Give it Away, Give it Away, Give it Away Now!

We are heading into “The Season of Giving” and many organizations choose this time of year to encourage their employees to join their corporate giving program. Charitable Giving is not a new idea, so the information I am providing you is not the beginning of some new amazing trend.

My goal is to simply inspire you to give throughout the year, not just when it’s popular.

To start with, develop a culture that inspires your employees to increase their involvement in their local neighborhoods using specific methods associated with your product or service, as a way to promote your company, increase profits and gain local exposure. 

Give the community an opportunity to witness your good deeds, as well as benefit from them. In turn you will begin to earn their respect and love. 

Donations

A recent social and philanthropic movement called, “Effective Altruism” maintains that specific acts of altruism are required and if you have money, it is your moral duty to give to those who need it. 

The actual movement is a good idea however, personally I feel its ultra-extreme nature will be its demise. Sure, you should give to those in need, but it goes against traditional, “Living the American Dream” thinking to force someone to give. 

Donating to a specific cause is the quickest route to take to solve any problem and if you have the money than by all means give it away. The most generous man in history is Bill Gates, not because he donates to charity, but because of the ENORMOUS amount of money he donates to charity. The rest of us don’t have billions to donate, so monetary donations may not be the best way to serve the community.

If you choose to donate, give time instead of money.  Put a team together and go to a local shelter to teach something. Say you’re an IT guy. Imagine what kind of effect you would have on a child in a homeless shelter if you taught him a few simple programming tricks. You could spark enough interest that he goes to school and follows in your footsteps. You may not just brighten their day, you may inspire them in ways you could not imagine.

Sponsorship

Many big corporations take this route. They sponsor people, events, local and national sports teams, and charities. They can afford to through a ton of money at someone or something in order to put their name on it. 

It's is a great way to help those who need it, but it’s not very personal and doesn’t truly show how you feel or what you believe in.

As a small business, if you choose to sponsor something than make it personal. Sponsor a local 5k, but put a team together and run in it. This will show you not only care enough to help put it together, but that you want to participate.  You’re telling them you truly care for their cause. If you’re not an active bunch, than volunteer to help. Don’t just put your name on the event, be a part of it and people will begin to see you’re not just the money behind the event, you’re also the hands that made it happen.

Organize your own Event

There is a charity for pretty much anything you can think of and almost every community has a multitude of grassroots efforts for a variety of needs. Find a charity that is a “Natural fit” for your business and create an event for them, such as:
•    5K/10K or Fun Run
•    An auction
•    Concert or dance
•    Car Wash
•    Fashion Show
•    Basketball tournament
•    Raffle
•    Or many more…

Say for instance you’re a physical therapist. You could have an auction that raises money for a local senior center. Your vendors could all be those that appeal to seniors like craftsmen and women, bus tour services, senior community center, retirement communities, etc. You will be helping them raise money and awareness for their needs, promoting local businesses, and marketing yourselves as well.

Be creative when being of service to your community. There are so many ways to help, and too many causes that need it. The idea of being charitable or serving your community to build your business seems a bit self-serving, however you are being charitable and serving the community, and the way I see it that’s GOOD BUSINESS!

So what's your story? Email it to me at patrick@thecre8iveconsultant.com The best (or worst) one wins 100 business cards from Metro Printing Center plus I will share your cause on next week's page.  

Strategic Alliances: Your new Sales Team

For small business, building and maintaining a strong, powerful sales team can be quite costly and take up a lot of time. One extremely effective sales growth strategy is to establish partnerships with local businesses that benefit one another. This tactic has been practiced for eons, and it's greatest by-product are new sales opportunities. 

Many business owners attempt to take on sales themselves, removing them from what they excel at which is providing the services they are selling. This is a big problem, especially when you are a new business. How else are you going to get any visibility, if you don’t have someone strictly focused on doing just that?

A Strategic Alliance is described as:

“An agreement between two or more parties to pursue a set of agreed upon objectives while remaining independent organizations. ”

These are formed so both companies can mutually benefit in multiple ways:

• Generating new leads

• Sharing business opportunities

• Sharing industry ideas

• Sharing marketing strategies

• Target specific markets

• Offer a more diverse service than their competitors

When you develop a bound with another company and begin working together, you are essentially doubling your sales team by giving your company another voice to represent it; ultimately doubling your chances of winning more clients.

Choose an alliance that is good for both parties

When considering a partnership with another company, there are several things you should consider. Most importantly, be sure they are critical the success of your business goals or objectives. Remember, they will be representing you in the eyes of the client, and vice versa; take special consideration in who you are choosing. A few things to consider are:

• Reputation- Who are they and what are they known for? Have they been a positive force in your industry?

• Opportunity- What are they bringing to the table and what benefits do they offer your clients? Will this alliance make you a stronger player in your industry?

• Social Awareness- How are they perceived by their employees? By the community? By their competitors?

• Cost- Are they in line with your price structure? Can your clients afford their services as well as they can afford yours?

It is essential when developing these alliances to understand which of these criteria the other party views as strategic. If either partner misunderstands the other’s expectation of the alliance, it is likely to fall apart.

They have your back!

When choosing an alliance trust is perhaps the most important factor . This is because you are sharing clients and in some instances you may be able to serve a client on your own and turn your back on your partner, or vice versa. This can create resentment and ruin future deals.

The best way to prevent this from happening is to have a strong emphasis on communication among one another. Share ideas, discuss options and if one partner can offer a better solution than support them.

To ensure transparency, have a member of each party be present during key moments that include:

• The introduction

• Negotiations

• Key business meetings

• Logistical discussions

That way there is never an opportunity for the other "partner' to feel “left out” and start second guessing their partner.

Understand your Partners Community Involvement 

Another point to consider is your new partner's social responsibility policy. Do they have one? Are they connected with the community in some positive way? If you opt to donate 10% to a local charity will they support your decision?

Join forces and work together to make a positive difference in the community. By doing so, you can make a greater impact on those you serve and be viewed as positive influencers working together to help others.

Crush your Competition

Strategic alliances allow your organization an opportunity to widen your reach and offer services you had not been able to offer in the past. This puts you ahead of the competition and when you're asked, "What makes you different from all the other______ in the area?", you can share your story and discuss the extra value you now offer.  By serving your clients in areas they weren’t expecting, you can improve your chances of keeping that client around for a long time.

Here are some examples of a few well-known strategic alliances:

• Starbucks/Barnes and Noble-1993 Barnes and Noble started allowing Starbucks to put coffee bars in their stores.

• Apple/AT&T- partnered together along with Motorola, Sony and Ericson to bring you the I-phone.

• Northwest Airlines/Dutch airline KLM-1993 partnered together and saved both airlines from going bankrupt

Open your eyes, these alliances are everywhere!

A strong alliance gives your company a chance to grow in ways you never planned on and potentially turning your small business venture into the business of your dreams.