Rural Groups | Second Stage Growth

INTENTIONAL GROWTH CIRCLES – VIRTUAL

Business Owner Roundtable Groups for Rural Business Owners

Learn more about what’s involved in joining an Intentional Growth Circle and how it can help you and your business.

Who qualifies?

Small Business Owners in Small Towns

For most small business owners, running your business can feel like you’re flying the plane while building it. For business owners in more rural areas of the country, you might sometimes feel like you are also blindfolded while flying! You share many of the problems of business owners from larger metro areas, and some that are unique to your location, whether you sell locally or internationally.

If you live in a small town (not near a major metropolitan area) and you have been in business for at least two years, experienced some growth and have at least two employees, then this is the group for you! Our members typically generate between $1 million and $10 million in annual revenue.

**Specific to Rural Circles – join a group of small business owners from small towns across all industries, or pick an Industry Specific Rural Circle. Groups are forming now in the following categories: Retail/Restaurant, Tourism/Hospitality, Manufacturing, Professional Services.

Join your fellow business owners from small towns across the country to share experiences, discuss issues, and solve problems at a roundtable group!

Benefits

Best Practices – Problem Solving – Experience Sharing

Joining a roundtable group in your small town would make it challenging to comfortably share difficult situations such as concerns about cash flow or frustrations with employees. Anything that affects your business could affect the community as well!

Join a virtual roundtable group for rural business owners to be connected with business owners in similar situations to yours but in different geographic locations. Learn how other small business owners address issues such as recruitment, transportation, succession planning and more. Compare notes with others in your industry when you join an Industry Specific Circle and help each other grow in your respective towns!

Dedicate time to focus on business growth alongside peers who truly understand your challenges. These groups can help address issues unique to a small town, accelerate business growth, and serve as a vital source of support for small business owners.

Rural Virtual Roundtable Group

No competitors,
No customers, No selling –
Just Problem Solving!

Whether you join a group of small business owners from small towns across all industries, or pick an Industry Specific Rural Circle (Retail/Restaurant, Tourism/Hospitality, Manufacturing, Professional Services), you will be put in a group with similar businesses facing similar challenges, but with unique perspectives and in very different geographic locations.

Common topics of discussion include hiring, firing, succession planning, financial planning, handling difficult customers, marketing, and more – with a focus on issues common to business owners in smaller towns. Our monthly meetings also cover strategy and goal-setting, discussions on marketing planning, and time management. Guest speakers are brought in as needs for specific knowledge or skill sets arise at no additional cost.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

WHAT IS A RURAL INTENTIONAL GROWTH CIRCLE?

Rural Intentional Growth Circles are groups of 6-8 rural-based business owners who meet once a month in a confidential environment to discuss business issues using a structured format with a professional facilitator, with an emphasis on sharing experiences, encouraging accountability and developing connections with the group members.

Groups can be made up of small business owners from small towns across all industries, or you can pick an Industry Specific Rural Circle (Retail/Restaurant, Tourism/Hospitality, Manufacturing, Professional Services), allowing you to learn from and support other businesses similar to yours in different geographic locations.

WHO QUALIFIES TO BE IN A GROUP?

Rural Intentional Growth Circles work best if the group members are in a similar stage of business growth, as the issues encountered tend to be similar, regardless of industry. Business owners should be located in a rural area or small town, have been in business for at least two years, and bring in at least $750k in annual revenue (up to about $10M). No competitors or referral sources can be in the same group, and ideally each rural group will be diverse in geographic location so you aren’t in a group with your neighbors either.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Group members meet in person for a full-day session for the first meeting each year, and midway through the year. Otherwise, members meet virtually once a month for 90 minutes, with a focus on confidentiality and honest communication among members. Members should join each virtual meeting in a quiet, distraction-free location where the discussion cannot be overheard. The licensed facilitator keeps the group on schedule, making sure all discussions are relevant and no one person dominates the discussion.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?

This roundtable process has proven to be successful in helping business owners find a way to discuss sensitive issues about work with peers rather than employees or family members. Participants gain insight through experience sharing that helps address problems and identify opportunities. The group members hold each other accountable when making difficult decisions, but ease the process by emphasizing sharing similar experiences and not giving advice. Group members develop trusted relationships to share both business and personal issues.

HOW IS THIS DIFFERENT FROM A NETWORKING GROUP? OR A MASTERMIND? OR AN EXECUTIVE COACH?

This is NOT a networking group. The purpose of these groups is to create a confidential environment where business owners feel free to share financial troubles, personnel problems, concerns about growing too fast or too slow, and other business challenges. A group should consist of businesses that don’t want to do business together, as members would feel uncomfortable sharing their challenges in front of potential customers or vendors.

A Rural Intentional Growth Circle is certainly more similar to a Mastermind Group than to a Networking Group, as both Rural Intentional Growth Circles and Mastermind groups focus on regular peer-to-peer conversations about work. Some Mastermind groups are led by a facilitator and some are not. An Intentional Growth Circle is always facilitator-led and follows a proven agenda to ensure confidentiality, experience sharing and balanced discussion. Groups tend to be a bit larger than Mastermind groups, averaging 6-8 rather than 2-4 members.

Typically, an executive coach works one-on-one with executives to help advance their professional careers. The relationship is more uneven, rather than peer-focused. Intentional Growth Circle members benefit greatly from the confidential, experience-sharing process among peers. Members are welcome to seek out executive coaching for themselves, separate from the Circle if they desire. Contact Kelly for some names of coaches that might be a good fit for you and your situation.

HOW DO THE DISCUSSIONS STAY CONFIDENTIAL?

Confidentiality of the Circle discussions is the most important aspect of the entire process. Members must feel completely comfortable sharing very sensitive issues about their financial situation, personnel issues, personal health and other components that factor into running the business. The facilitator and members all sign a confidentiality agreement. When meeting virtually, be sure you are in a quiet area where you will not be disturbed, you are not visible (and your screen is not visible) to others. Turn notifications off so you can focus on the discussion without distractions. When in person, visitors and potential members are not permitted to sit in for the discussion and the conference room should ideally not be visible to others. We find that the issues being discussed in the group get more and more sensitive and emotionally charged as the group gets more and more comfortable with each other and the process.

WILL ANY COMPETITORS BE IN THE GROUP WITH ME?

No. All members have the right to veto any potential new members, and no groups will be put together without the express agreement of each member to be in the group with the others. Even for the Industry Specific Rural Circles, we do not allow competitors, customers or vendors to be in the same group. The diversity of the group enhances the conversation. Diversity in geographic location also helps ensure you’re not sharing issues connected to your community with others in that region.

CAN I SIT IN ON A GROUP BEFORE I DECIDE TO JOIN?

Yes and no. An existing group will decide if they want to accept a particular new group member. Potential new group members can meet with the group at the start of a meeting, BEFORE they begin the formal peer group roundtable meeting format. But they cannot listen in to the actual meeting, as it is only for members. And if there are guest speakers coming to a monthly meeting, potential members may be invited to sit in for that portion of the meeting.

WHAT DOES IT COST?

For most Intentional Growth Circle members, the commitment of time is more significant than the financial investment. However, being part of a peer group is worth every minute—and every penny!

We ask members to commit to a full year of participation and to attend every month (with some exceptions) for consistency. Your fee includes monthly virtual meetings, a professional facilitator, and access to speakers and resources to help grow your business. It also includes two full-day meetings a year in a private business meeting room with food and beverages, centrally located (as much as possible) to the members.

2025 Pricing
Members can pay monthly or annually for their membership, at a price of $3,500 per year or 12 monthly payments of $300.

Members can add quarterly one-on-one check-in meetings with Kelly to discuss goal-setting and business growth. The combined cost for the peer group and the four 90-minute quarterly check-in meetings is $5000 per year, or 12 monthly payments of $450.

JOIN AN INTENTIONAL GROWTH CIRCLE!

If you are interested in joining a Rural Circle (general or industry-specific), click on the link below to complete an application, or contact Kelly directly at 715-830-8244 or kelly@secondstagegrowth.com.

Industry Specific Rural Circles are forming now for the following industries: Retail/Restaurant, Tourism/Hospitality, Manufacturing, Professional Services!

There may not always be an available opening depending on the sizes of the current groups and the popularity of your industry. If a new group is being formed, you will be added to the waiting list until there are enough people to launch another group. Reach out to learn more.