A few weeks ago, I wrote about some of the biggest SMS text marketing fears that business owners have.  I walked through everything from invasion of customers’ privacy to general disinterest, in hopes of illustrating the reality of SMS text opportunities that exists because of one simple thing: most consumers do want to receive deals, savings and information from the stores they frequent.

Now that the opportunity for reaching consumers through SMS text is clearer, you may be wondering where to begin.  You are probably wondering to yourself what exactly you are going to text these customers. Well, you are headed in the right direction. The “what, when, and how” of your text message marketing campaigns is vital to their success.

The first step is crafting your text message so that it is eye catching and informational. Here are a few tips:

1. You only have 160 characters. Short and to the point is expected and best practice for text messages.
2. If you don’t think 160 characters will be enough consider linking to a mobile optimized website with more information.
3. Don’t use “text speak”.  You are a business, and your texts should reflect that.
4. Start with action words. Words like “save,” “run,” and jump” help start the message with a call to action customers can respond to.
5. Make your message clear. Creativity is great, but not at the expense of being clear and direct.
6. Identify yourself. Include your name or the business name at the beginning or end of the text to guarantee your customers know who’s texting them.

As a small business owner, you probably know your local market pretty well. Speak to what your customers want when you text them. Not sure what you can text? Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Time Sensitive Offers. One of the biggest benefits to using SMS texting as part of your marketing is the ability to reach customers wherever they are and at any time of the day. Take advantage of this unique aspect and text customers offers that are only good for the immediate future. For example, if you’re a restaurant, send out a text about your dinner special around 4pm when people are deciding what to eat.

SMS Specific Offers. Send your customers specials and offers for your products and services that only they have access to. You’ll make your contacts feel special and encourage more customers to sign up by treating the opt-in text customers like VIPs.

Reminders. If you’re a service company, use SMS texting to remind customers of upcoming appointments. They get a quick little reminder and you will reduce your no-shows. If you have a big event coming up you can use your SMS list to remind customers that the big day is fast approaching. Finally, if you run any weekly or monthly specials send out a quick reminder that it’s “Tasty Tuesday” or “Free Friday”.

 “Be On the Lookout”. Use your SMS list to inform customers when you send out a new marketing piece like your email newsletter or the latest direct mail flyer to let your customers know they can be on the lookout when they get home. Send out teasers (with dates!) when you have new products or services coming to your business.

Overall, your texts should never be too frequent – once every two weeks is best – and they should always be useful to your customers. Evaluate what you’re texting as if you are a customer receiving it from a business you frequent. If you wouldn’t want to receive that text offer or update, chances are neither will your customers.

How do you craft the perfect SMS text message for your campaign? We’d love to hear your “tried and true” approach! 

On Sunday, people all over the world paused to honor a wonderful and influential person in their lives – Mom. Whether it’s the mom you grew up with, a caring motherly neighbor or a mentor you can rely on, lives are impacted by these wonderful women day in and day out.

The power and “reach” of Mom extends farther than you may expect, though, as moms make up the majority of the purchasing decision makers. Wise businesses are taking note of their primary customers and starting to think through ways they can cater to this significant source of buying power.

If your business hasn’t taken into consideration the influence women and mothers wield in the purchasing process, it’s time to start! Check out these facts from The Next Web:

1. Moms make up a $2.4 trillion market
2. Women identify themselves as the primary shopper in the house 75% of the time
3. 76% of women are online and 90% of moms are online
4. 85% of all consumer purchases are accounted for by women

As a small business owner you already have a good idea of who your best customers are. Take that a step further and you’ll quickly realize that you can grow your business by understanding what the moms in your market are looking for.

Moms are highly mobile.

65% of them have a smartphone, which is 38% higher than the general U.S. population. Tap into the mom market by being available to on-the-go customers through mobile-optimized websites and relevant apps.

Modern moms are social media users.

One in four moms purchase children’s products because of recommendations they receive through social media or a blog. On top of that, social media moms mention brands an average of 73 times per week. That’s a lot of word of mouth potential for your business and brand.

Have a presence on social media so women and moms can connect with you to stay up to date on your business and recommend you to their followers. Reach out to active social media moms by following their accounts and interacting with them on a regular basis to really get the referral wheel spinning.

Mothers love to celebrate family.

Mothers are always looking for ways to celebrate life’s little moments like a “baby name reveal” or middle school graduations. Tap into this “party” mindset by exhibiting how your products and services make their family life fun and easy. Visual images that convey your positive impact on “lifestyle” are especially effective.

Moms break the mold.

Above all, don’t let the stereotypical idea of mom hold you back. The modern mom doesn’t let her title define her; she defines it in her own unique way. Moms are more confident than ever and are likely to be part of non-traditional families. Appeal to the mothers in your market by getting to know who they are as women. In many ways, women rule the world, after all.

How is your business connecting with the Mommy population?

We hope you had a Happy Mother’s Day!

Last week we discussed how you can grow your dental practice from inside your office through cleanliness, exceptional service, and easily accessible marketing materials patients can take home.

But what happens outside the office in between visits can be just as important to building a loyal base of patients and especially to attract new visitors to your office. Utilize traditional advertising and digital marketing to get the word out about your business where consumers are most likely to respond.

Out in the World

While the atmosphere and effort you put into your office is the main component in keeping patients, the work you put into activities outside your practice encourages new customers. There are two big points of contact you can take advantage of to find new patients.

Online

Instead of printed phone books, consumers rely on the internet to conduct local searches for businesses. Take the time to build a pleasant, informative website. Make office hours, contact, and insurance information easy to find and understand. Get testimonials from current patients to put on your website. If possible, feature your past dental work visually, either with before and after images or video – but only with permission from the patient.

Have a presence on social media and popular review sites. Not only will these be another place that consumers can find your business but it allows you to keep a watchful eye on what your current and past patients are saying about you. Respond thoughtfully to any negative comments about your practice to encourage past patients to give you another try.

Consider doing an e-mail newsletter on a regular basis. Focus your newsletter on these topics:

1. Tips for Oral Hygiene
2. News about the practice
3. Information about your employees – a monthly “star employee” can motivate your staff
4. Fun and interesting graphics related to dentistry and oral hygiene. If you have a creative person working in your office you could even create your own!

In their home

Reach into the homes of potential and current patients by targeting relevant consumers in their homes through direct mail. Target new homeowners in the area with offers for discounted new-patient exams.  Send out seasonal reminders for patients to bring them in the door:

• Smile Pretty for Back to School Pictures – get a FREE whitening with a standard appointment this month only!
• Happy New Year! Having a “gorgeous smile” is this year’s TOP resolution so start the year right with [%] off Exam, Cleaning, and X-Rays
• White Hot Summer Discount: Make your smile brilliant with our [%] off teeth whitening
• New to the neighborhood? A smile is all it takes – make sure you feel confident in yours with our new neighbor offer!

How do you balance the business demands with the dentistry demands to keep your business growing?

“You don’t have to brush all your teeth – just the ones you want to keep.”

It is not uncommon to hear a groan in response to the phrase “I have a dentist appointment today.” This blame is often misplaced, but unfortunately it happens for many people who have experienced a cavity, root canal or other dental procedure beyond the standard cleaning.

And yet, simultaneously, anyone with teeth (or the internet!) knows that dentists provide a valuable service.

These days most consumers understand the health importance of regular visits to the dentist, so finding a dentist office that provides a positive experience and leaves customers with a smile (sorry, I couldn’t help myself) typically means 2 things: fierce loyalty and potential word-of-mouth marketing.

Capture that fierce loyalty as well as new patients by focusing on the internal and external environment surrounding your practice. And make that word-of-mouth marketing as easy as possible by providing your current customers with access to easily sharable marketing materials.

Inside the Office

Whether the person walking through your door is a repeat patient or a potential new one, your lobby and waiting area says a lot about your practice. First impressions go a long way, so provide patients with inviting and comfortable surroundings to indicate that your office is a clean and well-run place they can feel relaxed in.

Decreased wait time is top priority, but providing entertainment to keep clients occupied is wise. Newspapers, magazines, books and toys for kids are all great. You can even place a TV in the room.

As you know, the value of customer service can’t be overstated. The way your patients are treated from the moment they walk in the door until they leave is a significant factor in keeping customers and encouraging patient referrals (which could mean new business).

When high quality personal service is the backbone of your practice’s culture, patients will be motivated to keep coming back, but there are a few other ways you can grow your business from inside the practice.

1. When a patient is checking out, offer to set up their next visit right then. We all know the importance of regular dentist visits, but it can be hard for consumers to remember with the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
2. Provide helpful reminders. Set up a system where you call patients a few days before their next visit to remind them of their appointment, even consider sending a reminder in the mail the week before.
3. Give them something to take home. The usual toothbrush, toothpaste, and floss are great ways to encourage dental maintenance. But also providing a little “gift” like a keychain, or branded pens and pads of paper can be more permanent to hold on to. Get creative!
4. Keep pamphlets around your office. Create short, easy to understand pamphlets for a range of dental topics like tips to help parents teach their kids oral hygiene. Create a pamphlet designed for potential patients that current customers can grab to give to friends or neighbors.
5. Build a loyalty program for repeat patients. Something simple like free whitening after 5 years can be a great incentive for patients to keep coming back.

It isn’t just what happens inside the office that keeps people loyal to your business and coming back time after time, what happens in between visits can have a strong impact as well. Keep an eye out for our follow up tips for building your dental practice and learn how you can reach customers out in the world, online and even in their homes!

What questions do you have about building your dental business from the inside out? 

200 Billion. It’s kind of a silly sounding number, right?
It’s so large; we can hardly wrap our minds around it. But did you know that in the U.S., consumers send almost 200 billion texts per month?

As a marketer, when I hear that, I can’t help but see great potential for reaching consumers through texting. I also know, however, that many small businesses still have reservations about contacting customers through SMS texting.

So let me take you through some of the most common fears about implementing SMS text marketing. Hopefully it will put your mind at ease, or at least answer some questions.

Fear #1: “Texting consumers is invasive.” Many small businesses feel that sending a promotional offer or message to a customer’s phone is a little too intrusive. The idea of contacting someone on a personal device feels like an imposition.

The Solution: Make your SMS contact list opt-in only. That means customers are agreeing to be texted. When the customer gives you his or her number and opts-in, you can view it as a way to stay in touch and provide helpful savings or information, without being invasive. Opt-in lists mean they have invited you into their personal phone world.

Fear #2: “They may not like my texts or offers.”  So you have a customer’s number, but now what? Fear of sending the wrong message or offer, sending it at the wrong time, or somehow frustrating a customer can paralyze your mobile marketing momentum.

The Solution: A well-thought out text strategy with relevant, valuable offers will ensure that your customers won’t find your texts unpleasant. You should also always have an easy way for consumers to opt-out of the contact list so they don’t feel locked in to receiving your texts. Also, consumers tend to opt-out at twice the rate on the weekends as they do on a weekday, so use your weekday texts to prep customers for weekend shopping, and then give them time to do it.

Fear #3: “No one will sign up for our texts.” You may worry that your texts will not be seen by anyone, making your efforts a waste of time. The reality is that almost two-thirds of consumers want to receive special offers from businesses by text.

The Solution: Get the word out about your new SMS text offers through your store and online. Provide an incentive for customers to opt-in to your contact list. A welcome offer of 10% off their next purchase is a good example. You can also consider making your SMS contact list a feature of your loyalty program for customers to join.

Fear #4: “I don’t have time.” As a small business owner, you’re already short on time so you might think that crafting and executing an SMS campaign will take the kind of time you don’t have to give.

The Solution: More than likely, you already have an understanding of your local market and the customers who come through your door so crafting relevant offers via text should be fast and easy. Still not sure? Take time to identify your goals, and then simply dedicate or carve out ten minutes every few days to spend on the SMS campaign. Those ten minutes will add up and before you know it it’ll be part of your routine.

Fear #5: “Consumers get too many texts already.” Another common worry is that your text will just get lost in all the other texts consumers receive from companies. However, just 27% of consumers receive texts on a regular basis. That leaves a lot of room for your text to be noticed.

The solution: 71% of consumers want to receive texts from stores and brands they’ve visited or used before. So just like with your direct mail or online offers make sure your texts are relevant and timely to your customers and you’ll be sure to see positive responses!

Now that your SMS fears have been calmed, keep in mind that there are companies dedicated to running SMS campaigns for businesses.

Unsure of your next move or have more questions? Feel free to reach out, we’re happy to help you get the ball rolling on an SMS campaign or hear what other fears may be holding you back! 

Imagine with me for a minute: It’s a perfect spring day. You and your family or friends head to explore a local park and enjoy a picnic.

There’s just one problem. You haven’t made your weekly grocery trip, so your pantry is running-on-empty.

You whip out your smartphone and do a search for local sandwich shops near the park. After a quick comparison of location, menu, price, etc. the problem is solved. Yummy food + perfect weather =success!

Sound familiar? That’s because the number of consumers using their mobile devices as a search medium is increasing at lightning speeds.

What you may not know is that mobile phone and tablet searches result in purchases more than 75% of the time. By comparison, searches using a personal computer only result in purchases 59% of the time.

While PC’s are still the first device consumers turn to when they begin a search, mobile platforms like smartphones and tablets dominate search at the end of the purchase cycle.

Grab the attention of your potential on-the-go consumers and grow your business’ mobile sales using these tips we’ve put together for you:

Location, Location, Location. One of the biggest reasons on-the-go consumers conduct mobile searches is to find something close to their current location. Make sure your address is easy to find on your mobile site. Maps and driving directions can make it easier to find you leading a searching consumer to your door over the competition. Don’t forget to claim your business on sites like Google Places or Yelp and to make sure the information listed there is correct!

Pay attention to the details. The on-the-go consumer is looking for an answer right now. Make sure your website is mobile optimized, making it simple and easy to find information. If you are considering building a standalone mobile app or site, make it a priority to at least be optimized for mobile on your  standard website in the meantime. Then double-check the accuracy of all of that information since mobile users rely on the accuracy of the content they consume.

Have a presence on Apps. The uses of apps have grown by 26% on mobile phones and 19% on tablets. As this market continues to grow, ignoring the presence of potential customers through apps would be a mistake. Investigate what apps would be appropriate for you to use like location based coupons through Roximity. If there aren’t any apps that make sense for your business right now, keep an eye out on the market for new opportunities to consider.

Be Yourself. When consumers find you on their mobile devices you’re essentially reaching into their personal lives. Project your personality into your mobile site and all social media profiles where consumers might be interacting with you. Think branding: make your mobile presence memorable and share-worthy.

Investing in and mastering a new channel like mobile or text marketing can feel daunting, but because of the increasingly interactive nature of the sales process, from social media recommendations to the sheer volume of information available at your fingertips, business owners really are living in “the year of the customer”.  We know how important it is to keep up with trends, so hopefully these tips will help you get started!

How have you incorporated mobile opportunities into your marketing mix?

Direct mail is no exception to that rule. I know it can be tough for first time advertisers, so I want to share some insights I’ve gathered over the years.

First up? Time to clue you in on some of the direct mail questions you may not know you need to ask.

1. Is the company name featured? I know what you’re thinking, how could I forget my business name? Believe me, it’s all too easy to focus on the offer or the image so much that you end up putting the name of your business in small print or off to the side.
   • Best Practice: A clearly stated and easy to read business name helps keep your brand top of mind for consumers as they consider the offer. If the consumer has trouble finding or reading the name, they may ignore the offer all together.
2. Are the company’s details included? At first glance, this seems like another obvious question. But when you start crafting the information about the offer or event you may find yourself with little to no space to put something like a website URL.
   • Best Practice: Establish credibility by including the number of years you’ve been in business, make it easy for consumers by adding the store’s hours of operation, and make sure to highlight all relevant details about your offer.

All of this information helps the consumer evaluate your direct mail piece, which is especially important if they’re not familiar with your business.

• Best Practice: As a word of caution, you don’t want this information to appear overwhelming. Include only the relevant information that can be reduced to a simple, easy to read section of the direct mail piece.
3. Are the expiration dates appropriate?  It goes without saying that no offer should be limitless, so carefully analyze the offer timeframe you choose. If it’s too short, the consumer may feel pressured to go to your store immediately, which can be a turn off, especially if it conflicts with a busy schedule. If the expiration date is too far away, consumers often ‘put it on a shelf’ to use later and end up forgetting about it.
   • Best Practice: Craft offers that work by evaluating your business needs to determine the appropriate amount of time for an offer to be valid. You should also consider the restrictions and limitations on your offers. You’ll want to avoid any that can be considered “excessive” like this drastic example.
4. Does the image correspond with the offer/message? Visual content can be powerful in your business advertising.
   • Best Practice: Enhance the effectiveness of your direct mail’s image by making sure it reinforces the offer or message you’re trying to deliver. Does the image clearly convey the benefit or the expected experience of the product or service being featured?
5. Is it easy for consumers to take immediate action? Few things are more frustrating for consumers than an offer or piece of marketing with no real call to action or clear ‘next step’.
   • Best Practice: Make sure there is no guesswork involved about what they should do with your direct mail advertisement. Whether it’s a visit to your store or your site, make it as easy as possible for consumers to follow up and you will see more results.
6. Does the offer have wide consumer appeal? There is something to be said for a message targeted towards your ideal consumer, however even prospective customers within a target market have a variety of interests, personalities, needs and stresses.
   • Best Practice: Whatever the objective of your offer or message, broaden the appeal to bring in as many consumers as possible by keeping the discounts as general as possible. Your discounts should also apply to popular items or your main services.
7. Is the dollar value specific? Consumers look for the value they receive on your direct mail piece.
   • Best Practice: Give them a specific value for what you’re offering so they know exactly what the benefit of redeeming it will be. This will help them to justify their purchase rationally.

Navigating the world of direct mail advertising can be tricky but you can create a successful ad that consumers will love with these questions to guide you through the process. And remember, direct marketing is about consistency, so keep track of your promotion frequency to ensure you’re reaching your target market on a regular basis to keep your business top of mind.

What questions do you still have about direct mail advertising’s best practices?

Punxatawny Phil didn’t see his shadow on Groundhog Day, most of the world lost an hour of sleep one night a few weeks ago, and the April Fools have played their jokes… so springtime must be here!

As temperatures rise and plants begin to bloom, it’s no wonder that Earth Day falls in April.

Did you know, though, that the whole month is dedicated to environmental awareness?

That’s right; the theme for the whole month of April is sustainability. So this April, instead of just watching the world blossom, have you considered becoming more environmentally-friendly in your small business?

For many small businesses the idea of increasing sustainability seems daunting, but with over 60% of consumers taking sustainability into account during purchases, it’s worth a deeper look. In reality, there are many small changes you can make over time that will have a positive effect on the environment, and even better, your bottom line.

Besides the obvious ‘feel good’ aspect of helping the planet, creating a more sustainable business can also give you a point of differentiation in the marketplace. Combine that unique selling point with the number of consumers who are more inclined to buy from eco-friendly companies, and it could mean significantly more business for you.

Whether you’ve already made some environmentally-friendly changes to your business or not, here are a few sustainable practices you could consider implementing this Earth Month:

Plan a sustainable future. Just like any good marketing campaign, you need to plan ahead.

Start with a vision. Do you want to use more recycled products? Or do you want to reduce the amount of energy you use? Define in one statement exactly what you want to accomplish by becoming eco-friendly.

Once you know what you want to achieve, write down a few goals to help you get there. Start your goals small and then work up to the bigger things. For example, if you want to reduce the amount of energy you use, start with something simple like turning off computers at night.

Here are a few ideas to get your brain churning:

1. Recycle or Reuse Products
2. Reduce Waste
3. Buy Recycled Products
4. Seek Non-Toxic Products
5. Reduce Water Use
6. Buy Energy Efficient Products

If you don’t know exactly what sustainable practices you can or want to do, start with research. The EPA’s Step-by-Step Guide is a great place to start. Next, consider doing a cost-benefit analysis of any the changes you’re considering.

Put it into action. Now that you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and the goals you need to achieve to get there, take action.

Start with your employees. Many of the actions you may be trying to implement will rely on employee participation. For example, if your goal is to reduce energy use, employees turning off lights and electronics at the end of the day will have a major impact. Try to foster an environmentally-friendly culture.

Let all of your employees know what your vision is and the goals you set to get there. Then tell them exactly how their actions will affect your vision and what they can do to help. Your employees may even have their own goals, and by including them in the process of improving your business, you may be positively challenged by the insights or feedback you hear.

Measure the results. As you begin to implement your changes, monitor the effect they’re having.

Remember: many sustainable changes have the most impact long-term. It may take a while to see major results, especially if your change required purchases of resources or equipment like solar panels or LED lights. If you’re not achieving your goals, look for ways you can improve your sustainability tactics to make a greater influence.

Even when your changes are having a good effect (and they will!), continue to keep up to date on the latest research. Every year, we see better research on the impact our lifestyles and business decisions have on the earth (and on our consumer base!), and by staying up to date, we can make sure we’re doing our best to grow our businesses and positively impact the world around us simultaneously.

For most businesses the process of becoming eco-friendly is implemented with small changes over time. April is always a good reminder of the potential impact we’re having on the planet as a business, as individuals and as a community.

While we’ve taken quite a few steps to make our business sustainable, like using recycled paper and achieving our environmental certifications, we’re always on the lookout for what else we can do. What we’ve learned is that these day to day efforts will take place as it makes sense for your business and the community.

What changes has your business made to become environmentally-friendly?

Did you know that each year more than 825,000 tons of clothes are dry-cleaned?

Talk about opportunity. From job interviews to special occasions and daily work-wear to delicate fabrics, people want to look their best and rely on their local dry cleaning business to help them achieve that!

It is no wonder that the dry cleaning industry is such a challenging one. Faced with a saturated market of strong competition, dry cleaning business owners are tasked with drawing in potentially loyal customers while also recognizing that their market is highly convenience-driven.

Though it is a consumer centric business, dry cleaners face yet another interesting challenge: there is little or infrequent face-to-face interaction with customers, especially in purely delivery dry cleaning business models. Connecting with your dry cleaning customers when you have the opportunity, or making those opportunities happen more frequently, becomes extremely important to making your business successful.

So, the million-dollar question is this: How do you do that?

Know Your Customers.

As a local small business owner your consumer base can vary greatly depending on the town you are located in. It is crucial to know the demographics and lifestyles of the surrounding community where you do business so you can effectively target their needs with your advertising. For example, if you’re located in a college town you may want to consider implementing a student discount. Or if you’re in an area with mainly young professionals, an occasional 2-for1 suit cleaning offer would be hard to resist.

Focus on Convenience.

Clean clothes are a necessity, so consumers want a hassle-free process. Let your customers know how efficient your cleaning process is and exactly when they can expect to pick-up or receive their clothes. If there is an unexpected problem or you finish cleaning the clothes early, give the customer a quick call to let them know. For route customers, consider setting up a text reminder program or giving them a quick call the day before to remind them when it’s pick-up day so they can be sure to set any clothes out.

Present a Clean Image.

You’re in the business of cleaning so you should present an image that reflects that commitment at all times. Make sure the storefront is sanitary and mess-free, and your employees look polished. If you have a delivery service, your employees should look clean and professional while they run their routes. Any service vans should also be washed regularly and kept clutter free.

Let Your Personality Shine.

Since you don’t get that much face to face time with consumers you want to maximize any time you have with a customer. When customers are in your store they should be greeted with friendly, personable service every time. You can extend that personal touch with a regular newsletter full of useful tips for your consumers. Include entertaining information about your business like an employee spotlight section or an employee’s pet of the month. This gives your customers a way to connect with your store even if they haven’t been by in a while.

Beyond these customer service and best business practices, a strong marketing component is essential to establishing your footprint in the local community. Remember, convenience and quality are king, so convey that in your marketing efforts.

Any successful marketing campaign incorporates multiple channels to reach as many consumers as possible where it’s convenient for them. Plan your campaigns to maximize the benefits of direct marketing and digital opportunities:

• Online Media – Make sure you can be found on any online directory such as Yelp and Angie’s list. Many consumers are using these sites the same way consumers used to use the Yellow Pages. Now potential customers can also see reviews next to your business information so be sure to monitor these sites for any negative reviews or angry customers.
• Direct Marketing – Target new homeowners in the area with a ‘welcome and special offer’ piece to bring in new customers throughout the year. Be sure to think about seasonal offers and send out coupons and flyers to remind consumers to bring in their clothes when they switch out their closet in spring and fall.
• Loyalty Cards: Encourage repeat business by offering a loyalty program such as “Get one pair of pants dry cleaned FREE after four visits”.
• Mobile Media: Take advantage of your consumers on the go by sending SMS text messages to encourage business during slow times and to remind customers to bring by their clothes.

Above all, get creative and then monitor what works so you can constantly be marketing more efficiently.

How have you found success growing your dr

Did you know that March is Red Cross Month? Oh, you didn’t?

Well, it got me thinking about the non-profit organizations in our area. As we all know, many businesses take it upon themselves to donate in times of hardship, like after Hurricane Sandy. Naturally, helping out any time of the year is a worthwhile way to spend your time, but charities do great work year round. There are probably quite a few nonprofits doing hard work right now in your community!

Small business owners have the unique position of being community leaders, driving the economy of your local area and contributing to the community’s well-being. This position sets business owners up to seamlessly benefit the community by helping local non-profits (or the local branches of national organizations!) and establish their business’ footprint in the area.

Showing how your business values its local customers helps to promote a positive brand identity. If you pick a cause you’re truly passionate about, the benefits are double since you’ll get the personal satisfaction of helping out a charity close to your heart. But if all of the local nonprofits are calling your name, consider these questions:

1. Are any local charities of particular importance to your customers?
2. Do any of the local nonprofits align well with your business?

Once you’ve found a charity that you want to help out, consider taking it a step farther and partnering with them. A partnership with a local nonprofit can create a mutually beneficial relationship for you, the nonprofit, and the community.

Consider these ways to get your business relationship started:

Donate product or labor. The two resources you already have on hand that can be beneficial to nonprofits are your products and employees (including you!). If applicable donate some of your excess product to the local charity whenever possible. For example, if you are a restaurant and partner with a soup kitchen you can donate excess bread at the end of the day. Provide some helping hands (or twenty) to assist the nonprofit during a busy season or to complete necessary projects. Assess the charities needs to decide what resources would be most helpful to give and when.

Give a percent of profits. Your charity of choice may be close to your consumer’s heart as well as your own and do great work in the community. But if they won’t benefit from added labor or any of your excess product consider donating a percentage of profits. You could make this a yearly donation at Christmas time or a quarterly event. Again evaluate your own businesses abilities with the needs of the charity.

Develop co-branded marketing. Ask the nonprofit if you can put their name or logo on your marketing materials. Let your customers know about your involvement in your latest newsletter or with a small sign in your store. Your website and social media profiles are another great place to include a small mention of your involvement with the nonprofit. If you’re co-hosting events send out special promotional flyers or direct mail pieces to the community.

Philanthropic giving for small businesses can be time consuming but the benefits are well worth the effort. So in the spirit of Red Cross Month, extend a helping hand to a local charity. You never know how many helping hands will reach back!

Have you ever partnered with a nonprofit? Do you have any other advice for getting involved in the local community?