How to Start a Group Economics Concept to Build Thriving Business Hubs

In my last blog, I talked about how building together and serving one another through community can help create stronger businesses. I touched on rent, working with property owners, and the importance of collaboration when building something sustainable.

Over the last year and a half, I have been actively searching for a space of my own—and what I’ve experienced has only further supported everything I’ve been writing about.

One space I found was listed for $1,395 per month in a high-traffic, fairly decent area. When I visited it about nine months ago, it needed work. The leasing agent told me the owner would reduce the rent to $1,000 per month if I handled the upgrades myself.

I thought long and hard about it.

I had a vision for how I wanted the space to look, but I’m not a designer. I had concerns about renovations. Who would help me? How would I pull it all together?

Then I thought—What if another business owner came in with me and we built it together?

I pitched the idea to someone. They said the space was too small for them, but in truth, they also didn’t have the startup capital for what they wanted.

And while I’m not speaking negatively of them, that moment made me reflect on a business I co-founded in 2020. We had different leadership styles, different strengths, and different gifts to contribute. The collaboration taught me a lot.

Looking back, I realize I didn’t pass on that first location because it was impossible. I passed because I focused more on why it wouldn’t work than on why it could.

And I haven’t even mentioned yet—they were waiving the deposit. I could have moved in for just $1,000.

Then another property came along.

This one was $1,300 per month, larger than the first, with an odd layout—but still a solid fit for what I needed. I told the owner honestly that I didn’t have the full $2,600 required to move in. I had one month’s payment.

The owner responded by offering me a deal:

Move in with $1,300, then pay the deposit over the next five months on an 18-month lease.

Great opportunity, right?

And still…I didn’t pull the trigger.

Why?

Because I knew I didn’t have the free time to be physically present in the store enough to grow it the way it deserved.

But again, the same thought surfaced:

What if I had someone to share the load?Or better yet—two people?

There were additional spaces on the property that could have been utilized. If three business owners came together and split the cost—or negotiated based on the needs and size of each business—it could have worked beautifully.

So this leads me to the bigger question:

Why Don’t More Businesses Work Together?

Why do so many entrepreneurs continue trying to carry everything alone when collaboration could reduce stress, lower overhead, and increase visibility for everyone involved?

In my opinion, the biggest barrier is simple:

Lack of trust.

Too many people have been burned. Too many partnerships were entered into without structure. Too many creatives and entrepreneurs have seen collaboration turn into conflict.

But I will always stand on the side of healing and trust.

Because when done intentionally, with clear expectations, aligned values, and mutual respect—group economics can create something bigger than any one business could build alone.

It can create:

• Shared rent and lower startup costs

• Cross-promotion between businesses

• Built-in foot traffic from overlapping audiences

• Collaborative events and programming

• Stronger customer retention through community

• Emotional support among entrepreneurs building together

  
  

The Future of Small Business May Be Collaborative

Imagine a space where:

• A bookstore shares walls with a coffee/tea bar

• A wellness coach has office hours in the same hub

• Local authors host workshops there

• A children’s storytelling corner brings in families

• Vendors rotate in for monthly pop-ups

• Community members don’t just shop—they gather

  
  

That is more than a storefront. That is a thriving hub.

And I believe more businesses can create this if they stop asking:

“Why wouldn’t this work?”

…and start asking:

“Who could build this with me?”

The truth is, many of the opportunities we pray for do not arrive perfectly packaged—they arrive as possibilities requiring vision, collaboration, and courage. Building alone may feel safer, but building together often creates the kind of sustainability, creativity, and impact that solo efforts struggle to reach. If we want stronger businesses, stronger communities, and more spaces that truly serve people, then we have to become willing to trust, communicate, and build with intention. The future of thriving small businesses may not belong to those who build the biggest—it may belong to those who learn how to build together.

Drop a comment below to spark conversations. What do you think?

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