What does a dry-cleaning business in Massachusetts, a marketing company in San Francisco, and a custom shelving business all have in common? They all sponsor community service projects.
Owning a small business gives you the opportunity to get involved in your community and help people in need. Not only will this strengthen your customer relationships and establish integrity for your company name, giving back to the community gives your business a greater mission than just corporate success. Establishing a philanthropic vision with your business will create a culture of passion, dedication, and service, that will improves work environment and employee moral.
Below are a few ways that your business can get involved with community service and outreach projects.
Sponsor
Donate a portion of your sales to a local charity or sponsor a local organization, like a little league team or an arts program. It can be as simple as purchasing a banner to hang in a stadium, or an advertisement to post in a program. Find something that enriches the community that your business can support.
Donate
Donations don’t necessarily need to be monetary. Your business can donate some of it’s products to benefit a community event. For example, if your company specializes in healthy granola bars, water consider donating them as snacks for a charity run. Your business could also provide gift baskets for auctions or other fundraising events.
Host
If your business has enough space, you can host community events and fundraisers. Hosting holiday events is a great way to get your business involved in the community. Most Publix branches host a free Haunted House for families to attend during October. This event includes free food samples from local businesses, live music, raffle drawings, face painting, and more.
Partner
If there is a local business that compliments yours, consider partnering with them to share each other’s products and co-sponsor events. For example, your granola bar business may be in the same area as a loose leaf tea business. Consider providing free samples of their tea to pair with free samples of your granola bars and vice versa at their establishment. Find ways to work alongside your fellow business owners, to better serve your community and increase rapport with customers.
Choose your location wisely
The community where your business resides will contribute to the success of your business or the decline. When choosing your business’ location, be aware of opportunities to participate in community events. If you are in the process of scouting out an office location for your business, or if you are looking to change your current location, contact YourOffice. YourOffice features a network of world-class business addresses. Each location offers both beautifully appointed short term offices and permanent individual office space. Offices are move-in ready and equipped with top furnishings and technology that are guaranteed to leave a lasting impression.
