STEPS TO MAKE A MARK IN GOODWILL

MANY businesses give back to communities they operate in to foster goodwill and inspire customer loyalty. But charitable giving is merely the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the ways in which businesses can contribute towards the welfare of their communities and cement their position as good corporate citizens.

It is also important to note that contributing and garnering loyalty is something that a business can – and should – do all year round, as opposed to sticking only to specific times when it seems most appropriate and socially expected.

Here are three simple steps that small businesses can take to become a strong pillar of their community:

Being profitable sounds like the polar opposite of being community-minded or charitable. But this is the single biggest contribution that a business can make to the community in which it is based. It means that the service it provides is sustainable, and that community members will be able to rely on it being there next year and the year after. It also means that the jobs provided to members of the community are stable, dependable and long-term.

In contrast, the respect earned by the big-tipping type of business owner who prioritises buying flashy cars over business sustainability is as superficial and short-lived as the business itself.

A business’s presence in the community provides a crucial contribution to the development of South Africa, which urgently needs role models to show the youth that self-employment or entrepreneurship is a valid and worthy alternative to working for someone else. Businesses do not have to be flashy or glamorous in order to make an impression on the youth. A solid presence as a role model can be established by low-key involvement such as giving talks at schools or serving on the board of a local community project. And here, charitable giving can play its most important role. When business owners sponsor the kit of a local soccer team, for example, the value they provide as role models is worth more than the donation itself.

Workers have well-established structures and methods to make a noise and exert pressure when they feel that their rights are being threatened. The voice of the business owner is, however, largely silent even in the face of serious damage inflicted by unnecessary red tape and a generally adverse economic environment. When big business speaks up it often does not face the same challenges as small businesses.

An important part of the problem is that businesses are often too busy to spend genuine time participating and setting up local business associations – something that also has to do with a low culture of activism. Join your local chamber or business association, even if it is dominated by big business, and even if you contribute just an hour or two per month. In their numbers, the voice of small businesses can become powerful.