On a local hair salon’s Facebook page, they posted a thank you note to all their clients and let them know that in lieu of client gifts this year, they were going to donate to a local charity. They asked their patrons to comment on which charity they thought the salon should donate to and why.
During this season of giving, partnering with local charities is a great way to engage with your customers while helping your community. Here are three more ideas of how you and your small business can partner with charities while engaging your customer base this holiday season:
- Round Up: Rounding up is becoming more and more popular. If a customer’s bill is 27.32, you ask if they would like to round up to the nearest dollar. When every customer donates a little, it adds up to a lot for local charities. Allow a portion of local currency to be used for donating to charities, as well. If patrons can donate their local currency to other organizations, the local currency can be used to buy goods the organizations might need.
- Donate Your Time & Expertise: If you have an organization in town that offers resume reviews, interviewing tips, or other job assistance, donate your time and expertise by offering to help people improve their job application materials and interviewing skills. You can also encourage your employees to give back this season by taking a morning to serve meals at a homeless shelter, volunteering at a free store, or walking dogs at the dog shelter.
- Specific Goods that Give Back: Advertise that you will donate a portion of profits for specific goods to different charities. You can even partner with organizations in town to see if they want to sell goods in your store. For example, the local humane society may want to sell animal-related products, and you can create a sign that specifies sales of the items will go straight to the animal shelter.
There are many ways to show local charities how much you support all that they do to make your community a better place. Using these tips to give back this holiday season is a great way to be involved as a small business owner, and it also encourages your customers to get involved in their community as well.
