Tree Talk: Getting Involved in Your Community – The Creative and Inexpensive Way to Promote Your Business

By getting involved in the community, businesses have the opportunity to prosper and grow at virtually no cost. Gaebler.com, a resource for entrepreneurs, states that, “Getting involved in the community can be a win-win situation in business. You’ll feel good about it, the community will benefit, and it can have added benefits to your company and its image.”¹

WhyGelato.com event, Huntersville, NC

There are lots of important reasons to get involved; for instance, it’s free or low cost publicity and allows facetime with the locals, gives a positive image, spreads the company name, attracts attention and, most of all, establishes new customers.

It’s never too late to start getting involved – establishing a community- minded business is always a good thing. And there are plenty of ways to get involved and give back. Here are just a few:

Sponsorship

Sponsor local youth or other sports teams in the area. As a sponsor, businesses have the opportunity to print their store name and logo on sponsored team’s jerseys, and therefore increase business visibility. In addition, host get-togethers after each game that offer discounts for those involved, or host the team meetings and/or award ceremonies for free.

Membership

Join local commerce organizations, neighborhood associations and industry clubs – networking within the community can open numerous doors.

Community Events

Volunteer to work at local festivals, fairs, home days, parades, block parties and other events going on throughout the year. Set up a booth and offer products at a discounted rate or pass out coupons that invite guests to come in and try a sample during that month.

Use your imagination. Community is always about people. Enjoy being a part of your community. People are intuitive and respond to genuine caring. When you’re sincere about community involvement, you might be surprised at how much your business will benefit and how fast it will grow.²

The possibilities are truly endless. Profits and notoriety will grow for businesses that get involved in the community.

Businesses can find out about events, clubs, organizations, etc., in their area by checking local newspapers, local bulletin boards or by logging onto citysearch.com, usaservice.org and TheYellowPages.com.

References:
1 Goldman, Andrew. “Getting Involved in the Community,” gaebler.com.
2 McDevitt, John. “How Being Involved in Your Community Can Help Your Business Grow,” helium.com.