Owning a small business can be a solitary grind. Rand Larsen’s SMB Community peer groups give entrepreneurs a place to vent, swap advice, and learn how to survive the chaos.
What’s fascinating about this whole experience is that I haven’t built the next unicorn startup or disrupted an industry with groundbreaking technology.
Instead, what caught Forbes’ attention was something far simpler:
For over a year, Larsen, the 29-year-old founder of SMB Community, has been crisscrossing the country in a 2019 Dodge Ram ProMaster camper van. He’s logged more than 10,000 miles hosting small business meetups in person and pitching his Zoom groups.
Larsen’s van parked in Tampa, Florida.
I simply bought a camper van purely as a business tool to meet and connect with business owners across America.
Sometimes the most impactful ideas aren’t the most complex or innovative.
A Real Need
The idea for SMB Community came from a real human moment with a business owner in crisis:
“You can’t talk about this stuff with employees,” Larsen says. “Not even managers. You don’t want to overburden your spouse. And your friends just don’t get it.” The man felt completely alone.
That conversation sparked what we jokingly called “trench therapy”—a safe space where business owners could speak candidly about their struggles without fear of judgment or competition.
Real Solutions
With membership at $3,000 per year, our community delivers tangible value:
When the Google Business profile for 33-year-old Jack Carr’s Brentwood, Tennessee-based Rapid Response Plumbing, Heating & Cooling disappeared from the web, he turned to his SMB Community peer group. He found someone who had dealt with the same issue.
With his business generating about $5 million in annual revenue—roughly $14,000 a day—the membership fee paid for itself when his peer group helped resolve the issue faster than he could have on his own.
Power of Connection
What I’m most proud of is watching the transformation that happens when business owners realize they’re not alone:
“You build a callus,” Larsen says. “At first, people come in feeling beaten up, like they’re the only ones struggling. Then, after a few meetings, they realize ‘oh, it’s not just me.'”
That moment of recognition is powerful.
The psychological burden of entrepreneurship lightens when shared across multiple shoulders.
Being Different Matters
I’ve learned that sometimes it’s not about being the most successful or accomplished person in the room.
Sometimes, it’s just about being interesting enough to stand out. In my case, it was recognizing a fundamental truth about entrepreneurship that resonated with others:
“Running a small business can be an incredibly isolating experience,” Larsen says.
The van, the road trips, the meetups—they’re all just vehicles for something more meaningful: creating spaces where business owners can find the support they desperately need but rarely ask for.
Conclusion
While I haven’t built the most substantial, transformative, or innovative company to be featured in Forbes, I’ve lived an interesting life and done something many others haven’t. And sometimes, that’s enough to make a difference.
Special thanks to Forbes and Brandon Kochkodin for writing this incredible piece and sharing my story with the world.
