The Importance of Giving Back

Local business is all about community, and what better way of promoting the importance of community than charity. Local businesses thrive because of their community’s loyalty and dedication, so it is of the upmost importance that businesses participate in charity work and promote their dedication to their surrounding communities.

What difference can philanthropy make, and is it worth a small business’ time?  Companies that encourage community involvement distinguish themselves from their competitors.  People want to see their own communities thrive, and they also want to build relationships with businesses and brands.  If your small business can give back and earn a customer following, why wouldn’t you?  Helping others, while gaining community exposure, is truly a win-win for all.

Research shows that giving back has powerful effects. 89% of entrepreneurs donate money, both personally and through their companies, according to a study by Ernst & Young and the Fidelity Charitable Gift Fund. What’s more, 62% say giving back makes their companies more successful in the long run (Fidelity Charitable, 2010).

Want to start a philanthropic effort through your small business but don’t know where to start?  Follow these tips to hit the ground running.

Tips:

Build relationships within your community.

• Look at your community to see what’s important. Are the schools struggling? Does the animal shelter need donations? etc.
• Building relationships start by making genuine connections with your customers.  Start conversations with them and try to learn a little bit about everyone who comes into your store!
• The community is where your business operates, and improving this environment adds to the value of your product or service and increases the quality of life for everyone in the environment.
  

Get your employees on board.

• Giving employees an avenue to give back is important for morale and builds a collaborative and inspired team.
• If your employees love what they’re doing and feel like they’re making a difference, work ethic and attitudes are bound to improve.
• Volunteering also provides leadership opportunities for employees, which leads to increased staff performance, fulfillment and, ultimately, increased productivity and sales
  

Let customers know how you’re giving back.

• “I’ve found that customers really want to know how you’re making the world a better place,” says Erin Giles, an Aiken, S.C.-based business philanthropy consultant who helps entrepreneurs find causes they’re passionate about and incorporate their message into their business (Lavine, 2013).
• Moms and Millennials are particularly interested in a business’ corporate social responsibility platform, Giles says (Lavine, 2013).
• Don’t be afraid to brag about your philanthropic initiatives.  Post notices around your business and your community to let people know about your efforts and encourage others to get involved.
  

Some suggestions on how to give back:

• Churches, little league sports leagues, local chapters of the Red Cross and Salvation Army, Boys & Girls Clubs, donations to scholarship funds, sponsorship of a local sports team, etc.
• Spreading good will establishes your business as the neighborhood do-gooder and community leader.
  

Big or small, giving back can only benefit your business and your community positively.  Reach out to those who need a helping hand and broaden your appeal at the same time.  Remember to be creative and have fun with whatever philanthropy you choose to pursue.  It’s sure to bring a smile to someone’s face!

Works Cited

Lavine, Lindsay.  “The Power of Giving Back: How Community Involvement Can Boost Your Bottom Line.”  Entrepreneur Magazine.  26 June 2013. <http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/226974

“Entrepreneurs are More Likely to Give to Charity.”  Fidelity Charitable. 12 Nov. 2010. <http://www.fidelitycharitable.org/about-us/news/11-12-2010.shtml>.

First Published at Save Local Now

How to Excite Your Community into Buying Local

Save Local Now is all about buying local. In fact, it’s our ultimate mission. We know how challenging it can be to try and get your community fired up about buying local. You might think you are just one business and nothing you do will have any impact, but I beg to differ. Here is a quick list of things you might want to try out this year that will really make a difference in your communities efforts to buy locally.

1. Meet your neighbors (and tell your customers about them) - From my own personal experiences with the communities I’ve lived in, as well as from the communities we work with, I’ve learned one thing. The more businesses promote their neighbors, the better and more thriving the community is as a whole. You should make friendly suggestions to your customers on other businesses they should check out. This will reassure them that you are a trustworthy business owner and not just out for your own profit, and it will also inspire people to keep checking out local businesses and keep returning to your town. Your neighboring businesses might return the favor and send people your way, and soon your whole community could become a giant web of local networking. I’ve seen this happen-there is nothing more powerful.

2. Join (or help out) local organizations - Aside from your local chamber of commerce, there are probably a multitude of other small organizations you could become involved in. Some might say they don’t have the funds or time to join all of these, however, that doesn’t mean you can’t get involved.

• You could reach out to organizations and tell them you would like to volunteer once a year for their big event.
• You could tell YPO’s they may host their next networking event in your business space.
• You could offer a discount to any member of the local book club.

However you want to do it, my bet is you will see some more business coming your way by word of mouth. Local organizations are usually just that: organized, and helping them out once in a while could mean extending your marketing efforts 3 fold!

3. No brainer: Buy Locally - Make it a point to frequent other businesses not just as a business owner but as a customer. Other business owners will appreciate it and will often return the favor. Use local suppliers, local farmers, and local services for all of your businesses needs as well as that of your personal life. It will show the rest of your community that you are standing behind them, so they can in turn, stand behind you!

4. Take local global - Register your community in national, or even world wide competitions or write into travel magazines to tell them about why they should check out your town. Sometimes there is only so much you can do locally and you need to let the rest of the world know why THEY should come to your town. Highlight the things that make your town unique and don’t underestimate how weird quirks can attract attention. I promise you there are people out there looking for just the kind of beautiful little town that is your community.

5. Create $LN awareness - In order for Save Local Now to have it’s affect on your community, you need to get people using it! I know I say this a lot but the bottom line is, being a free service to both consumers and businesses, we aren’t the ones who will benefit from people using $LN, YOU will. So tell your friends, family, community, organizations, newspapers, and schools. Tell them to try Save Local Now and stay up to date with everything local.

View original article here

About Alicia

Alicia is the Brand Curator and Marketing Manager for Save Local Now. Alicia hails from Northeastern Ohio, but spent a few years after college living like a gypsy and pursuing her diverse interests. She is part of the production team, which helps to make $LN "fun and cool".alicia.busa@savelocalnow.com

3 Business Trends for 2014

Marketing your small business can be tricky. As marketing trends change and change again and platforms offer you more and more options, you may be wondering, what are you supposed to focus on?

Well, let’s take a look. These are some of the upcoming trends in marketing for 2014.

1. Mobile Marketing - You might already know this one. You should. Mobile marketing is still on the rise and will continue to be for some time to come. As more and more people own smart phones (147.9 million people in the U.S. by the month of September), social media, email marketing, and GPS location features will also continue to rise. Mobile marketing ads are also cheaper and easier on companies with small budgets and can have a lot more impact than television or other traditional advertising methods as they are often seen repeatedly.
   
   Save Local Now strives to continually update our mobile app. Providing sharing features to both the business and the consumer, and streamlining the way a customer finds your business are just some of the ways we put your business on top of mobile marketing. Best yet, our app is top rated and available for both the iPhone and Android market! There really is no need to go building your own app these days when you can use ours for free!


2. Geo Targeting - As mentioned above GPS locating features will continue to rise with mobile. Geo targeting is similar in that it pays (literally) to target people within a few miles of your business. This has been true especially in retail where targeting audiences within a two mile radius can help the business create marketing campaigns that are current and relevant.
   
   We offered Geo location mapping on your mobile and browser from the beginning, and as always we remain a tool for local businesses only. However, Geo targeting at Save Local Now came about a year ago with one of our app updates. With users being able to sort Deals and Events by clicking “Nearby” we give you the opportunity to create custom actionable offers specific to the customers who might be looking for you right around the corner!


3. Image centric Social Media - Twitter and Facebook are not the only Social Media that matters anymore. In fact as Facebook usage declines newer networks are getting a lot of buzz. Google+, Instagram, Pinterest, and Vine are among some of the top players even though some of these are still very young on the scene. Whats the draw? Large images or videos dominating the page with short descriptions and hashtags to browse other posts. Sites like Buzzfeed, Imgur, and Tumblr also play a part in this. We can expect to see a continued growth in image sharing as 2014 rounds the bend.
   
   Save Local Now was onto this when we updated the site in early 2013 to create more focus on your images. With larger placement for your logos or Deal & Event images, we really recommend you take advantage of this trend by updating your images with higher quality photos that pack a lot of punch. Even if you are just starting out and don’t have a logo, we have some suggestions on how to start building one for yourself!
   
   This year, why not make it your resolution to check in with the blog for more tips on how to stay current and relevant in your small business? We are going to make it ours to continue to improve ourselves for the benefit of YOU the local business!
   
   One more thing. As the year wraps up, we’d like to say thank you. We are working hard to help your local businesses thrive and though we might not be local for all of you, we are a small business that values local business being great business and we wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you. Please stay happy, healthy, and remember to support your community. We wish you all a thriving, busy new year!

View original article here

About Alicia

Alicia is the Brand Curator and Marketing Manager for Save Local Now. Alicia hails from Northeastern Ohio, but spent a few years after college living like a gypsy and pursuing her diverse interests. She is part of the production team, which helps to make $LN "fun and cool". alicia.busa@savelocalnow.com

Things to do during the holidays that will keep customers coming in January!

The holidays are great for a lot of businesses. As people make their lists, and check them twice, errands get run, gifts get purchased, and restaurants become holly and jolly. One of the problems though is once the holidays are over, the businesses can be left a little less merry and bright…
Not to worry! I have some great tips for businesses of all kinds to keep their holiday hustle and bustle well into the new year!

1. Network with other businesses

The holidays are a perfect time to get out and mingle with your fellow businesses. Support other local businesses by attending their holiday parties and events and while your there, strategize about the upcoming year! Here are a few great topics to discuss

• Ask them if they have promoting the Save Local Now platform to help the community.
• See if they would be willing to do a little deal bundling in January to keep customers coming in.
• Invite them to your own holiday parties.
• Ask them if they would mind combining email lists with you.

Follow each other on social media platforms.

2. Get to know your customers

 

Aside from the typical sales pitch, the holidays offer a great time to ask customers more personal questions without being too nosy. Ask them what their plans are for this special season and share some traditions of your own! You can then ask them if you might put together a custom gift package for them, or if they’d like to sign up for emails. Whether you are a retail store, a dry cleaner, or a dentist, customers will always remember a good conversation, and hopefully come back for more.

3. Hint at future savings

 

A lot of people unfortunately do not always shop local on black friday and cyber monday. So why not save the blow out sales for January or February? This is especially beneficial for anyone in the service industry that offers things that might have been neglected during the holiday rush, such as an automobile repair shop. Set up events or deals on Save Local Now ahead of time so you can share them through social media and emails. Remind customers once now and again after the new year.

4. Take advantage of any slow times.

 

If you are finding yourself with too much free time on your hands, why not use it while you’ve got it! Here’s some things you can do:

• Poll your employees for new creative ideas you could try in the new year
• Schedule deals and events on your Save Local Now platform for future publication.
• Clean up your files, update your email lists, or even re-brand yourself!
• Rearrange the space! Nothing makes customers take a new look at you like rearranging things.
• Set goals and “resolutions” for the new year.

 

5. Spend time with family and friends!

 

I know, this has nothing to do with your business, but it’s important! And who knows it could lead to inspiration for your business as well. After all, I bet your 17 year old niece has a few words of wisdom for your company Facebook page, and your grandmother might have a great new recipe for the winter menu! If not, it’s still worth it.
Happy Holidays all!

About Alicia

 

Alicia is the Brand Curator and Marketing Manager for Save Local Now. Alicia hails from Northeastern Ohio, but spent a few years after college living like a gypsy and pursuing her diverse interests. She is part of the production team, which helps to make $LN "fun and cool". alicia.busa@savelocalnow.com

10 Reasons to Shop Local

1. Shopping local creates jobs.
Most local stores hire within the community. Making them successful allows them to hire more people, which creates more jobs which means even more money spent locally!

2. Shopping local saves you money.
It might appear cheaper in big box stores or online but every little bit counts…including gas and shipping. When you shop at the store that you can walk to you won’t have to pay for any of that! Who doesn’t want to save on gas?!

3. shops do more to give back to the community.
Most local businesses do a lot to support our communities through local charities, school and community events. Doing good feels great!

4. Better customer service.
Studies have shown us time and time again that people receive better customer service when they shop locally.

5. Avoiding Walmart.
Do we have to say more?

6. Shopping local keeps services in business.
Local shops go hand in hand with the local services such as the tailor, hairdresser and banker. If there are no shops then there are no services…which means you’d have to cut your own hair.

7. Keep dollars Local
Fact: Locally owned businesses put a greater revenue share back into the local economy compared to chain stores.

8. Support entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is what fuels America’s economy. Be patriotic! Support innovation and prosperity!

9. Help the environment.
Not only are you helping your wallet by not spending money on transportation but your also helping the environment. Shopping local means less sprawl, congestion, habitat loss, and pollution.

10. Local shops offer more unique products
Shopping locally provides you with the opportunity to discover something different. You’re not likely to find the same thing at a local store as you would at the mall. Find something unique like a vintage prom dress or maybe even a unicorn!

Don’t forget: Small business Saturday is November 30th. Get out and buy local! Use the Save Local Now app to find all the great deals and holiday events your local stores have to offer!

View original article here.

About Grace

Grace is our Production Manager. She received her degree in video production and communications from Ohio University. She is part of the production team which helps to make $LN "fun and cool". grace.roulston@savelocalnow.com