Espresso+ is the community for small business owners and solopreneurs who need ongoing learning, support and accountability in promoting their businesses in an ethical, organic way on LinkedIn and online.
I think it’s awesome, obviously. Despite my natural bias, even I recognise that it’s not a good option for everyone.
Here are some indicators that Espresso+ might not be right for you.
(If you’re not put off by any of the below, please do join Espresso+.)
- Intro
- You don’t have time to engage
- You’d prefer to place ads
- You want to be in a group where you can sell
- You want to be in an engagement pod
- You don’t want to communicate with competitors
- You prefer face-to-face networking
- You don’t want or need support from peers
- You want something for nothing
- You have no interest in LinkedIn
- You already know what you’re doing
- Let’s wrap up
See all video testimonials from members of the Espresso+ community:
Intro.
As leader of the Espresso+ community, I want people to join only if they’re a good fit. Here’s why:
- Because I’m not interested in taking money from just anyone. (That wouldn’t feel ethical.)
- Because existing members don’t want timewasters joining our safe space. (That would upset our harmony.)
- Because I don’t want to invest my time and energy in those unlikely to become engaged members of the community. (That would give me a headache – no thanks!)
The rest of this piece sets out some reasons why Espresso+ might not be a good fit for you.
If any of the following is true, you’d be better off doing something else with your time and money.
You don’t have time to engage.
The people who’ve benefitted most from Espresso+ are those who’ve been able to consume the premium content and get involved in community discussions and live Q&A calls (2×30 mins per month).
If you’re joining without being ready to learn and take action, this isn’t going to work for you.
You’d prefer to place ads.
Espresso+ is about organic visibility, which takes time but involves no spending on ads.
Some of our members specialise in creating and managing ad campaigns for their clients, but the community is about organic promotion through building relationships and publishing helpful content.
You want to be in a group where you can sell.
Some networking groups have an understanding that members will actively try to sell their products and services to each other.
Sales pitches aren’t allowed in Espresso+.
You want to be in an engagement pod.
Espresso+ is NOT an engagement pod.
If you’re merely looking for others to support your social media content, this isn’t the place for you.
You don’t want to communicate with competitors.
A lot of Espresso+ members offer the same services. For example, about 30% of our members are LinkedIn specialists.
We have a collegiate environment, but if you’re not the kind of person to share, this might not be for you.
You prefer face-to-face networking.
Espresso+ is an online network with 200+ members around the world.
We have informal in-person meetings from time to time, but we’re primarily an online community.
If you’d rather meet people in person, this might not be for you.
You don’t want or need support from peers.
If you’re comfortable looking things up for yourself and making your own decisions without the benefit of a sounding board, you probably don’t need the support the community offers.
You want something for nothing.
I’m aiming specifically at self-employed people and owners of very small businesses, so I’ve deliberately kept monthly and yearly fees as low as I can.
Running the community is my full-time job, and I can’t justify allowing people in for free or at a discounted rate.
You have no interest in LinkedIn.
LinkedIn is far from the only game in town when it comes to building a business presence online.
However, as it’s my particular area of interest, much of the community’s premium content relates to best practices for LinkedIn.
We do also discuss content creation, personal branding and online visibility in general.
You already know what you’re doing.
If your existing approach to business is working well and you don’t feel that anything could be improved, you might not get much value from being a member of the community.
Let’s wrap up.
If you’re an ethical operator and you see no red flags above, perhaps it’s time for you to join Espresso+ as a monthly or yearly member. I promise you a warm welcome!
