Small business social responsibility

Small business owners, whether urban or rural, have an opportunity to impact the needs of their community. It doesn't cost a lot, but can make all the difference.

Volunteering and donating are, interestingly enough, a great way to grow your business, not just support your community. The pro bono work you may do leave a mark and people talk about it in a positive way. This is always very good for your brand. Whether the positive word-of-mouth about your company comes from a paid experience or a volunteer/donated one, that support can bring you business. You can expose your business to a new audience with donation of money, products or services or through volunteering your time.

A friend of mine, Annette Hovey, is trying to raise funds to help her family. Her sister passed away after a battle with breast cancer and it has turned her family inside out. Annette is a small business person, an artist, and while working full-time for a business development corporation, has still found the time and method to help out others. Her creative solution is to sell a book of poetry on-line - not a big investment of her small business money, but something of value and a big help to others. Read her story.

While Annette's story is personal - helping her family - there are loads of opportunities for businesses to give back to their community.

Volunteering is perhaps the most valuable thing of all. Yes, it is time consuming but the new people you meet and the potential for business growth make it worthwhile. For new business owners, this is a pathway to faster business growth. If you can tie your volunteering to your business theme, even better.

And keep in mind, that while volunteering and donating are philanthropic, there is no reason not to put some "conditions" on your time, product or service. Get your logo out there. If there is a way to get your story out there too, then take advantage of it. There is no reason not include a small card with your business description and contact information with any form of donation.

And right now, with all the fear of a recession, you do well to find methods of promoting your business that reach new audiences and confirm to your existing audiences that it is a good thing to do business with you.