WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
Global Network
Connect with small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs worldwide for shared support, fresh perspectives, and insights as you test ideas and tackle challenges.
Community-First Approach
Focus on meaningful interactions, without the pressure of sales pitches or keeping up with a curriculum. Access to practical solutions and strategies from others' experiences.
Learning Opportunities
Monthly workshops and sessions designed for practical business growth (live sessions will be recorded for future viewing).
Bottom Line Results
Improved clarity, enhanced growth, increased confidence, stronger connections, improved mental health and work-life balance as you manage and sustain your business growth.
Affordable Membership
A small investment with a significant ROI: $1,000 (USD) per year, or $100 (USD) per month, minimum 6 months.
Overcome Loneliness
Be part of a trusted community for genuine, valuable relationships. This family understands what you face as a business owner. Enjoy working with other owners as a sounding board, brainstorming partner, and overall support system.
Read below for more details about Small Business 'Ohana, a global community for small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs.
WELCOME TO YOUR BUSINESS FAMILY
Searching for the right community?
Networking is key for small business owners to spread word of mouth, the most effective marketing tool based on trust. As you move through the business stages, you realize the importance of developing connections and building relationships as you face the day-to-day challenges as well as the larger strategic decisions needed to sustain and grow your business. It gets lonely quickly, and you begin to wonder, "Why is it so hard to find the right community?"
You find yourself splitting time between multiple groups to get the peer support, guidance, and answers needed. It's not about being needy or picky, it's about finding the right fit for you. A group where it's safe to ask vulnerable questions, get valuable and relevant input, share real experiences without being sold to, and is a small investment with significant ROI. That global community didn't exist, until now.
We created Small Business 'Ohana (family): a global community for small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs to connect, support one another, provide opportunities to expand our thought processes, and combat the loneliness felt by many.
Imagine a global community where you can:
🌍💡👥 Share your challenges with people who get it, without fear of judgment.
🌍💡👥 Brainstorm solutions and act as a sounding board.
🌍💡👥 Get support or tough love, whatever your business needs.
🌍💡👥 Learn from others’ experiences across different industries and regional influences.
🌍💡👥 Network with like-minded entrepreneurs.
...all without the hefty price tag of exclusive mastermind groups or business courses, where relationships are an unexpected bonus, when it happens. Small Business 'Ohana membership is a small investment with a significant ROI (membership options are annual $1,000 USD, or monthly ($100 USD, minimum 6 months).
COMMUNITY
Surrounded by your peers
We are creating a global community of small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs who want to help one another. This diverse community provides opportunities to overcome isolation, expand your thought process, and gain support.
CONNECT
Feel understood by peers
This is not a place to sell. It's a place to connect, support, learn, share, and feel understood by peers who know the challenges and rewards of leading a small business.
RESULTS
Support for you and your business
We all need support. That can be a hard ask to make. This global family is waiting for you to ask and share, so you can show up fully for your company, your team, and your customers. You will see the ripple effect and bottom-line results.
Create Connections with a Community-First Model
A family who understands what it means to run a business
Typically, you enroll in a course to learn something, likely with the intention of growing your business. These courses can be $10,000 or more. You joined for the knowledge and stay for the community, the unexpected value you received from your course. We're flipping that on its head and putting the community first, with the bonus of knowledge each month. Our members seek a community where members are active, engaged, and asking for help - as well as giving help.
This is not a place to sell.
This is a place to serve and be served by others who understand what you are going through because they've been in your shoes and want to help you avoid pitfalls or unnecessary costs.
This is also a place where you can see beyond your geographical limitations. You are exposed to ideas from other cities, regions, countries, continents, and industries. You'll meet business owners who are solopreneurs, and business owners with hundreds of employees, and everything in between.
There's nothing small about being a small business owner.
These small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs are your family ('ohana). A family who understands:
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why you are struggling to hire your first non-related employee,
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different sourcing solutions to consider when the supply chain fails,
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how to get Series B funding, and
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why you don't need a profile on the latest social media platform.
Build a Different Community
How would your business change if you had access to a diverse and growing group of people, who are small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs, support one another, bounce ideas off of, and develop deep connections as you show up for each other?
🌍💡👥 Community-first
We flipped the typical model. Instead of learning first with a side of community, this is a community-first platform where live learning opportunities - workshops, webinars, and challenges - are a bonus.
🌍💡👥 Flexibility
Connect when it works for you, with no pressure to “keep up” with structured lessons. Our always-open digital community means no matter where you are in the world, someone is ready to engage.
🌍💡👥 Global Perspective
Gain insights from business owners across the globe, discovering fresh strategies and solutions for your business challenges.
🌍💡👥 Inclusive
This community is available to anyone who owns a small business. In the future, we may create channels based on the community's interest in exploring specific topics such as gender, race, country, etc.
🌍💡👥 Affordable
Membership fees are budget-friendly for small businesses. You'll quickly experience a return on investment from the networking and assistance provided in our community.
Every member is pre-screened through an application process to ensure you are surrounded by true peers, small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs, the ultimate decision-makers who face similar challenges.
Small Business 'Ohana is not the right community for business developers or marketers looking to sell, MLMs (multi-level marketing, also known as direct marketing business, network marketing, pyramid selling), or hobbyists.
Be a part of our 'Ohana (Family)
Small Business 'Ohana provides support through the daily grind, offering connection, collaboration, and camaraderie. Together, we can combat the loneliness of leadership and open up new possibilities for our businesses.
Sometimes we're too close to our business and need an outside opinion. Other times we just want to connect with other people who understand what we face as small business owners.
Would a sanity check help you grow your business or provide a much-needed break from overwhelm?
Many small business owners feel lonely from time to time. When loneliness is addressed during a group meeting with other small business owners, heads nod in agreement instantly.
You may be part of a local, or even regional group, where you develop close relationships with a small group of dedicated members who show up consistently. You wonder why you rarely see the rest of the members.
Maybe you are the person who gets to set the agenda, send out reminders, and keep the group running, which takes time away from your business. You enjoy the people in your group, but there is something in the back of your mind that keeps asking "How is this helping my business? Is this the best use of my time?"
"Have you ever felt lonely in your business journey?"
At INBOUND24, Alexis Skigen Rago, the Founder/Big Kahuna at Marketing Mana, asked over 100 small business owners this question, and nearly every one of them responded with, "At times? Try daily, even hourly." These aren't people lacking human interaction - some have teams of 10, 20, or more. They lacked someone who truly understands their unique challenges as founders or owners.
It was clear: loneliness in leadership has become an accepted, and ignored, part of the job. It made us more susceptible to physical, emotional, and psychological health issues. We’ve all heard, “It’s lonely at the top,” but no one was doing anything to change that. Until now.
FAQs
How is Small Business Owner, Founder, or Entrepreneur defined for Small Business 'Ohana?
Small Business is defined as an independent organization with fewer than 500 employees, and less than $34 million (USD) in revenue. It doesn’t matter if you are an owner, founder, or entrepreneur. What matters is you are in charge and responsible for your book of business. We are open to franchise owners, however, MLM’s will not be accepted.
This group is intended for people who are all in on their business, this is not for hobbyists.
Why is it called Small Business 'Ohana?
‘Ohana means family in Hawaiian. Why Hawaiian? Alexis was born and raised in Hawai’i and loves how everyone there feels like a great big family. We are creating a small business family where we can be our true, authentic selves, show up for each other, and support each other through the good and bad. It's good to be surrounded by family who cares. No one running a business should ever have to feel lonely again.
What is included in my membership?
Access to the online community platform to engage with your new ‘ohana anytime.
Each month, there will be live opportunities to connect online. We strive to provide at least one live event each week, including networking, workshops/challenges, Ask Me Anything sessions, hear from experts, and more.
How much is a membership?
There is an annual membership fee of $1,000 (USD). We also offer a 6-month membership for $100/month (USD).
How can I become a member of the Small Business 'Ohana?
Click the button below to submit a short application. We will review submissions within 1-2 business days.
What are the benefits of joining at the launch?
We recognize that it may take time to build our community to a sizable force. The first 25 people will receive free access to Alexis’ online networking course - Unforgettable Introductions: Attract Your Dream Clients and Network Fearlessly ($199 value). Annual memberships purchased in 2024 will be valid through December 31, 2025.
Everyone who signs up by December 31, 2024 will have the opportunity to be featured within a month of joining the community.
Can I share this community with other small business owners, founders, and entrepreneurs?
Of course! Please share this page with someone new to our ‘ohana. When they sign up, be sure to have them include your email as ‘referred by’ on the application; you’ll receive a complimentary 30-minute Category Design Strategy session with Alexis.