Caffe Nero’s in Exeter is my second office, after the train and my desk at home like a lot of people. Most mornings I’m there getting my caffeine hit, I’ve noticed a group of individuals having coffee together. Turns out they meet everyday before work to chat and discuss the previous days events.

They didn’t know each other before Caffe Neros opened. They met queuing for coffee and have done ever since. After they finish they go their separate ways to do a hard days work and the session is repeated the next day!

Nothing new here you say. Well perhaps before the café culture hit the UK this would not have happened. Its only 10 – 12 years old but whats significant is that this isn’t any different to groups of people conversing on the internet, its just a different way of connecting. Okay you might have your own coffee and you may not have eyeballed the person you have been having a debate with on the latest developments in politics, but you are still having a conversation whilst online. So why is that so scary for some people?

Sharing conversations on the internet is just another form of communication and small business need to treat it like that. Understanding it and taking part in it makes it a lot less fearful. By the way, Caffe Nero have started to create a community. My bet is they haven’t realised this yet and therefore can’t do anything to encourage and embrace it. Shame!