Community Business Blueprint
Part of the SPI Community course library. Draft your ultimate community success strategy to best suit your business goals.
Learn to start a community from community experts
Learn how to curate a new online community (or modify an existing one) that aligns with your business strategy. This course will teach you how to:
Create a community business model
Uncover what it truly means to “have a community,” determine if your audience is sending you the signs that it’s time to start a community, and learn about the commitment you’re taking on when you start a community.
Understand the three types of communities (and determine which is the best for your business goals)
We’ll help you dig into why you want to start a community and give you examples of each type of community, so that you can craft the right community for you.
Identify your ideal member
The more members, the better! Right? Not always. You’ll learn how to drill down into who is and who is not a good fit for your community, so that you can clearly communicate this in all of your messaging about the community.
Create your community framework
Learn how to set up the structure that fits the type of community you’ve chosen, so that you can best serve your purpose, and how to create a structure that sets clear expectations and protects you from early burnout.
Determine your price structure
Learn about different community pricing models and when to use them, as well as how to set your initial price and how to leverage price increases effectively as you grow.
Launch and market your own online community
Create your marketing plan for launch, learn how to ask for and receive feedback from early members, and learn some high-level strategies for the ongoing marketing of your community.
Vital skills, trailblazing resources, and a motivating community.
Your business growth starts now.
Created by the community experts at SPI and Circle
Community Business Blueprint is a collaboration between our team at SPI and the team at Circle, the platform we use to host our communities.
Circle is committed to helping businesses create thriving communities. We were thrilled to co-create this course with them.
Community Business Blueprint course outline
Welcome, Students!
- Start Here
What Is Community
- Community as a Business Model
- Signs You Are Ready
Defining Your Community Purpose
- Why Do You Want to Launch a Community?
- Example Communities: What Is Their Why?
- Business Goal Alignment
Your Ideal Member
- Defining Your Ideal Member
- Testing & Validating Your Community Idea
Your Community Framework
- Community Model Refresher
- Support Framework
- Learning Framework
- Interest Framework
- Product Support Framework
The How: Community Programming
- Establishing a Programming Strategy
- Mapping your Community Structure
- Kickstarting Community Engagement
- Building Community the Sustainable Way
Pricing and Revenue
- Pricing Models
- Pricing Strategies
- Pricing Tactics
- Churn and CLTV
- Expansive Revenue
Charting Your Path Forward
- Your First Few Members (Launching)
- Thriving Communities Can Be Small
- Ask for Feedback
- Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Marketing Your Community
Final Thoughts
- Final Thoughts
We believe in community-driven courses
Save 16% with annual billing
Start
Do It Yourself
$49
/ month
Billed quarterly for $147
$41
/ month
Billed annually for $490
As a Start member, you’ll have access to:
- A network of like-minded entrepreneurs through direct messaging and active community discussion channels
- SPI’s entire library of pre-recorded courses
- Live and recorded workshops
- Mini-courses
- Guided pathways
Accelerate
Do It Together
$99
/ month
Billed quarterly for $297
$83
/ month
Billed annually for $990
Everything in Start, plus:
- Exclusive office hours with Pat Flynn twice a month
- Live cohort-based course accelerators
- Monthly post-based quests
- Early access to new courses
- Peer-led mastermind groups
Thrive
Vetted Entrepreneurs
$149
/ month
Billed quarterly for $447
$125
/ month
Billed annually for $1490
Everything in Accelerate, plus:
- Full-Time Entrepreneur Playbook — filled with essential tools and templates for running a successful business
- Quarterly Sprints
- Vetted mastermind groups led by trained peer facilitators
- Expert feedback during live Ask-Me-Anything events hosted by our Experts in Residence
- Advanced live office hours with Pat Flynn twice a month
The Thrive tier is an application-based membership with open enrollment each quarter.