The 21st century has brought some good times and bad ones for the business world. The last decade proved particularly challenging with the global economic crisis. But as firms ride the tidal waves of economic uncertainty, many are proving that it’s still “business as usual.”
Savvy entrepreneurs are showing that it’s possible to run a firm even in tough trading conditions. Those that succumb to the effects of the volatile economy are usually those that made poor trading decisions.
These days, if you want to run a successful business, one thing you need to do is be open to change. You must be flexible and willing to change with the times to guarantee future success. One way companies can do that is affiliating themselves with charities, believe it or not.
Why charities?
You might be wondering why it makes sense to affiliate your company with a charitable organization. There are plenty of reasons. First, it shows that your business is committed to giving something back to the community.
Second, joint marketing efforts are mutually beneficial for both parties. That means your brand is exposed to potential new customers. And your chosen charity garners more publicity for its worthy causes. On the face of it, you have a win-win situation.
In a recent story, we saw Issa Asad in the Sun Sentinel. His firm, Q Link Wireless, provided Thanksgiving meals for 500 families in need. He did so in collaboration with Feeding South Florida.
One obvious thing to take from that exercise is that it offered him and his company good publicity. But it shows that firms like his are also socially responsible for those less-privileged around them.
How to forge a relationship with a charity
If you want to create an affiliation with a charity close to your heart, you will doubtless be wondering how to go about doing so.
The first step is to identify which charity you would like to work with. You shouldn’t just choose one at random. Your choice should be one based on a subject that you hold dear, such as improving the lives of homeless people, supporting a Pine Ridge Indian Reservation community, or cancer research. You may provide incentives to your employees who will shop to provide cancer support.
Next, find a local charity that you can work with. It’s possible to work with national and international ones. But you are more likely to have a closer working relationship with one based at a local level.
The thing about local charities is that they can’t enjoy the levels of exposure that their larger counterparts can. Working with local charities can give them a much-needed marketing boost. You will also need to think about how your affiliation will benefit your business too.
For instance, will it give your business exposure to a large group of influential people? Local charities often work with people in local government. So if you’re trying to win public sector business, that is one way of doing it!
Finally, make sure your charity does not have links to any questionable or controversial agendas. Now you’re ready to start working on charity events that your firm can sponsor and get promoted in!
