Everything in these Guidelines flows from four core values:
Respect — We treat every community member with dignity, regardless of their background, experience level, or perspective.
Professionalism — We communicate as we would in a professional business setting — constructively, courteously, and with care.
Support — We lift each other up. We're here to help fellow entrepreneurs learn, problem-solve, and succeed.
Integrity — We engage honestly, give credit where it's due, and act in good faith.
Be Respectful and Inclusive
- Treat all community members with courtesy and respect, even when you disagree.
- Welcome newcomers and those at different stages of their business journey. Everyone was a beginner once.
- Respect diverse perspectives, backgrounds, industries, and experiences. Our community is strengthened by its diversity.
- Use inclusive language and avoid assumptions about others' identities, abilities, or circumstances.
Communicate Professionally
- Write clearly and thoughtfully. Take a moment to review your messages before posting.
- Keep discussions constructive. When offering feedback or differing opinions, focus on ideas rather than individuals.
- Use a tone you would be comfortable using in a professional meeting or networking event.
- Respect that tone can be difficult to convey in written communication — give others the benefit of the doubt.
Contribute Meaningfully
- Stay on topic within designated discussion areas and threads.
- Share your experiences, insights, and lessons learned — your story can help others.
- Ask questions freely. There are no "silly" questions in a learning environment.
- When answering questions, be helpful and patient. Point others toward useful resources when you can.
- Acknowledge and credit the ideas and contributions of others.
Protect Privacy
- Do not share other members' personal information, contact details, or business information without their explicit consent.
- Be mindful of the information you share about your own business, employees, customers, or partners.
- Do not screenshot, copy, or redistribute private conversations or community discussions outside the Platform without consent from all participants.
The following behaviors are not permitted in any Mountain BizWorks community space:
Harassment and Discrimination
- Bullying, intimidation, personal attacks, or threatening language of any kind.
- Discriminatory remarks or conduct based on race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
- Unwelcome sexual advances, inappropriate comments, or sexually explicit content.
- Persistent unwanted contact or messaging after being asked to stop.
- Public shaming, mocking, or belittling of other members.
Disruptive Behavior
- Trolling, flaming, or deliberately provoking conflict.
- Spamming, including repetitive posts, unsolicited mass messages, or excessive self-promotion.
- Derailing discussions by consistently steering conversations off-topic.
- Flooding forums or chat features with excessive or irrelevant content.
- Creating multiple accounts to circumvent moderation actions or Guidelines.
Misleading or Harmful Content
- Posting false, misleading, or deceptive information, particularly regarding business, legal, financial, or health matters.
- Presenting yourself as a licensed professional (attorney, accountant, financial advisor, etc.) unless you hold such credentials and clearly disclose them.
- Promoting illegal activities, fraud, or unethical business practices.
- Sharing content that infringes on the intellectual property rights of others.
Unauthorized Commercial Activity
- Using community spaces for direct selling, solicitation, or aggressive promotion of your products or services unless in a designated area specifically created for that purpose.
- Recruiting members for multi-level marketing (MLM), pyramid schemes, or similar programs.
- Posting affiliate links, referral codes, or promotional content without prior approval from Mountain BizWorks.
- Soliciting members' personal or financial information for any purpose.
Security and Platform Integrity
- Attempting to access other members' accounts or private information.
- Sharing malware, phishing links, or other harmful content.
- Attempting to circumvent Platform security features or moderation tools.
- Using automated tools or bots to post content or interact with community members.
Our community thrives on the exchange of knowledge and experience. To keep this exchange helpful and safe for everyone:
- Share from your experience. When offering advice, frame it based on your own business journey (e.g., "In my experience..." or "What worked for me was...").
- Avoid presenting opinions as facts. Be clear about the distinction between your personal experience and established best practices.
- Recognize your limits. If a question falls outside your area of knowledge — particularly on legal, tax, financial, or compliance matters — encourage the person to seek qualified professional advice rather than speculating.
- Respect that every business is different. What worked for you may not work for someone else. Offer suggestions with humility and openness.
How We Moderate
Mountain BizWorks employs a combination of community moderators and automated tools to maintain a safe and productive environment. Moderators have the authority to review, edit, move, or remove content and to take action on accounts that violate these Guidelines.
Reporting Violations
If you witness or experience conduct that violates these Guidelines, please report it promptly using [the report feature / by contacting us at [email address]]. All reports will be reviewed and treated confidentially to the extent possible. We take reports seriously and will not retaliate against anyone who makes a good-faith report.
Enforcement Actions
Violations of these Guidelines may result in the following actions, depending on the severity and frequency of the offense:
Level 1 — Friendly Reminder: For minor or first-time infractions, a moderator may reach out privately to remind you of the Guidelines and offer guidance.
Level 2 — Formal Warning: For repeated minor violations or a more significant infraction, you will receive a formal written warning. The offending content may be edited or removed.
Level 3 — Temporary Suspension: For serious or repeated violations, your access to community features may be temporarily suspended for a defined period (e.g., 7–30 days).
Level 4 — Permanent Ban: For severe violations, ongoing patterns of misconduct, or conduct that poses a safety risk to other members, your community access and/or Platform account may be permanently terminated.
Mountain BizWorks reserves the right to skip levels and take immediate action, including permanent removal, in cases involving threats, harassment, illegal activity, or other serious misconduct. All enforcement decisions are made at the sole discretion of Mountain BizWorks.
Appeals
If you believe an enforcement action was made in error, you may submit a written appeal to classes@mountainbizworks.org within fourteen (14) days of the action. Appeals will be reviewed by a member of the Mountain BizWorks team who was not involved in the original decision. The outcome of the appeal is final.
- Content you post in community spaces remains your intellectual property, but you grant Mountain BizWorks a non-exclusive, royalty-free license to display, distribute, and archive your contributions as part of the Platform's community features.
- Do not post content that belongs to someone else without proper attribution and permission.
- Course materials, proprietary Mountain BizWorks content, and instructor materials may not be reproduced or redistributed in community spaces or elsewhere.
The Mountain BizWorks community is a place for peer learning and shared experience — it is not a substitute for professional advice. Neither Mountain BizWorks nor its community members are providing legal, financial, tax, medical, or other professional counsel through community interactions. Always consult a qualified professional before making significant business decisions.
Mountain BizWorks reserves the right to update these Guidelines at any time. Material changes will be communicated through the Platform, and the "Last Updated" date will be revised. Continued participation in the community following changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Guidelines.
If you have questions about these Guidelines, need to report a violation, or want to submit an appeal, please contact us:
Mountain BizWorks — Community Team Email: classes@mountainbizworks.org
Thank you for being part of the Mountain BizWorks community. Together, we're building a space where every entrepreneur can learn, grow, and thrive.
