Outside of preparing taxes for your clients, how involved are you in your community? Maybe you get out
and network at your local Chamber; maybe you’re in a BNI group. While those two things are great for networking and relationship building, they don’t count as giving back to the community.
One of the advantages you have over a national franchise as a local business owner is that you can market to your community as a local business owner. So why not embrace your local roots by digging in and giving back to the community that you live and work in? Giving back is not just a good thing to do, it can help your business a great deal.
What do we mean by giving back?
- Offering your services free of charge to an underserved population in your community.
- Donating to a local charity that your company/team is connected to.
- Volunteering your time or expertise.
- Mentoring small business owners/startups.
Here are six great reasons to give back to your community as a business owner.
You build respect within the community
Business owners who are involved in their local community earn the respect and backing of the very community they give back to. Not only do you build strong relationships with the people you are giving back to, you begin meeting and building relationships with other leaders in the community who share the same passion for that cause or organization as you do. When you give to the community, you get back respect and loyalty. People within the community tend to back and support businesses who support the community.
You enrich the community
When community members take ownership of their community, it only helps to improve the community and the lives of people living within the community. Whether it’s helping raise funds for a park or helping people within the community, you are making the community you live in a better place to live. That’s a win-win.
It improves moral
Making community stewardship a part of your culture helps improve your work environment. Volunteerism gives employees a purpose and takes them away from the daily grind to remind them of issues that are important.
A study by the University of Exeter found that “volunteers had a 22% lower mortality rate than non-volunteers, and they also had higher levels of self-esteem and happiness.”
Getting your employees involved is a great way to keep them engaged and motivated to continue working for you. It improves moral and helps develop more respect for the company and its leaders, and creates cohesion between everyone in the company as they work together to enrich the community around them.
Networking and Relationship Building
Getting involved in community events is a great way to meet people and build relationships outside of the general “What do you do? Let me give you a business card” networking events. It’s also a great way to meet people outside of your normal business sphere. Have you ever noticed that the same people attend the same networking events? This is a great way to break the mold and meet some people you wouldn’t normally see at a Chamber event.
Press Opportunities
Giving back to the community is always a great way to get local press around your business. There are usually exposure opportunities available for businesses who sponsor, donate or volunteer at local events. If you plan to host an event to raise money for or build awareness around a cause or a charity, make sure your local media outlets know about it. Local businesses giving back always makes for a great story!
Here’s another reason: giving back your community is just the right thing to do! How does your business give back to the local community? Leave a comment and tell us all about it.