World is changing, and businesses are finding their ways to give back to society and the environment. Here some smart trends to get businesses to make an impact!
Businesses are propped up by their customers, without someone that is paying the business to offer a service or product, whether it’s consultation, installation or purchasing an item, the company wouldn’t be able to pay their staff and therefore justify remaining open. That’s why it’s important for businesses to remember how they have become successful and build preparations into their business plan that allows them to give back when reaching certain milestones.
If you want to celebrate your recent business success, consider the following inspiration for giving back to local or greater causes and help those who unfortunately struggle with day to day life.
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Sponsoring a Local Cause
Sponsorships are a great way to get the business name and branding out in the ‘wild’ without having to pay the high cost of billboard advertising with the additional benefit of helping a local cause. Common local sponsorships include sports teams such as Under 16’s football or leisure events such as village/town fairs and carnivals.
Finding the cause, team or event you want to sponsor should be based on the target audience of your business, as this will ensure the types of people seeing your sponsorship have a greater potential to become a customer in the future. Sponsorships aren’t restricted to only direct monetary contributions either but can include donating equipment or offering time and services to benefit the cause or team.
Raising Funds for Those In Need
Rather than offering a large cash amount, the business and its staff could arrange an event or activity that can be used to generate much-needed donations for those in need around the world. From those affected by natural disasters to the families displaced due to violence in their region, such as those in Syria, Gaza and the Rohingya crisis appeal. Think about the causes your target audience most likely support themselves and use this to inspire them to give more.
Events could include family fun days with inflatables and fairground games for people of all ages to enjoy or simply a bake sale. Staff can also be sponsored to do something challenging, such as walking a large distance, climbing a mountain or doing a skydive. Spend some time with your staff considering the type of activities that they would enjoy being involved in and the cause or charity they would best like to support.
Sharing Knowledge and Start Mentoring
If your business is seeing success, there is obviously something you are doing right, and this puts the company in a fantastic place to share their knowledge and experiences. Not only will this help grow trust between your potential customer base and the business, but is an excellent way to give back to those who helped get you to the position you are in. Look for small businesses that could use some extra assistance or turn to small business forums where start-ups may be seeking experience and advice.
Alternatively, make allowances to open up your business to teenagers and young adults who are looking to get started in their career and help them gain the basic experience needed to start strongly in the world of work.
Support Local Businesses
One of the best things a business can do for their local area is to work closely and buy from other small, local businesses in their location. Mutual promotion can go a long way and businesses that work together rather than constantly remaining in the competition have been shown to grow quickly and see regular success. If you’ve worked closely with another business, make sure you publicly give praise for their services and encourage close working relationships with others, even those who may be considered competitors!
Supporting local businesses can cover a whole host of communications, however, simply using the services and buying the products of SMEs can go a long way in building healthy and positive relationships. Another way to support local business is to offer available space for meetings or events. For instance, if you have a large office space that is empty in the evenings and at weekends, consider offering this to a local charity or non-profit to use when getting together to arrange meetings or when they want to hold a community event.
Business doesn’t have to be cut-throat and in fact, companies should be doing more to raise each other up, rather than trying to always undermine their competitors. We have an unspoken social contract to assist those around us and by embracing our responsibilities to each other and the area we live and work in, we can make a huge positive difference and make the world a better place for all.
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