Clients and Charity

So, the topic of this blog is simple. Why should an SME support their local community? What’s in it for them? Is there a worthwhile return on investment? Shouldn’t supporting the local community be left to larger organisations that have more resources at their disposal? In this blog, Nuhman explores the many benefits to an SME of supporting local charities and community organisations.

By Nuhman Sharif.

Supporting the local community helps to reduce marketing costs.

Think about it, by getting involved in a bake sale to help pay for equipment for the local football club or providing books for the local school, could give you the opportunity to get your business mentioned in the local paper! As a result, people learn about the business through word of mouth and so there’s less need for costly marketing campaigns.

It can improve staff morale and reduce labour turnover.

Essentially, giving your employees the opportunity to support local causes they hold dearly, increases their affinity for the business and in turn they are less likely to leave.

It can make recruitment easier.

How so you ask? Well, organisations that can boast how much they are involved in the local community become attractive places to work for potential new recruits. Also, by getting your face out there in the local community, it’s likely that great candidates will approach you for their next big role, and therefore reducing the need to advertise when vacancies arise within the organisation.

Community activities are a great way to upskill your workforce!

Charity work in the local community presents a great opportunity to not only put transferable skills such as problem-solving, teamwork and project management into practice, but it also gives you a chance to learn other important skills such as being able to work with a range of different people.

Having socially responsible credentials makes your business more investable.

These days, investors have realised the importance of corporate social responsibility and often ask what the organisation is doing in this regard. So if you’re looking for an investor, then getting involved in local community projects is a great place to start.

Overall, it’s clear that even when budgets are tight, there are still tangible benefits for SMEs to get involved in local community initiatives.

However before going head over heels to work with a local charity or organisation, take the time to research local causes – visit the premises and speak to the people who run these organisations. Then ask yourself: could we work in partnership? Does this charity/ local organisation have values similar to my business?

Finally, a great starting point when looking for local causes would be to visit the Localgiving website who assist SMEs to connect with voluntary groups within their local area.