We often find ourselves generally thinking that when it comes to companies giving back to communities or being charitable, that they are large companies of multinational in scale with employees numbering to thousands at least and with millions of dollars to dispense of.
The truth however is that the United States is comprised of small businesses and more than half of the nation's total employees work for these smaller operations. While these smaller businesses can't give as much as giant corporations can, it doesn't mean that their actions for their local communities can't be significant, especially on the long term. You will find that small businesses that get involved in giving back also benefit positively.
Giving Generates Positive Publicity
Using social media is an excellent way to spread the word about your business, its goals and new products and services. Of course, you can also send out press releases out to newspapers and TV stations, but these organizations cannot possibly cover all of the stories about the products and services newly offered by local businesses.
However if the story is going to tell about your business giving back to your community through monetary donation, or donating in kind, services or the time you share doing voluntary works, any local media would find it highly interesting as it is good news for everyone.
To cite a particular example, Forbes.com recently covered a story on a small tire franchise in northern Utah because their cause has been focused on the local "Coats for Kids" community events annually. This small company, Burt Brothers Tires, received nationwide publicity simply because their charitable endeavors created a great human interest story. You could spend thousands of dollars in advertising and not get the benefit you would receive from this type of free publicity.
Employees Will Value Giving Back
Working for a company that cares generates positivity. Given that your business is small-scale you are sure to employ people from the very community you are giving back to making them highly appreciate it. This kind of "giving back" to the community turns into a strong team-building activity as well as a morale-boosting one for every participant. You may encourage employees to participate through several different options like:
Create a special volunteer day where instead of reporting to the office, the employees spend the day working toward a specific charitable goal.
Have a sit down session with employees soliciting their personal preferences for causes to support and vote on one which the whole group finds the best. Maybe a simple way of setting up an online philanthropy platform like InstaGive could entice employees to donate financially.
This could be a very minimal yet smart way to provide for people to access a branded webpage for the purpose of collecting donations using credit card.
Customers Also Appreciate These Efforts
If a small business learns to give back to its community, those who benefit from it are not only the employees of the business. You'll find customers considering this to be valuable as well in that they often buy from businesses who have the heart for its community. There is a positive publicity showcasing goodwill and this can definitely have an impact on customers whether current or prospective. This should not be the end of it though.
To directly involve your customers into your "giving back" program, consider some of these ways:
It should be a good idea for you to make room for donation jars in your store or any other form which may be simple yet could generate rapid response from customers along with the possibility of you maybe educating walk-in customers further by talking to them.
You can also come up with an InstaGive site you can promote using visual signage or through email and social media as well.
You can always ask customers to join your employees for organized activities. The more work that needs to be accomplished, the more people you will need to partake of all the labor.
Choose a specific period like for example every Wednesdays evening when you can have a portion of every purchase made from your business be donated to a charitable cause. Make sure that your promotion is actively done in order for those customers who are one with your cause to plan their purchases correspondingly.
Now you know why even when you are merely small businesses you ought to consider giving back to the community through an organized charity or through volunteering wherein you may find opportunities for participation suitable for you. Go ahead and plan a sound and tactical program for giving back which you can start today.
The truth however is that the United States is comprised of small businesses and more than half of the nation's total employees work for these smaller operations. While these smaller businesses can't give as much as giant corporations can, it doesn't mean that their actions for their local communities can't be significant, especially on the long term. You will find that small businesses that get involved in giving back also benefit positively.
Giving Generates Positive Publicity
Using social media is an excellent way to spread the word about your business, its goals and new products and services. Of course, you can also send out press releases out to newspapers and TV stations, but these organizations cannot possibly cover all of the stories about the products and services newly offered by local businesses.
However if the story is going to tell about your business giving back to your community through monetary donation, or donating in kind, services or the time you share doing voluntary works, any local media would find it highly interesting as it is good news for everyone.
To cite a particular example, Forbes.com recently covered a story on a small tire franchise in northern Utah because their cause has been focused on the local "Coats for Kids" community events annually. This small company, Burt Brothers Tires, received nationwide publicity simply because their charitable endeavors created a great human interest story. You could spend thousands of dollars in advertising and not get the benefit you would receive from this type of free publicity.
Employees Will Value Giving Back
Working for a company that cares generates positivity. Given that your business is small-scale you are sure to employ people from the very community you are giving back to making them highly appreciate it. This kind of "giving back" to the community turns into a strong team-building activity as well as a morale-boosting one for every participant. You may encourage employees to participate through several different options like:
Create a special volunteer day where instead of reporting to the office, the employees spend the day working toward a specific charitable goal.
Have a sit down session with employees soliciting their personal preferences for causes to support and vote on one which the whole group finds the best. Maybe a simple way of setting up an online philanthropy platform like InstaGive could entice employees to donate financially.
This could be a very minimal yet smart way to provide for people to access a branded webpage for the purpose of collecting donations using credit card.
Customers Also Appreciate These Efforts
If a small business learns to give back to its community, those who benefit from it are not only the employees of the business. You'll find customers considering this to be valuable as well in that they often buy from businesses who have the heart for its community. There is a positive publicity showcasing goodwill and this can definitely have an impact on customers whether current or prospective. This should not be the end of it though.
To directly involve your customers into your "giving back" program, consider some of these ways:
It should be a good idea for you to make room for donation jars in your store or any other form which may be simple yet could generate rapid response from customers along with the possibility of you maybe educating walk-in customers further by talking to them.
You can also come up with an InstaGive site you can promote using visual signage or through email and social media as well.
You can always ask customers to join your employees for organized activities. The more work that needs to be accomplished, the more people you will need to partake of all the labor.
Choose a specific period like for example every Wednesdays evening when you can have a portion of every purchase made from your business be donated to a charitable cause. Make sure that your promotion is actively done in order for those customers who are one with your cause to plan their purchases correspondingly.
Now you know why even when you are merely small businesses you ought to consider giving back to the community through an organized charity or through volunteering wherein you may find opportunities for participation suitable for you. Go ahead and plan a sound and tactical program for giving back which you can start today.
About the Author:
Sebastian Troup enjoys writing about philantrophic solutions for businesses and non profit organizations. For more information about the competitive advantage of corporate philanthropy, or to know about setting up employee giving campaigns , please visit the Truist.com site today.
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