Why you should serve your community as a small business

Serving others has always been a part of my life. I love it. Some of my desire to serve others is innate, I think, but it’s also probably a combination of lessons that were taught to me growing up — whether intentional or by example. It might be selfish, but there’s something about serving that just makes you feel good about yourself. We all need a little bit more of that, right? Heres Why You Should Serve Your Community as a Small Business.

One of my favorite quotes that I use often is by Tony Robbins. He says something to the effect of, “The reason you’re suffering is you’re focused on yourself.” Don’t get me wrong: There’s a time and a place for focusing on ourselves, but for me, the best remedy for suffering is to serve someone in need. Many times in my life when things seemed hard, I’ve had to surrender and serve. There isn’t a time I can think of when I’ve done this that it?hasn’t?helped me put things in perspective. I truly believe when we give, it opens us up to receiving. I can honestly say I’ve been blessed so much in my life when I’ve served others.

I had a client reach out to me right before Christmas. She’d just launched a membership. She’d worked endlessly on automations, marketing, funnels — all the things. She was midway through her launch, and she wasn’t getting the results she wanted. She felt so frustrated. So defeated. She’d done all the things I’d told her to do. I knew it was just a matter of time before her business really took off. Sometimes, patience is the hardest lesson to learn, right? I acknowledged her frustrations. I told her she was doing all the right things, but then I offered her one more piece of advice. I told her to take her gifts and talents and serve someone in need.

She later told me that was just what she needed to hear during that time. It wasn’t a month later she followed up and told me how her business had just taken off. My point of this story is, sometimes we feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or discouraged, and we have to just put that aside and serve. I’m not saying that guarantees instant success, but I’m saying it does offer clarity, confidence, and peace. Here’s what else volunteering does.

Improves Wellness

The Mayo Clinic did a research study that showed how volunteering or serving offered so many health benefits— the main benefit being improved mental and physical wellness.

The study showed that when people were actively volunteering, they were moving and thinking at the same time. They found that volunteers reported better physical health than did nonvolunteers. The research also showed lower rates of depression and anxiety.

Volunteering reduces stress and increases positive, relaxed feelings by releasing dopamine. By spending time in service to others, volunteers reported feeling a sense of meaning and appreciation, both given and received, which can have a stress-reducing effect. Reduced stress further decreases the risk of many physical and mental health problems, such as heart disease, stroke, depression, anxiety, and general illness.

Provides a Sense of Purpose and Teaches Valuable Skills

Volunteering gives a sense of purpose, especially when volunteering in the areas you find meaningful. Volunteers experience greater increases in life satisfaction, self-esteem, and confidence.

Nurtures New and Existing Relationships

Volunteering increases social interaction and helps build a support system based on common interests. One of the best ways to make new friends and strengthen existing relationships is to participate in a shared activity. Dedicating time as a volunteer helps you expand your network and meet amazing people.

I was on the board of a nonprofit called Haitian Roots. The mission of this nonprofit was to educate kids in Haiti. I’m not sure if you’ve ever been to Haiti or know anything about it, but it’s very impoverished. I’d been to Mexico several times, and I’d visited Brazil with my husband. That’s what I’d envisioned Haiti to be, but it was much worse. I had the opportunity to go to Haiti several times. It was hot, humid, and dirty. We volunteered in the schools and orphanages. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life, and I created the most amazing lifelong relationships through those experiences. There’s just something about serving together that brings people together in such an amazing way!

You don’t have to go to an impoverished third-world country to have these experiences. There is a plethora of opportunities in every community. When you serve with people who have a variety of backgrounds but share a desire to care for the welfare of people in their communities, it builds unity.

My husband has worked for huge corporations his entire adult life. He had one particular boss who made a huge impact on him in his career. There were lots of techniques this boss employed to motivate and encourage his team; however, one of the most memorable experiences was that his boss brought his team together two to three times a year for trainings, meetings, and such. Each time they met together, their boss coordinated a service opportunity that his team did together. I remember one time, they spent an entire day volunteering at a food bank. My husband felt such a connection to his team and admiration for his boss.

I’ve shared all the positive personal takeaways from serving, but now I want to tell you how it can help your business, too.

There’s no greater pride than helping your own community succeed. By joining together with your local customers, businesses, nonprofits, and organizations, you’re promoting many different benefits, such as economic growth, charity awareness, and the sense of community — just to name a few.

Supporting your community will always be a win-win situation.

Here are a few ways helping your community can help grow your business:

Builds Awareness

Helping your community helps people get to know you! Whatever you end up doing, there’s probably going to be some level of exposure. If you serve food at an event, volunteer to clean up a park, or donate a product or service to a nonprofit fundraising auction, there are usually incentives that are given. These incentives could include your name being printed on flyers or posted on online event pages. That’s an opportunity to give back to your community, but it’s also an opportunity for free exposure.

Also, there might be a chance that some of these community engagements will be covered by local press or even television. You could get an interview or some sort of mention. What a great reward for getting involved.

PRO TIP:?Spread the word, and let your customers know. Use email lists or social media to share the event information and encourage customers to attend. This will help the organization throwing the event, as well as your business, to see more action.

Interact With Your Customers

How often do you get to interact and get to know your customers outside of your business? Probably not too often. But when getting involved in your community, you have that opportunity to get to know your customers on a different level and in a different way.

In many instances, your local community members are your customers. And if they aren’t already, they’ll remember you when they see how you’re helping their community succeed.

PRO TIP:?Local events can be a great way to grow your email marketing list. Plus, your community involvement will encourage them to join your customer base. This could be anything from discounts and tips to special offers.

Establish Partnerships

Becoming involved in the community can open many doors. When people come together for a specific cause, the opportunities to network become abundant.

This is an ideal time to make new quality relationships with fellow community members and business owners. You all have the same sense of pride for serving the same community. Getting together with other local businesses during community events or volunteer opportunities can build some pretty amazing relationships.

One of my clients is a real estate agent. Once we started working together, we quickly became friends. She wanted to get involved in the community, and I needed help running my nonprofit. I have a nonprofit called The Compassion Foundation, and we teach youth to serve in their schools and community. She was passionate about the same things, and we decided to join forces. It’s been so amazing to work together and help serve in our community. I love this quote from Hellen Keller: “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

As noble as it is to support your community, local charities, and nonprofits, there are also many ways doing so can benefit your own business. Building awareness, having the opportunity to interact with customers, and building new business partnerships are just the tip of the iceberg. Honestly, anytime you’re putting more good in the world, it brings more goodness! From donating time, goods, services, or money, you’ll get back what you give in one way or another, so get out there and get involved!

More and more, local companies and small businesses are recognizing the importance of serving the community and promoting community engagement. Serving the community as a small business doesn’t necessarily mean donating money or sponsorships. There are many ways a business can give back to the community with their time and talents.

Here are some business community service ideas to inspire you for this year:

Clothing Drive

If you own a retail store or childcare center, a clothing drive is a great community service project idea for your business. Get your community and staff involved in a drive that helps individuals and families who are less fortunate. Find a local partner to help you discover the needs in your community, as well as pick up and distribute your donations.

Volunteer

Taking the day off for volunteer work is a great way to get your small business engaged in the community while giving your employees the chance to get involved! Some ways to serve your community through volunteer work might be to clean up a local park or help a nonprofit organization in your region for a day.

Sponsor an Event

Sponsor a local event funding a cause or organization that you want to support. This is a great opportunity to show your support for the community publicly, while also gaining some exposure for your business. There are many sports teams, theater productions, and community events that rely on sponsorships and donations from local businesses!

Support a Local Charity

Donate a portion of your time or talents to a local charity that supports your business’s values. Show your customers and community how much you care about local residents by supporting a charity in your region.

Create a Scholarship

College is a huge expense for many families. Help a student in your community fund some of their college tuition or supplies with a scholarship from your business. To tie the scholarship to your business, design it specifically for students pursuing a career in your business’s industry.

Highlight a Local Charity

One of my favorite things that we do in my nonprofit is we try to spotlight other nonprofits. In January, we featured the PTSD Foundation of Texas. We had some of the vets come speak, and we also did a Facebook Live and talked about it some more. In the spring, our group is going to volunteer for one of the branch’s grand openings.

Participate in Local Events

Serving the community as a small business includes an element of social responsibility and business community engagement. Participate in events or festivals that are important to your community, and use the opportunity to network with local people and businesses!

There are so many ways to volunteer and give back as a small business. I’m a huge believer in serving others. When we give of ourselves, it opens the universe to us receiving.

I promise that if you build service into your business’s core values, you’ll see a return.

I want to leave you with one last challenge. My challenge to you is to leave things better than you found them.