If you recently started a business, congratulations! You are one of the rare people who decided to make something yourself instead of working under someone else. This is an incredible accomplishment and one you should be so proud of!
Many people in this position understand the value in giving back, even as new business owners. But how is that actually possible when a new business typically has no left over resources to spare, could be using a business loan to get off the ground, or does not have the connections or resources yet? Despite these challenges, there are still ways to give back and make plans to give back even more as your business grows.
Let us share with you our 3 suggestions for giving back the second you open your business. These tips will not only help you feel like you’re making a positive difference in your community (either online or local) AND demonstrate to your customers, clients, or audience your intention to give back right from the start.
3 Ways to Give Back When You First Start Your Business
1. A Grand Opening Giveaway
Grand openings are a perfect time to run a giveaway of prizes, cash, or even products and services. While this doubles as a marketing strategy to promote your business, this is also a great way to show your customers, clients, or audience that you want them to benefit from your business free of charge. A grand opening, or the kick-off to your business launching, can be a big opportunity to tell your target demographic that you’re ready to provide the products or services they need. While doing that, you can also thank them for their support with a generous giveaway.
You don’t have to have a huge party with tons of balloons and fireworks to have a grand opening (although that certainly could be exciting!) A simple announcement with a little bit of flare will get the message across. By providing incentives to follow, like, or subscribe to your page (which are all actions that cost your followers nothing), you can thank them for taking the time to do so with a giveaway. This give-back effort is notable and exciting, especially when you see the immediate growth it brings your business.
2. Provide Free Education
Perhaps your business model is selling beauty products. Or maybe you are a fitness coach. Either way, you have something to offer your audience other than the products themselves or the service you offer. You have knowledge and that knowledge can, and should, be shared freely and openly while still ensuring your paid products have their higher value.
You can share your knowledge for little cost by writing blog posts (helping to bring traffic to your website), making social media posts (growing your following), and even sending educational emails to all of your subscribers.
So what type of knowledge can you share? You can easily share tips, suggestions, or advice related to your niche or industry. Outside of that, you can also share product recommendations (even those that support your own products), answers to most frequently asked questions, or even reviews. All of these types of information can benefit your audience and is a way to give back to them before they even make a purchase or sign up to work with you. While not a traditional “give back” method, this certainly can help you demonstrate a give-back mentality.
3. Volunteer
This is one of our favorite ways to give back and one that we highly recommend all businesses, small or large, get involved in. Volunteering for local events, charities, and even donation organizations is a great way to give back and only costs you your time. We love supporting local events that need volunteers because this is also a way to get our faces out in the community!
You can be on the lookout for volunteer opportunities by registering with your local area chamber of commerce, joining local Facebook group pages, or even following your local event pages. Volunteering can be so rewarding in whatever capacity and when wearing or sharing about your business at the same time, it’s a win-win!
These few ideas to give back right away have helped us and many others feel the pride in focusing on people and businesses outside of our own. The goal of giving back is certainly not to make yourself look high and mighty, but to show that we are all working together to create the best environment to live in ever possible.