Help Your Community and Your Business Through Civic Service

If your small business has not found a way to give back
to the community through community service, you’re not
only missing out on a chance to help others, but you’re
losing an opportunity to boost your business’s bottom
line as well.

by Tamara E. Holmes

Community service efforts get publicity. If your
business is working to promote a cause or to provide
free services to disadvantaged groups, you may get
coverage in the local press. Not only will the
community at large think positively of your company’s
actions, but those who were previously unfamiliar with
your business will now know that you exist.

Another way community service can be helpful to your
business is through the networking opportunities it
affords. By partnering with other businesses in civic
service efforts, you’ll be leveraging your clout in the
business community. Also, the people you work with or
serve through the project will get to know you and your
staff. If their comfort level with you rises, they may
be more apt to do business with you in the future.

Some community service efforts can result in a tax
break. By holding an event that raises money for a
charity and matching donations raised with company
funds, for example, you’ll be raising your profile in
the community and qualifying for a tax break on your
business’ donation at the same time.

There are even some organized efforts to help small
businesses funnel their resources into providing
community service.

Business Strengthening America
(http://www.bsanetwork.org) is a network of
small-business leaders, as well as executives of
Fortune 500 companies, working to promote civic
service.

Also many national organizations traditionally look for
businesses to partner with. For example, the American
Red Cross works with businesses to identify
opportunities to pitch in to help different parts of
the country to recover from disasters.

The types of community service your small business can
get involved with are only limited by your imagination.
A good place to start when it comes to thinking up a
project is by looking at your business’ strengths.

For example, if you own a graphic design company, you
might want to donate your services to a charitable
event’s promotion efforts. Your company can design the
fliers and gain free publicity in the process by having
your logo printed on the bottom of each handout.

Likewise, if you own an event-planning company, you can
plan a community blood drive or charitable auction and
contact other companies to sponsor it and help put on
the event. Not only will you be helping the community,
but also you’ll be showing other companies your
event-planning skills, which they may remember when
they’re planning a company event of their own.

You can also join with other small businesses to put on
an event together. For example, several local businesses
can get together to organize a community cleanup
effort, or multiple small businesses can band together
and hold a canned food drive, in which they each ask
their customers to donate supplies.

The holidays often afford opportunities for community
service and charity events. Several small businesses
can host a holiday party for local children, for
example, in which small gifts are given out. Or you can
organize a turkey dinner for the homeless community and
ask other small-business owners and neighborhood
residents to donate their time.

Whatever community service event you decide to
participate in, be proactive when it comes to getting
the event publicized.

While organizers of any community service groups that
you partner with might contact the media about the
event, don’t leave public relations to chance. Create a
press release about your business’ involvement and
send it to local newspapers and news stations in
advance. Publicity doesn’t only benefit your company;
if more people hear about the event, more can benefit
from it.

One of the best ways to connect with a community is by
serving others. Through community service, you’ll be
creating a win-win situation for all parties involved.

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