When you start a business, everyone tells you that you need customers, and of course, they’re right; we all have bills to pay. We need people to walk through the doors, purchase our products, use our services, and hopefully come back again. But the longer I have managed businesses, the more I have realized something: customers aren’t enough.
What we really need is community. There is a big difference between a customer and someone who feels like they are part of what you are building. A customer might come in, make a purchase, and leave. But when someone feels connected to your business, they tell their friends about you. They bring people with them, celebrate your wins, defend you when things don’t go perfectly, and sometimes even start asking how they can help. That’s community. And I think one of the biggest mistakes we can make as business owners is seeing everyone around us as competition instead of potential collaborators.
What if we stopped competing? It is really easy to get protective of what we are building. We work hard for our customers, spend money on marketing, worry about whether another business is going to open down the street offering the same thing we do, and then look around and start comparing. Are they busier than us? Are people talking about them more? What are they doing that I’m not? But what if we stopped asking those questions? What if instead, we started asking, “How can we help each other succeed?”
I have watched over and over again what happens when business owners choose collaboration instead of competition. We start sharing resources, making introductions, recommending one another, sharing each other’s events, and sending customers down the street when another business can serve them better. That’s when something really cool happens.
Our community gets stronger, and so do our businesses. Because success isn’t limited. Someone else’s success doesn’t have to mean my failure. In fact, especially in a local business community, their success might actually contribute to mine.
A thriving restaurant brings people into the neighborhood who might stop at the store next door. A great event hosted by one organization introduces people to businesses they didn’t know existed. When a business owner refers a customer to someone they trust, they create goodwill that customers remember. We are all better when the community around us is healthy.
People want more than a transaction. Opening Holy Grounds Meeting Place has taught me this in ways I never expected. Yes, we sell coffee, and obviously, I want you to buy the coffee! We need revenue just like every other business. But I don’t think coffee is the only reason people come back. They come back because they remember how the interactions they had made them feel. They come back because they feel like they belong.
That has made me think a lot about what we’re really offering as business owners. Maybe the question isn’t only, “How do I get more customers?” Maybe we should also be asking, “How do I create a community people want to be part of?” Because those are two very different questions.
Building community means sometimes doing something that doesn’t have an immediate return. It might mean making an introduction between two people even though there is nothing in it for you. It might mean sharing another business’s post. It might mean showing up to someone’s grand opening, fundraiser, networking event, or ribbon cutting simply because you want to support them.
Become a place where people belong. I think we sometimes underestimate how badly people want to belong somewhere. We live in an incredibly connected world, but many people still feel disconnected. Local businesses have an incredible opportunity to change that. You don’t have to own a coffee shop or have a physical gathering space to create community. You can build it through how you treat your customers, the businesses you recommend, the events you support, and how you show up in your city.
Build relationships. Build trust. Build collaboration. Build community.
Because customers might keep your business open. But community? Community gives people a reason to care that you’re here. And maybe the best question we can ask ourselves as local business owners isn’t, “How do I get more people to choose me?” Maybe it’s:
“What could happen in our community if we started choosing each other?”
About Holy Grounds Meeting Place
Holy Grounds Meeting Place is a nonprofit community coffee shop in Kalamazoo, Michigan, dedicated to creating a welcoming space where faith, community, and meaningful connection come together. More than a place to enjoy a great cup of coffee, Holy Grounds provides opportunities for Bible studies, prayer gatherings, support groups, family programs, community events, and authentic fellowship. With a heart for meeting people wherever they are in their faith journey, Holy Grounds seeks to embody the love and grace of Jesus through hospitality, service, and connection. Coffee is the invitation. Community is the purpose. Jesus is the foundation.