Giving back to your community is not only a civic responsibility, but it also makes good business sense. We’ll take a look at some options and explore why giving back is good for business.
The idea of “giving back” brings up visions of food drives or money donations, but volunteering time doesn’t have to mean working in a soup kitchen. Time can also be spent as a board member for a local non-profit. Often times, board members are voted on by a committee, which is a great time to work on your elevator pitch about your strengths. Once on the board, you will act as an ambassador for that non-profit, but you will also indirectly represent your business. Your ideas will give others a glimpse into your leadership skills and strengths, as well as how you approach problem-solving.
Looking beyond board membership, a great way to learn about your target audience and/or clients is to interact with them outside of official business situations. One way to do that is to get involved in their causes. At the very least, this will give you more face time together, which then turns into free networking. By working outside of business hours, the direction of authority changes, so instead of them looking to you to be the authority, you can work along-side, or even under them for a change of pace. Additionally, this will turn into additional leads as you will be immersed in your community.
The more positive exposure you receive, the more people will want to work for you. You will become an attractive work destination for talented people who may be looking to upgrade their current position or who may simply be looking for a change of scenery. Attracting top talent has two benefits. The first is that each new hire will have a network of contacts that come along with them. Secondly, their new perspectives will add new energy to your business, both internally as a team builder, and externally, as any new innovations are sure to get you noticed.
So get out there and build your business while giving back to your community!