Taking the opportunity to give back to the community that your business is a part of doesn’t take much. Your team can volunteer for any number of not-for-profits, your company can donate to local causes or your business can invest in initiatives that fundamentally improve the community. Being an entrepreneur means taking advantage of opportunities. Your community has opportunities to give back in ways that can improve the lives of the families and individuals connected to your staff, your customers and your vendors. Giving back is good business.
Imagine serving 600,000 meals per year to the homeless community. Imagine giving 275 people a place to stay each night. Imagine doing this through within arms reach of your corporate offices. Amazon has announced that they have partnered with a Seattle based not-for-profit, Mary’s Place, that will be running a homeless shelter on the same campus that Amazon’s headquarters is located on. Amazon will be paying the rent, utilities, maintenance and security costs associated with the shelter for the next decade or for as long as Mary’s Place needs it. The team at Amazon will be volunteering and looking to build relationships with the staff and guests of Mary’s Place by teaching coding classes, reading to children, providing resume help as well as anything else that is needed.
Does your business support the local community? If so, why? If not, why? Giving back is an important part of building a business. Supporting the community means your business can connect with your staff, your customers and your suppliers in a meaningful way that strengthens relationships. Good business is always done based on relationships and giving back is one way to do good business.
