Being a good corporate citizen is essential to having a successful business.
I spend a lot of my time encouraging business owners to get involved in the community where they make their living. I include it in marketing plans, I talk about it at events and conferences and I try to lead by example. We all need to be better corporate citizens and in fact consumers these days make it very clear that they want to deal with businesses that make a difference. I know it is a consideration for me when I spend money.
Unfortunately there are many business owners out there who just don’t get it. They ask questions like “how much free publicity will I get?” and “how many new customers will it get me?” or “how much will this add to my bottom line”? Some things simply can’t be measured in dollars and cents and community involvement is certainly one of those things.
I can’t tell you how much more money being a good corporate citizen will make your business, if any at all, but I can say it will cost you if you are not one. There are a lot of consumers out there making very conscious decisions about where they will spend their money. Given the choice between spending it with a business that plays an active role in the community and one that doesn’t, what choice do you think they will make?
That is why I have no problem with businesses that promote themselves as being actively involved in their community and in fact I recommend that they do. If it means that the community wins – we are all better off. So tell people what you do in your community, hang the certificates on the wall, put it on your website and be proud of making a difference.
We are all charged with the responsibility of making the world a better place and as business owners we can do a lot. In Australia alone there are about 1.7 million businesses – even the smallest can make a big difference. Contributing to your community in any way you can is smart business.
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