How Your Small Business Can Create Change in Your Community

Today, running a business is not just about your product or service – it is so much more than that. From exceptional customer service and value-added features to social contribution and networking, small- and large-scale businesses are working to create a brand that strikes a chord with their consumers.

Creating a strong brand helps in creating a bond with customers and gaining a competitive edge over other homogenous products. Apple is perhaps the most quoted example of this phenomenon – no matter how many benefits other cellular companies present, they can't woe over Apple's consumers because of its brand strength and value.

In the same way, some brands are trying to differentiate themselves by being a herald of positive change in their communities. Whether by offering green products/services or by helping the community grow, these organizations are winning the heart of their consumers by taking a step to better the societies that sustain them.

In this article, we will share a few ways through which small businesses can make a positive change in the community. Helping your community won't only endear you to your consumers, but it will also help cure some of the ailments of your society. So, let us begin:

1.     Select One Cause and Work on It

Focusing on a bunch of causes from the get-go is the biggest mistake small businesses make. Experts suggest that small businesses should pick a single cause because:

1. Small businesses have limited resources; choosing one cause will give them the best opportunity to make a difference while remaining within their financial constraints.
2. Small businesses are inexperienced and therefore starting small is the best option to learn and grow.

When the focus is centralized on one issue, impacting change becomes possible. This change can be easily noticed by the community in comparison to the little contributions made in several areas that often go unnoticed. For example, if a beauty salon chooses to include the promotion of female education, clean drinking water, and waste management in its agenda, then it's possible it won't be able to achieve any of these satisfactorily. However, if it only chose one of these causes, it can make a significant difference in their community.

Tips:

• Take suggestions from every team member and have a detailed discussion on it. Select some broad categories and then narrow down your choices.

• Pick up a cause about which your team is passionate, but more importantly, select a cause in which you have some expertise. For instance, a Carpet Cleaning business may opt for cleaning public parks every six months.

• Be sure that your cause is about your business. If you are an educational business, you can offer some free classes to the deserving students. Likewise, if you are from the hospitality industry, you can provide health awareness.

Examples:

If you are confused about the cause, get some ideas from the below options:

• Recreational activities for children
• Social causes, such as poverty eradication, equal employment, and better working conditions, etc.
• Contributing to quality education.
• Working for a safe society. 

2.   Pick A Way to Support

Once you have chosen a cause, your next step is to determine ways through which you can support that cause. You need to determine the tools and platforms through which you can help. For instance, if you have a budget in surplus, you can contribute in terms of money. Similarly, if you are short of budget, you and your team can contribute your skills and expertise, such as by offering free counseling and consultancy.

We have listed a few ways to help you in selecting a suitable channel to help. Some of them include:

• Giving scholarships
• Providing welfare service
• Providing office space to the non-profit organizations
• Arranging events and giving funds to the non-profits from the profit
• Arranging a voter registration office for a good political change

3.   Partnerships

Making partnerships with businesses that are essential for the community can provide a two-fold experience. On the one hand, it will help the other business grow, and on the other hand, it will show your support for the community.

Read below and get some great ideas of making partnerships for bringing a positive change in the community:

• Partner in sponsoring events
• Promote the partnering brand on social media
• Make the business viral via word of mouth strategy
• Partner in doing welfare activities

4.   Use Your Voice for Social Awareness

If you are a well-established small business, you must be having a lot of followers and fans. Thus, whatever you say will be visible to a huge chunk of the audience. So, take positive advantage of it and use your voice to bring a good chance in the community. For instance, you can make social media posts related to the precautionary measures of COVID-19. Many brands posted handwashing and hygiene tips in the last few months on social media. Similarly, you can raise your voice for problems like sexual abuse, unemployment, illiteracy, and so on.

In this way, you are making your contribution to the community as well as build loyal customers. Customers who notice that the brand is standing with the community in difficult times are likely to be loyal in the long run.

5.    Announcing Local Jobs

Small businesses are ideal for resolving the unemployment issue of the community. Though the remote working facility is available, business owners should consider the locals rather than hiring foreigners for online work. It ensures that people will stay in the community instead of moving to other cities for work opportunities. When locals work more, they will spend more, and thus there will be a good cash inflow in the community—for instance, spending in terms of grocery, amusement, education, and so on.

6.   Infrastructure

In comparison to large scale businesses, huge factories, and big shopping malls, small businesses do not require big spaces. They easily adjust themselves to an already developed infrastructure. Besides this, they do not require a higher maintenance cost from the community. For instance, a small business can use an existing set up of water and sewerage, electricity, and gas pipeline. Building a new infrastructure from scratch has a more adverse impact on the community's environment.

7.    Local Tax and Inspiration

When small businesses operate locally, they pay tax for the community, which in turn increases the local revenue of the community. This tax is then used for building roads, schools, gardens, etc. When business flourishes, it serves as a source of motivation for many entrepreneurs. Thus, new businesses are likely to establish. This means that more tax will be generated, and the community will be in a better position. Therefore, small businesses must register themselves with the local authority and pay their taxes on time.

Final Thoughts

Small businesses can make a great contribution to the betterment of communities. From local tax and partnerships to social awareness and local jobs, there are various ways to bring a positive change. Whether we talk about a local grocery shop or an event management office, every business can make a healthy contribution at some level. Collective community changes can bring a big change at the city level, which in turn is beneficial for the overall economy of the country.