MICRO BUSINESS FORUM
A FRIENDLY BUSINESS NETWORK THAT ALLOWS SMALL BUSINESSES TO GROW BIG TOGETHER The idea of running your own business and being your own boss can sound liberating and empowering… until you actually do it and realise what a very different playing field it is, requiring another mentality and level of skill sets.
One of the biggest challenges for small business owners is feeling the responsibility of the business entirely on their shoulders with nobody else to brainstorm with or make decisions with. You are the brain of the business, and when you first start out, you are expected to take on all the roles - director, administrator, accountant, cleaner, salesperson, customer service, marketing, supplies… it can all get rather overwhelming. And when you do get the business off the ground, you alone take on the worry and stress of staying afloat, bringing in the profits, innovating, and navigating past competitors in your industry. Family and friends can offer moral support and perhaps chip in with some skills. Small business owners can still feel vulnerable and unsure of decisions and risks and are susceptible to so many uncontrollable and unforeseeable circumstances. What if there is a place small business owners can go to for support, for networking and to learn from other people’s experiences?
THE FRIENDLIEST NETWORK IN TOWN The Micro Business Forum (MBF) was created with this in mind. It is the only professional network to support solopreneurs and micro business owners with fewer than five employees.
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MBF allows small business owners to connect with like-minded individuals in a similar situation. It takes the sting out of the loneliness of running one’s business and provides a networking opportunity to help one another grow. It is an empowering space for small business owners to know there is support to help them thrive. There is nothing like stepping into a space and meeting people who know exactly what you are talking about and how you feel, and who have taken a similar journey. MBF has gone through a few rounds of christening after it started in 2003 as the Home Based Business Club. Later, the name was changed to Home Business Forum (HBF) and membership has grown since then to include micro business owners and the self-employed. On 22 February 2013, it finally took on the name of Micro Business Forum (MBF) as it is known today.
