What are you doing to improve your community?

Most businesses thrive solely on contributions of the local community through revenues, providing healthy competition, and encouraging innovation at the community level.  It is, therefore, imperative that businesses come up with ways to give back to the community. Below are some ways through which businesses can support the local community.

 

Imparting knowledge;

Businesses may offer free skills development courses or organize workshops to impart the business or entrepreneurial know-how around business and other community skills needs. This benefits the community by empowering them to be self-reliant, productive and build towards sustainability.  It also creates strong bonds and relationships between your business and the community. The workshops can be based on the industry your business is in and the skills the communities in which the business operates require. For instance, for a technology business, you can provide free courses on the basics in technology, if in the hotel industry, you can offer free cooking classes and such like basic training. In the end, it provides awareness for your business and also empowers the local community members.

 

Sponsor an event;

Sponsoring an event can be advantageous to your business and the community at large. However, a business can support their communities in various ways that are not limited to sponsoring- they could hosting the event or organizing it. This is an advantage for your businesses as it is a great marketing strategy that could aid a business break into new markets, build, and/ or strengthen business relationships and facilitates the promotion of your brand. Fundraising events are also a good idea that can help members of respective organizations interact better with the communities within which they operate in and promote greatly build on their brand awareness. Such events include planning and executing marathons, giveaways, talent shows among others.

 

Participating in charities and donations;

Volunteering and participating in donations at the community level go a long way to create a sense of trust. There are various ways to give back to the communities, either in monetary support or in participating in short and/ or long-term projects and programmes. While monetary or financial donations are much preferred as it is less time consuming for your business and the community has a better idea of their specific needs, in-kind donations/gifts are also of great support to communities. Long-term projects and programs require monetary and hands-on contributions which is vital. Through such immense support, potential customers are able to know that your business has the local community’s best interests at heart. Examples of volunteering activities are participating in community clean-up, setting up fresh produce gardens, building a local school among others.

 

Offer apprenticeship and training to locals;

Offering apprenticeship and training to the locals is a great way to give back to the community. Skilled locals are able to be absorbed by your business or other businesses while at it. The business supports the community by creating jobs after successful training. This, therefore, improves the quality of life and decreases poverty in the community.

 

Support other small businesses in the locality;

Assisting other businesses in the community is also an acceptable form of support. For instance, your restaurant business could get local suppliers for fresh produce, getting a plumber locally for maintenance e.t.c. Another form of support is challenging other businesses and this can be done by offering to train other business owners in the community in business skills that will help them grow their businesses, therefore, growing the community’s economy.

 

Therefore, businesses play a crucial role in communities support and long-term development. They promote innovation in the community, grow and stimulate the economy exponentially, decrease the poverty rates by providing job opportunities and generally are in favor of the well-being of the community.

With the growth of the economy comes infrastructural and social development. However, it is your responsibility to ensure that your business makes a positive impact in the lives of the community within which you operate and support the communities fully as a means of empower, innovate and invest in humanity.