Picture this- a strong, successful business. What comes to mind? Boardrooms, corner offices, power suits (with or without circa-1987 shoulder pads)? Lots of employees? High-tech equipment?
You probably don’t picture your neighborhood pizza place, or the guy next door’s auto body shop. Those are small businesses, and often lack the glamour and image of strength and success that accompanies big corporations. However, small doesn’t mean insignificant! In honor of last week’s Small Business Week celebrations, we wanted to talk about the impact that small businesses have on communities and how your small business can get in on the action!
Phone a Friend
According to Entrepreneur.com, 60{744608d0a3f9673dd4cd78bea820addf7a3764761378b28efbb93117a2c39fcf} of people prefer to call a local business rather than emailing or contacting them through social media. Why? Even in this era of instant Internet access, people still crave a personal relationship with the businesses they frequent. A favorite server at a local restaurant, a trusted general contractor, or a CPA who has been doing your taxes for years lead to a loyal customer base.
Don’t get us wrong- you still need to market and make your business visible online, but forming relationships with your customers results in retaining them for years to come!
Hire a Neighbor
Small businesses have historically been the backbone of communities. The Small Business Administration tells us that “more than half of Americans either own or work for a small business, and they create about two out of every three new jobs in the U.S. each year.”
This is significant! Hiring people to work in a small, community-based business helps to keep the economy of that area strong. Also it helps to keep revenue in the area, as workers will do things like shop and eat out in close proximity to their place of employment. Local jobs help to create strong communities.
Help the Community
Small businesses impact communities significantly by participating in community service. From sponsoring a Little League team to joining the Chamber of Commerce or participating in community charity events. Small businesses have the power to positively influence their local areas through service and donations.
Save the Planet
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calls compact, walkable centers of business smart growth places, noting “that business that locate in smart growth places can help protect environmental resources—for instance, by reducing air pollution from vehicles by encouraging walking, bicycling, or taking transit; building more compactly to protect ecologically sensitive land; or incorporating natural ways of collecting and filtering stormwater runoff “. Smart growth places also offer benefits for businesses, such as strong retail sales and increased productivity and innovation. Small businesses are the primary providers of smart growth places.
So, how does helping your friends, contributing to your community, and saving the planet sound? You can do all three of these things by being a strong, successful, small business owner! Let OmniBiz Services help you! Check us out on our LinkedIn and Facebook to see all of the things that OmniBiz Services can do for you!