Diamond Author
Many small businesses are reluctant to give money back to the community. They say that is pure cost and they need to stay in business, yet, I have always said it's best to give a little back to the community as you grow your business and not just scrape the cream off the top of the town. Now, you can spend lots of money on marketing, cable television ads, Internet's keyword advertising, and even radio, but I guarantee you you'll get more bang for your buck if you help out the community in your trading zone - that is to say the area which is within a 5 to 10 mile radius of your store.
And even if you are an Internet company and you do business all over the world, then you need to consider yourself part of the global community and do something that will help the entire world and as you do put that on your website so people know you're a good company, that you care about your customers, and the community. Over the years before retirement I always made sure that I gave back to the community. As my business grew from a very small business to a very large business in 23 states and four countries I made sure that each of our franchisees also gave back to their local communities, as well.
The success was obvious, not only was it the right thing to do but it brought in more business, and our franchisees very rarely ever advertised in newspapers, radio, or TV at the time. The Internet back then was just getting going, and we did do some advertising on the Internet along with each of our franchisees having their own webpage, but still nothing brought in more business than our community service, fundraisers for non-profits, and other local assistance.
Later on I realized that I wasn't the only person who discovered that you get more than you give when it comes to the community. I'd like you to think about this quote by someone who is far more successful than I in business, as he created the world's largest franchise, with locations in more countries than any other business, yes I speak of McDonalds;
"We have an obligation to give something back to the community that gives so much to us."
-Ray Kroc
Well, if it worked for McDonald's, and it worked for me, I'm sure it will work for you to. Please be sure to give a little back as you grow your business to the community that supports you day in and day out. Think on it.
About this Author
Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank. Lance Winslow believes that you should build your business concrete strong; http://www.concretewashguys.com/biopage.shtml.
Note: All of Lance Winslow's articles are written by him, not by Automated Software, any Computer Program, or Artificially Intelligent Software. None of his articles are outsourced, PLR Content or written by ghost writers.
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