Engaging your business in the local community can bring a multitude of benefits. In addition to obviously doing some good and improving the area, community engagement can improve your brand reputation, encourage people to support your business, and give your staff a sense of purpose in addition to developing new skills. It is easy to see why so many businesses engage in the community, but what are a few of the best ways to do this? Obviously, this will depend on your local community and specific business, but here are a few ideas that will hopefully help and allow you to start making a difference right away.
Get Involved With Schools
Getting involved with local schools in the area is smart because these are key institutions and a smart way to raise your profile. There are many ways that you could get involved with local schools, including:
- Offering work experience
- Hosting workshops
- Giving presentations
- Offering supplies to the school
Volunteering
Volunteering is one of the best ways to support a local community and will help your staff to feel like they have a purpose and are making a difference in addition to forming strong relationships. In a time where communities face lots of issues, and there is a lot of suffering, volunteering can be incredibly effective and help improve the lives of those in your local community.
Vehicle Donation
Another effective way to support those that need it in the local area is through vehicle donation. As an example, Rawhide Youth Services have a Rawhide car donation service where they accept vehicles from local individuals and businesses, which are then fixed up and sold. These sales proceeds go towards supporting at-risk individuals in the area through various programs, including counseling, residential care, basic living supplies, and education, amongst other effective programs.
Percentage of Sales Towards a Good Cause
Many businesses also donate a percentage of their sales towards a good cause, such as to a charity in the local area. You will need to be in a healthy financial state to do this, but money can go a long way in this case, and it is an easy way to make a big difference and boost your reputation in the area.
Work With Other Local Businesses
Another smart way to get involved in the local community is to work with other local businesses. Two companies coming together for the greater good can do big things. This is also an effective way to reach an entirely new market and forge stronger connections throughout the community.
These are just a few ways that a business can get involved with the local community. Community engagement brings many benefits to the business, staff, and community, so it is certainly something that businesses should be looking to do, particularly if you want to raise your profile and improve your brand reputation while simultaneously doing some good and improving the area inwhich you operate.
