market research and data
  3. Target market
  4. Branding and marketing overview
  5. Building your brand
  6. Marketing: product and price
  7. Marketing: place and promotion
  8. Customer service and sales
  9. Systems and processes
  10. Business growth and improvement strategies
  11. Financial management

Our action learning model

Our action learning model infographic showing: learn, reflect, plan and act stages of Beyond Business Groups learning.

Group membership and size

To start a Beyond Business Group, you will need to find other local small business owners who want to connect, learn and share. They could be friends, acquaintances, people you know through school or sport, businesses in the area, or people you’ve met at networking events or in online business groups.

The optimum size for a group is four to six people (to fit around a dinner table). However, as few as three people works well, or up to eight. Larger groups may need to allow more time than the suggested two hours.

Meetings

Your group will meet monthly, and we suggest a two hour block of time.

You could meet at each other’s homes, a local library or community centre, a café or bar with a quiet corner or separate room, or via videoconference. Day or night. Whatever works for your members.

Modules will arrive in your inbox on the first day of each month, so a meeting later in the month is best to allow plenty of time to read, listen, watch and learn.

At your first meeting, you can arrange dates, times and places for the year (or if you’re very organised you might sort this all out beforehand!).

Starting dates

Beyond Business Groups has regular intakes to start your learning journey with us. There are 11 monthly modules across the year (with January off to enjoy some sun). Our next programs start:

  • April 2022
  • July 2022

Special offer

We have a special offer for new groups kicking off . You will receive a Food4Thought pack for your first meeting, including a snack pack (sweet or savoury, or both – you choose!), as well as one of our favourite business books to share around the group across the year. Sign up now!

Food4Thought

Membership fees

Joining Beyond Business Groups is a great investment in yourself and your business.

For just $36 a month, you’ll receive the valuable learning materials and curated information, enjoy the fun of your supportive local group, and become part of the broader Beyond Business Groups Community. That’s an annual fee of only $396 per member.

Members register for the full year in advance.

Creating a group

When you’ve corralled your group of business friends who are ready and raring to work on their businesses, you can create your group by clicking below.

Take your small business beyond.