By David Crary
Ready or not, the holidays are here. You may not be thinking now is the time to focus on your small business, with the hundreds of gifts you still need to purchase for family and friends, but now is the perfect time to look at your small business growth strategies. The holidays provide your small business with the opportunity to not only get out and help your community, but also to help you build your business. How you ask? Through participating and volunteering for charities around your community.
Besides the obvious reward of helping out those in need, donating your time to charities also benefits your business. Your involvement helps you meet new and potential customers, while also getting your name out there to those who may have never found you any other way. You get to get out of the office and talk with members of your community. You can find their pain points, offer services, or perhaps even team up in business, all while working for a good cause. When you sponsor an organization or event, they usually place your company name on their flyers, brochures, etc. It’s like advertising for a good cause! How can you not do it?
Not only will donating your time towards a good cause make you feel good inside, it is also a nice thing your company can do together. Most of the time, your field service business staff is separated. Some are out in the field, others are in the office in one location, while others are in your other office located across town. By involving your entire company in holiday giving activities, you are encouraging team building and a day away from the office (which everyone could probably use around this time of year). This gives your employees a chance to connect with the community they work in as well as provide them a company outing.
Not sure how you can help in your community? Here are a few options:
- Sign up to be bell ringer for The Salvation Army (they also offer other options for helping out for a good cause but this is the most well-known around the holidays) – More information here
- Find exactly who you want to help out this holiday season with Charity Navigator. You can find charities to give donations or your time to based on categories such as animals, environment, health, as well as many other options. – More information here
- Sponsor fundraisers. These are things you will have to look for in your community’s newsletter or posted around city hall, but it is also one of the easiest options if you are short on time during the holiday months. You can give money to set up the fundraiser, offer a packaged deal of your services to be auctioned off, or provide services that will help the fundraiser get more recognition.
The holidays are a great time to go out and help those in need while also helping to grow your business’s name and presence in your community. So go on! Get out there and help someone!