This might be a smaller, more focused community defined around your and your customers' communications needs. First, what kinds of communications do you and your customers need or want? Make a list on the left side of a piece of paper. Mine starts like this:

• General marketing (in all its forms)
• Introductions and assessments (can we meet each other's needs?)
• Proposals; and pitching and defining a project
• Planning
• Drafts; and revisions and reference materials
• Meetings, events, calendars

Now, on the right side of the paper, list the online interaction spaces that could be used to enhance each type of communication. These may or may not be exclusively online functions, but you might be surprised about what you can achieve online with customers.

Communications Tasks	Online Possibilities
General marketing (in all its forms	Web site, discussion space, e-mail newsletter, topical scheduled chats
Introductions and assessments (can we meet each other's needs?)	Discussion space, e-mail, Web-site-based qualifications, résumé, references, customer list
Proposals; and pitching and defining a project	Posting of proposals on a Web site, virtual tour through a proposal, discussion space to allow a customer to ask questions
Planning	Web-based project management tools, tracking, discussion space, scheduing, e-mail reminders, and listservs
Drafts; and revisions and reference materials	Web-based "cybrary" of project reference materials, private password-protected pages for customer materials
Meetings, events, calendars	Web-based scheduling and online synchronous or asynchronous meetings

Online community (or online interaction spaces, as I like to call them) offers small businesses an additional set of communication tools. When used with common sense and skill, it can enhance and streamline communications processes, saving time and overcoming barriers of time and distance. One unexpected benefit I've discovered with online tools is that they have created a transparency in my work: my customers can see where I am on a project and what I am doing. This assures them that the project is progressing, and allows them to offer suggestions and course corrections along the way. If you have a team-focused business, this is a huge plus.

On the flip side, if online interaction tools are used inappropriately or sloppily, they can get you into trouble.