Starting Florida Creatives in your City

It's really simple.

1. Before you start your own group, ask around and do some web searches to see if there are similar groups, or people who seem like they might know about a group in town.
2. Create a group on this site if one doesn't exist. If one does exist, it may just be a placeholder. The resources here are free, and we have very open policies. If the group does exist, use the Contact tab on the group home page to get in touch with the person who created it.
3. Pick a time and a place to have a meeting or Happy Hour in your city.
4. Email, call, or speak to some creative folks you know and let them know the meeting is happening. Try and see if they will bring some friends.
5. Post the event to public directories like Upcoming.yahoo.com
6. Write a blog about it, leave comments on MySpace and Facebook walls, and become an active participant and attendee of other local meetups.
7. The best way to get people to come to your meeting is by going to theirs (maybe several times) first. Just because you email someone does not mean they are obligated to show up. You may have to contact 10, 50 or 100 people before you get one passionate subscriber.
8. Don't lose hope.
9. Create fliers, buttons, shirts, posters, blog badges, banner graphics or stickers to get the word out. Post them at local hangouts, like school student unions, coffee shops, the break room at work, the bathroom at McDonald's or any place that seems logical (the bathroom at McDonald's might not be logical).
10. BE CONSISTENT. Choose one time and one place and STICK WITH IT. After several months, you will notice people trying to make time around your event. DON'T MISS YOUR OWN MEETINGS. If you do, send out notices before and after explaining yourself, and already have the next meeting planned, that way everyone has something to look forward to.
11. If you can't keep up with your group, try to find someone to help you run it. Everyone gets busy, and you should not be embarrassed to ask for help.
12. Smile, shake hands, and greet all new members. Introduce every new attendee to at lease two other people at their first meeting.
13. Remember that the most interesting part of some meetings often takes place after the designated stopping time. Arrange for an after-event - dinner, drinks, or just talking in the parking lot. The best stories and strongest friendships will often come out during these times.
14. Make sure everyone knows about the after event. You may be missing on an opportunity to recruit volunteers or valuable community members by excluding anyone.
15. If one person is dominating a discussion, or a small group is having an argument, try to keep the whole group involved by changing the topic. Try using phrases like "This sounds like a good discussion to have once the meeting is over. Let's move on."
16. Keep in contact - collect names and emails, make sure everyone can contact everyone else. This website only shows posts to members of a particular group if you use the "Audience" check boxes. Be respectful of your members' privacy.
17. Keep your promises. Your reputation can be ruined much faster than it was established. Be sure you understand the commitment you are making.
18. Don't be afraid to say "No". This goes along with keeping promises. In an effort to please everyone, we may over-promise. Don't stretch yourself to thin.