The Community
Running a company when you didn't set out to be a CEO?
You started your business because you saw a problem that needed to be solved. An idea you wanted to bring to life. A thing you wanted to create and share with the world. Something you wanted to make better. And you wanted to do it on your own terms.
You’ve found some customers, sold some stuff, and are suddenly the founder / CEO of a company that you own and fund. Now you’re left to figure out how to run a business!
As you become more successful, you may be finding that the business is starting to run you. Tasks like paying the bills, developing new leads, and managing people start to crowd out the stuff you love to do – the reason you started in the first place. Sound familiar?
Running a business is hard. That’s why I created The Community. The Community is exclusively for self-funded founders who want expert advice and support with managing the overwhelm that comes with growth. It’s operating and management expertise for the million little things you didn’t know you needed to know – all in one place, for a monthly fixed price.
The Community is an instant support team of highly skilled small business experts who want to help you build a sustainable company, aligned to how you want to work every day.
Curious about why I started The Community? Watch this short video:
The Community is tailored to you as founder, CEO and owner. It’s proactive support that has your back so you can focus on what you do best.
This community is for you if:
You’re the CEO / Founder of a self-funded business
Your values are a non-negotiable part of your growth
You know how much you'd like to make in your business but aren't there yet
You’re struggling to run your company, spending more time on operating issues than what you’re really passionate about
You’re avoiding asking important questions because you’re afraid of getting an expensive pile of jargon instead of an actionable solution
You’re lacking a group of trusted advisors and peers who can support you in running your business
You don’t plan to take professional investment (venture or private equity)
Skip the hours on Google and get a reliable answer from small business experts.
When you sign up for The Community, you’ll instantly get expert advice, resources, and programming tailored to self-funded founders, at a fixed monthly cost. There is no homework or curriculum. You can post to our topical chats any time with questions about where you are in your business right now and get answers from experts and peers.
- Got a scary letter from the IRS?
- Not sure which healthcare plan to choose?
- Trying to decide where to put your marketing effort?
- In need of support as you hire your first employee?
- Meeting with your accountant later but aren’t sure what questions to ask?
Pop it into The Community. We’re here to help.
For the investment of $395 per month, you’ll have access to experts in operations, business development and strategy, systems, accounting and finance, human resources, tax, and more.
Here’s what’s included in your membership:
Live monthly events with The Jill James team and expert guests
A private, non-judgmental space to ask questions about how to run your business
A curated network of self-funded founders with a range of experience and expertise
A resource library with on-demand access to helpful information for self-funded founders, including recordings of past events with experts in wealth management, accounting, marketing, and operations
As one MBA holder recently said, “This is better than my MBA.”
98% of businesses will bootstrap their growth, yet most advice is designed for venture-backed growth. Here in The Community, we bring in experts to answer questions that are specifically for self-funded small business owners.
Here's what you're missing...
Past Events & Recordings (Available On-Demand)
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How Do I Run an End of Year Review?
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Systems Tech 101: How to Choose a CRM
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2023 Planning Workshop with Jill James
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Getting Comfortable with Wealth & Finance
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Building Value In Your Business
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Using Marketing to Find & Develop Customers
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Current and Upcoming Trends in Social Media, SEO, and Content Marketing
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How to Prepare a Monthly Business Review
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Zapier 101: Easy Business Automations
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And more!
2023 Upcoming Events
(Join Live or Watch Later)
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2024 Planning Readiness Workshop with Jill James and Jillian Ryan
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Understanding 2024 Health Insurance Options
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How to Lead Without Burning Out with Elizabeth O'Neill
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How to Close Out the Year (A 10 Weeks to Close Crash Course)
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Holiday GTD Guided Workshop & Celebration
For the investment of $395 per month, you’ll get on-demand access to experts in operations, business development and strategy, systems, accounting and finance, human resources, tax, and more.
FAQs
A: Self-funded means you don’t have / don’t plan to take professional investor funds. Business loans and partnerships are okay.
- Future live event access (think: AMAs, expert talks, and fireside chats)
- All content in the resource library, including recordings of past live events
- The Community private group in Mighty Networks, where you can ask questions and connect with peers (and read past conversations and advice)
- Business support and advice from Jill, The Jill James team, and guest experts via direct message, channel threads, live events, and AMAs
- The Jill James newsletter archive
A: Your membership does not include additional “face time” with Jill or our experts outside of Community events and group conversations, however you may be able to book one-on-one meetings with them for an additional fee.
A: Your membership, including access to the Mighty Networks group, does not extend to other team members or business partners. Some live events may include a +1; if that’s the case, we’ll communicate it in advance.
A: Nope! This is a private community hosted on Mighty Networks, which you can access on your browser or via mobile app. All of our events, content, and communication are on this app. We own the data and your posts and comments will not show up in public search. If you’re new to Mighty Networks, we walk you through the platform during your onboarding.
A: Great question. While we host regular live gatherings, there is no obligation to join live or attend any events. You have access to experts and peers to support you whenever you have questions, but there’s no set cohort or assigned partners. Our resources can be accessed on-demand at any time. No homework, guides, or curriculum to finish. You can hop into the group forum or your private messages to ask questions related to where you are in your business right now or where you want to go in the future. We’re here to help.
A: We welcome all qualifying self-funded entrepreneurs regardless of gender identity. Once in The Community, you are welcome to opt into our Women & Femme Founders channel if that’s how you identify.
About Jill James
I’ve been helping other people run their companies for 12 years as a C-level executive, with 8 years of that building and running my own company. Here at The Jill James, we’ve had clients get repeat listings on the Inc 5000 and have built a combined value of over $250 million.
There is no “easy” or “stress-free” path to growing a business or doubling your profitability. We can help you smooth the path, avoid the avoidable pitfalls, introduce better systems, technology, and processes, connect you to great people who fit at your phase of business, and accelerate your success. We want to celebrate the successes and build a partnership that helps us laugh and have gratitude through the challenging moments, because we’re in it with you. You do not have to run your business all on your own!