Being part of a local community is a nice feeling no matter who you are. It’s satisfying to feel connected, to keep up with local life, to see the changes in your community and to help push those changes in the right direction. Small businesses nestled and proud of their local area tend to be looked on with fondness, and sometimes, this is essential for success. For example, running a restaurant that no one in the local community appreciates or can afford is a quick way to become irrelevant.
So, if you run the right kind of business, transforming your small business into a cornerstone of local community life can be a great boon. After all, if you support the local community, they tend to support you in turn. You may also have a greater connection to your market, which makes pushing forward new business decisions much easier to handle, such as integrating a credit card company functionality so you can easily take payments on the fly.
However, this outcome doesn’t happen in a day. It takes work to achieve it. In this post, we’ll discuss how to achieve it:
Support Local Events
It’s good to be present at local events. Sure, they might not be the largest revenue-generating pursuits you’ll ever embark on, but they can do wonders for helping your exposure, for contributing a little, and spreading your message. Your business may be in the best position to contribute something unique here. If you run a local shop, you could donate goods, or produce if you’re a cafe or restaurant, or even technical fixtures. For instance, if you run a small audio recording studio, you could help set up the local music festival stage sound design. A little investment goes a long way.
Partner With Local Businesses
It’s easy to think of opposing businesses as “enemies,” but there’s no reason for that to be the case. Competition does not necessarily mean you’re opposed to that group. Partnering with local businesses in similar or parallel industries can be proof of this. Let’s say you run a bakery, and a local charity event is being run to donate to local children’s hospitals. Well, you might work with a florist to put together a lovely baked goods and decorative hamper guests can bid on or win in a paid raffle. This also helps you share exposure under that feel-good sense of co-operation.
Create Local Job Opportunities
Hiring from your local community can be a wonderful method of becoming part of its community fabric. Everyone knows someone who has worked at a local cafe or retail store, or had their start at a local attraction. This not online provides familiarity but adds some of that cultural authenticity you might not have otherwise. It’s not hard to be part of the community tapestry when staff actually come from it and sustain your business thanks to their efforts. Treat them well and they’ll spread the good word of your brand, and your community will be better able to relate to what you have on offer.
With this advice, you’ll be sure to transform your business into an excellent cornerstone of local community life.
