As a small business owner, you’re deeply invested in the community you’re a part of in many different ways. Unlike large corporations, small businesses are more personal to the surrounding area and locals. They’re more locally-minded since the owners are often from the area, and they depend on the local economy because of their location.
Emphasizing that local connection can be beneficial to your business since the community is what made your business successful. As an owner, you should focus on engaging with the community and giving back to your patrons, just as they’ve given to you. To successfully engage with your community in meaningful ways, consider the following ideas.
Events
Show that you care about what’s going on in your community by taking part in local events. Doing so will offer great brand exposure to those in attendance, whether you set up a tent, walk in a parade, or just talk to the people around you. Doing this will attract attention to your business, and going to these events will give you the chance to write about it on social media—take some pictures while you’re there to grab people’s attention online visually!
Volunteering
Even when you feel like you’re too busy to do anything but work, you should still make time to volunteer at a local charity or nonprofit organization. This doesn’t have to be a solo job; you could offer your entire company to assist with programs that your chosen organization might be putting on and ask your team members and employees to volunteer with you.
Volunteering isn’t just great for the people your chosen organization is helping. It can provide a sense of personal reward and fulfillment for helping a good cause and increase positive brand exposure for your company. Additionally, volunteering can be a great opportunity to meet new people within your community.
Teamwork
Promoting your business doesn’t mean you have to ignore everyone else. Getting together and forming partnerships with other businesses can be both mutually beneficial and yield positive results, depending on your business and the other person’s business. A cafe could make a deal with a farmer and sell their food, leading to higher quality products for one and extra money for the other.