Welcome to Lincs Small Biz: A Lincolnshire Small Business Community

Oh, hello there, lovely small biz human. A very warm welcome to the blog and our fabulous little Lincolnshire small business community. 

Be honest, how often do you go a whole day and realise your only conversations have been with ChatGPT, your postman, or… the houseplant?

If that sounds a bit too familiar, thank goodness you’ve found your way here. This is THE place in Lincolnshire where small business owners come to meet genuinely lovely like-minded folk and actually feel part of something.

And we’re much more chatty than your houseplant.

What is Lincs Small Biz?

Lincs Small Biz is a Lincolnshire small business community for freelancers, creatives, makers, side-hustlers, and independent business owners who just want to meet other like-minded humans who get it. 

It’s a VERY different vibe though to your typical small business networking in Lincolnshire (because there’s none of the awkward s**t). 

There are tons of ways Lincs Small Biz can support you and your business.

So if you’re here wondering:

“Where can I meet other small business owners in Lincolnshire?” 

We run relaxed meet-ups across Lincolnshire, from coffee mornings to after-work drinks (more on what you can expect from our events a bit further down).

Or if you're wondering:

“Is there a Lincolnshire business directory for small businesses?”

Yes absolutely! We have one called The List that helps people discover, support, and book small businesses like yours across the county.

Or 

“Do I need to be on social media to get clients?”

Nope. We run regular workshops to show you other ways to grow your business that don’t rely on you being glued to Instagram every day. 

Why our Lincolnshire Small Business Community exists

Honestly, we just wanted a Christmas Party!

We - Eleanor and Matt, from Number 75 Design - were already living together, working together and parenting together. For years, our idea of a Christmas party was slightly tragic. It was just the two of us sitting on the sofa with some festive flavoured crisps and bad tv. And we realised it's those kind of get-togethers that you miss when you're self-employed.

It wasn’t just the parties we missed or the Secret Santa gifts, not even the free booze (although that never hurt). It was the people. We met Becky from Newmarch PR who was also missing the excuse to clock-off at 12pm and wear tinsel to the pub.

And so we started thinking… what would it look like if we actually created more of the stuff we were missing? And what’s grown from that is something we never could’ve really planned for. 

Somewhere along the way, something really lovely started happening. More and more small business owners started showing up and before long, a genuine Lincolnshire small business community started forming. 

So it wasn’t just about putting on events anymore. It was about creating a space where small business owners in Lincolnshire could actually find their people and feel like they’re part of something.  

You can find out more about us and the people behind Lincs Small Biz on our About Page here. 

Come on in, you’re among friends

We’re so glad you found your way here. Because we’ve got a sneaky suspicion we know what’s happening inside your little self-employed bubble right now. 

You love your business, you love the freedom, and no, you definitely don’t want to go back to a job-job. But… 

• You feel FOMO when friends head off for after-work drinks.

• You miss the coffee break chats.

• And you’ve maybe even considered gate-crashing a Christmas party once or twice. 

That’s exactly why this Lincolnshire small business community exists. So you can meet some genuinely lovely like-minded people for a well-needed natter over some coffee or after-work drinks. 

This is a DIFFERENT kind of small business networking in Lincolnshire

We’ve banned the word “networking” around here. Why? Because to us, that word just immediately screams: 

A hotel function room with grey carpet, ridiculously bright lighting and someone handing out name tags. Horrific.  **Except not as horrific as that icebreaker exercise that happens 5 minutes into the day…. Let’s go around the room. Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.” 

God forbid we force that upon you. That’s the kind of stuff we DON’T do. 

What we DO do is bring together fabulous, like-minded small business owners who just want a chinwag, a good laugh, and a chance to meet like-minded people without having to rehearse any “fun facts” about yourself 10 minutes before turning up. 

What happens at our events?

We put on a mixture of different events, so there’ll always be something that’s your vibe.

Some are just simple meet-ups over coffee and dangerously good baked goods. Like our Monday Club, where we take over local spots like Nonna Juana (if you know, you know) and spend the morning having a natter with lovely Lincolnshire business owners while demolishing pistachio croissants.

Sometimes it’s Brunch Club, usually in lovely venues like The Oaks, which always serve the most legendary lunches. 

Some events are a bit more lively (because who doesn’t need to blow off a bit of steam after a busy week?) And hey, self-employed people deserve to have fun too!! We’re talking after work drinks, pizza nights, tapas bars and quiz nights. 

And then of course, we’ve got our Social Rehab workshops. So you're not just meeting lovely like-minded business owners, you’re learning new cool s**t too.  In these workshops, you’ll learn how to build visibility, attract clients, and grow your business without feeling like you have to live on social media. (And don’t worry, we don’t remove the fun or delicious bits for these workshops. Pastries are still very much part of the experience!)

Go and check out our upcoming events on our Events Page right here. 

Our Lincolnshire Business Directory (aka The List)

We also created The List, our growing Lincolnshire business directory packed with small businesses like yours doing genuinely brilliant things. 

Small businesses are the backbone of everything we love about this area. But too often, they’re the hardest ones to actually find. So The List is our way of changing that. It’s here to give you a bit more visibility and a much easier way for people to stumble across what you do. Go ahead and add your small biz to the list here. 

You can also search our Lincolnshire business directory when you’re looking for something yourself. You can find every kind of small business owner here. 

So if you’re wondering…

“Where can I find a wedding cake maker in Lincolnshire?”

“What’s the best cafe in Lincolnshire?”, 

“Who’s a great Lincolnshire photographer?” 

“Where can I find handmade gifts in Lincolnshire?”

You’ll be sure to find one on The List.  

We’re big believers in keeping it local and supporting small biz humans. So whether you’re looking for a local wedding cake maker, a great place to eat or a gift that isn’t mass-produced, find ’em. book ’em. brag about ’em. 

Making Lincolnshire more inclusive, one business at a time 

We want Lincolnshire to be a place where people feel seen and included. So we also created something called the Inclusivity Badge.

It highlights businesses in our Lincolnshire small business community who are actively thinking about accessibility, inclusivity, and creating welcoming spaces. 

The badge is for businesses who are thinking about things like how safe and comfortable people feel when they walk through the door (or land on their website), and generally just doing their best to make sure more people feel like they belong there.

So when you’re browsing our Lincolnshire business directory, the badge helps you quickly spot businesses doing this well.

If you’re working on this in your business (or already doing it well), you can apply for the badge here.

What is our Lincolnshire Small Business Community really like? 

Well put it this way, you can turn up to an event on your own without having to do that awkward scan of the room wondering where to stand or who to talk to! As soon as you walk in, someone will probably be calling your name and waving you over. That’s the kind of community we’ve built here. 

After most business events, people forget each other's names 5 minutes later. But here at Lincs Small Biz, it’s different. People will remember your coffee order, and there’s a good chance it’s already sitting there waiting for you when you arrive. 

Then instead of “nice to meet you” at the end of the event and never seeing that human again in your life, it’s “see you next week”. 

This isn’t just about going to events, this is about finding your people.

Before you go, a little reminder 

You don’t have to do business on your own and stay in your own little bubble. There are people right here in Lincolnshire who get it, who are doing it too, who understand the highs and lows of self-employed life. 

Whether you come for the coffee mornings, the after-work drinks or the workshops, we think you’re going to like our fabulous Lincolnshire small business community. 

And who knows, you could leave with new pals for life, new ideas for your business, and hey, maybe even a new client.

Basically, we’re really glad you’re here.

Make sure to come back to the blog. This is a space for:

• Shining the spotlight on brilliant local businesses like yours

• Showing you how to grow your business without living on social media 

• Filling you in on our upcoming events     

• And just generally celebrating cool people doing cool sh*t

And don’t forget to:

Check out our Events Page here. 

Get your business on The List here to help boost your visibility locally.