Hey, y’all! Brent Perry with Business on Purpose.

Let’s talk about the impact your business is making. And today, I’m not talking about the goods or services or products that your company offers. I am talking about the impact you are making in your communities. 

Recently I was reading an article from Cumberland Bussiness.com. They had a few things to say about local businesses…

First, they said that “Not only are local businesses important for creating a culture for the community, but they also build connections and relationships with the people.”

Now, you know at business on purpose, our radar goes off when we hear or see the word culture. We love it. We created an entire culture calendar for teams knowing how important it is for the health and success of a business. 

It’s also important to talk about the connections and relationships with the people. Not only is this beneficial to you and your business, think of the pipeline for your leads and potential new hires. 

But business-to-business connections can be an important aspect for long-term success... such as referrals from other business owners. 

The article also goes on to say that

“Small businesses impact their communities in a variety of ways, from interpersonal relationships to local government to the economy.”

Whether you know it or not, your business is likely making an impact already in your community. Even if you haven’t been intentional about it, it’s happening. Now the amount of impact and the kind of impact you are making is really up to you. 

Before I came to work with Business on Purpose, I was working for a local business based out of Columbia, TN. Last year, 2020, with the Pandemic in full swing, kids who were able to be back at school were not able to use the water fountains at school. And all the drink machines had been suspended due to the spread. 

As a company, they raised money, pitched in and WireMasters donated over 533 cases of water bottles to the Maury County school system... it was over 15,000 bottles of water. 

You want to talk about a positive impact on the community. The outpour of gratitude and news coverage and thank you’s from kids and parents were incredibly high. And this is just 1 of many examples we could share from our experiences and our clients experiences from BOP. 

So, is there anything you can do to be more intentional about the impact you are having? Absolutely..

Here are a few ideas if you are looking to impact your communities through your business. These ideas come from The Chalmers Center’s Economic Development Lab who invited our team to a conference call this past week. 

 

• Give employees 2-3 days a yearly r of paid time to volunteer in the community, either individually or as a staff. Make time for staff to share their experiences. Companies that have done this have watched it transform their culture!

 

• Pursue a workforce as diverse as your community at every level

 

• Create community among employees. Host an annual event for employees and their families. Track work anniversaries and birthdays, and acknowledge these. 

 

• Invite employees to give monthly to create a general fund that is matched by the business and that is used to care for team members who encounter unexpected circumstances. Create a small team of employees to be on the lookout for needs and discern when those funds are given. 

Let’s make a difference!

Thanks for listening. 

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