More Than a Marketplace: How I'm Building a Community Around My Business

One of the things I've been thinking about constantly is the method of bringing in money for this new endeavor. I know the major portion would be from the future projects and items I'll be making for selling on Marketplace or even during shows. Another avenue would be through the community outreach by using Patreon.

I'm in the process of having this built out and I'm still going through the process of what and how I'll be utilizing Patreon going forward. Another thing that ties into Patreon is via a community focused Discord server and the open community forums.

With Patreon, the plan is to offer different tiers that actually mean something. I don't want it to feel like a tip jar. I want supporters to feel like they have a real seat at the table. That could look like early access to new products before they hit the Marketplace, behind the scenes looks at what's being worked on, or even having a say in future project ideas. The details are still being worked out, but the intention is to make every tier feel worth it.

The Discord server ties directly into that. It will be the hub where the community actually lives day to day. A place to talk shop, share progress, ask questions, and just connect with other people who are on a similar journey. The open forums will extend that even further for those who prefer a less real time format. The idea is that no matter how someone wants to engage, there will be a space for them.

Starting a small business is not a straight line and I think being honest about that is important. There are a lot of moving pieces right now and not everything is figured out yet. But that is actually what I want to document here, the process, the pivots, the small wins and the lessons learned along the way. If you are someone who is also building something from the ground up, or you are just curious about what that looks like behind the scenes, I hope this space becomes something valuable for you too. We are all figuring it out as we go, and there is something really powerful about doing that together.