Casual Articles - Give a Little, Gain a Lot: Philanthropic Marketing Yields Big Rewards for Small Businesses

• 86 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to switch from one brand to another if the brand is associated with a cause (same price/quality)
• 8 in 10 Americans say that corporate support of causes wins their trust in that company
• 86 percent say that they want companies to talk about their cause-related efforts
• 88 percent of employees who are aware of cause-related programs feel “a strong sense of loyalty” to their employers
• Two-thirds (130 million people) said they are more likely to trust businesses that are aligned with social issues

“But wait,” you may think, “I don’t have millions of dollars. I barely have a marketing budget.” The good news for small business owners is that philanthropic marketing can be accomplished without large expenditures. In fact, you can usually develop an entire cause marketing program for less than $1,000 in initial costs.

First, you need to identify a non-profit organization to work with. Consider causes you feel passionate about, such as aid to children, hunger relief or domestic violence. Find a non-profit that is small enough to tailor a plan for your small business. The non-profit partner you are seeking should also need the exposure and money that your business can bring to it. Make a list of potential non-profits that meet these requirements.

Second, you need to determine why you are involved with a particular cause. Ask yourself, what is the goal for your cause marketing program? Are you trying to build up your reputation? Perhaps you are trying to retain clients you already have? Maybe you want to give teenage employees a reason to work for your company instead of for someone else.

After you have determined the cause and the primary reasons you are developing the program, you need to contact the non-profits you have targeted and find out if they are willing to work with you. They need to help you meet your business goals so that it is a win-win-win situation. You win by meeting your goals, the non-profit wins by increasing its exposure and generating more dollars and the cause benefits as well. Work with the non-profit to develop a low-cost program that meets your goals, that you can actively promote, and that allows you to embrace the cause in every aspect of your business.

What could this type of program look like? Let’s pick a business type to use as an example. Suppose you owned a hair salon and wanted to increase your customer base by providing women another reason to come to your store—something to make you stand out from the competition. You could work with a non-profit to create a program that you could implement in your store for very little money. You could commit to giving $50.00 a month to the program. You could offer your clients the option of contributing an additional $1.00 (above the regular cost) for every haircut as an additional donation to the program. You could also hand out brochures for the non-profit to every client so they could look at the program again at their leisure. You could put up posters promoting the non-profit in your store. When you meet other business owners, you could tell them about the cause. You could do a press release to your local newspaper that outlines what you are doing for the cause. What is the cost to you? The only cost is $50.00 per month to the organization and a little bit of effort. What are the benefits?

• Your clients come back because they feel good about their haircut
• Your clients recognize that you are doing something that is over and above the norm for a hair salon. They will recommend your store to their friends because your store stands for something.
• You get a tax write-off for the $50.00 per month donation you make to the cause
• You feel great about how your business is helping others
• Your employees feel great about working for a business that stands for something <
  Tips For Starting Or Running An Import and Export Business
  Trade makes the world go round. The world is a smaller place, thanks to the way in which import and export has changed. These days, almost everything is available either in shops or by order over the internet. It is, of course, possible to get great bargains if you travel and explore but this is time-consuming and expensive unless you buy in bulk and there are language barriers. People like their shopping to be as easy as possible, which is why they don’t mind paying a bit more for their purchases. This is where the importers and exporters come into play.Import and export is a business you can easily do from home. You need very little to start up, just a computer and some common sense. There are great benefits in working from home, as you can imagine. You can choos
  roducts, and services with a worthy cause. As a result, these companies have reaped the rewards of loyalty and increased business.

  “But wait,” you may think, “I don’t have millions of dollars. I barely have a marketing budget.” The good news for small business owners is that philanthropic marketing can be accomplished without large expenditures. In fact, you can usually develop an entire cause marketing program for less than $1,000 in initial costs.

  First, you need to identify a non-profit organization to work with. Consider causes you feel passionate about, such as aid to children, hunger relief or domestic violence. Find a non-profit that is small enough to tailor a plan for your small business. The non-profit partner you are seeking should also need the exposure and money that your business can bring to it. Make a list of potential non-profits that meet these requirements.

  Second, you need to determine why you are involved with a particular cause. Ask yourself, what is the goal for your cause marketing program? Are you trying to build up your reputation? Perhaps you are trying to retain clients you already have? Maybe you want to give teenage employees a reason to work for your company instead of for someone else.

  After you have determined the cause and the primary reasons you are developing the program, you need to contact the non-profits you have targeted and find out if they are willing to work with you. They need to help you meet your business goals so that it is a win-win-win situation. You win by meeting your goals, the non-profit wins by increasing its exposure and generating more dollars and the cause benefits as well. Work with the non-profit to develop a low-cost program that meets your goals, that you can actively promote, and that allows you to embrace the cause in every aspect of your business.

  What could this type of program look like? Let’s pick a business type to use as an example. Suppose you owned a hair salon and wanted to increase your customer base by providing women another reason to come to your store—something to make you stand out from the competition. You could work with a non-profit to create a program that you could implement in your store for very little money. You could commit to giving $50.00 a month to the program. You could offer your clients the option of contributing an additional $1.00 (above the regular cost) for every haircut as an additional donation to the program. You could also hand out brochures for the non-profit to every client so they could look at the program again at their leisure. You could put up posters promoting the non-profit in your store. When you meet other business owners, you could tell them about the cause. You could do a press release to your local newspaper that outlines what you are doing for the cause. What is the cost to you? The only cost is $50.00 per month to the organization and a little bit of effort. What are the benefits?

  • Your clients come back because they feel good about their haircut
  • Your clients recognize that you are doing something that is over and above the norm for a hair salon. They will recommend your store to their friends because your store stands for something.
  • You get a tax write-off for the $50.00 per month donation you make to the cause
  • You feel great about how your business is helping others
  • Your employees feel great about working for a business that stands for something <
    Packaging for the Leap from Shelf to Hand
    Package design is not decoration. Did you know that 80 percent of all purchasing decisions are made in-store? As traditional media is being revolutionized right before our eyes, your packaging will most likely be the first introduction a consumer has to your product and we all know how important first impressions are. Your package is a valuable asset that can make or break the sale of your item and should be considered as important as the item itself. After all, no one is even going to try your product if the package is not appealing…there’s simply too much competition to choose from. Let’s review four key packaging attributes that should be considered prior to making any packaging decisions. Innovation, Visibility, Content and Appeal. ant to give teenage employees a reason to work for your company instead of for someone else.

    After you have determined the cause and the primary reasons you are developing the program, you need to contact the non-profits you have targeted and find out if they are willing to work with you. They need to help you meet your business goals so that it is a win-win-win situation. You win by meeting your goals, the non-profit wins by increasing its exposure and generating more dollars and the cause benefits as well. Work with the non-profit to develop a low-cost program that meets your goals, that you can actively promote, and that allows you to embrace the cause in every aspect of your business.

    What could this type of program look like? Let’s pick a business type to use as an example. Suppose you owned a hair salon and wanted to increase your customer base by providing women another reason to come to your store—something to make you stand out from the competition. You could work with a non-profit to create a program that you could implement in your store for very little money. You could commit to giving $50.00 a month to the program. You could offer your clients the option of contributing an additional $1.00 (above the regular cost) for every haircut as an additional donation to the program. You could also hand out brochures for the non-profit to every client so they could look at the program again at their leisure. You could put up posters promoting the non-profit in your store. When you meet other business owners, you could tell them about the cause. You could do a press release to your local newspaper that outlines what you are doing for the cause. What is the cost to you? The only cost is $50.00 per month to the organization and a little bit of effort. What are the benefits?

    • Your clients come back because they feel good about their haircut
    • Your clients recognize that you are doing something that is over and above the norm for a hair salon. They will recommend your store to their friends because your store stands for something.
    • You get a tax write-off for the $50.00 per month donation you make to the cause
    • You feel great about how your business is helping others
    • Your employees feel great about working for a business that stands for something <
      Integration of Spirituality in Business
      Almost undetected and very silently, a transformation in business is taking place with the potential to become as big as did the transition into the information age, about a decade ago. We are still at the very beginning of what will profoundly change the way business is done in America and the World. Spirituality in Business is going to be the new paradigm and the impact on society at large will be felt anywhere. Those who already recognized the need for this dramatic shift and are taking action upon it are rewarded with benefits beyond measure. This Transition should not be underestimated; it is the cutting edge of business at large.What happened during the last ten years? Globalization of business, based on the advancement in the information technology, led to a
      uld offer your clients the option of contributing an additional $1.00 (above the regular cost) for every haircut as an additional donation to the program. You could also hand out brochures for the non-profit to every client so they could look at the program again at their leisure. You could put up posters promoting the non-profit in your store. When you meet other business owners, you could tell them about the cause. You could do a press release to your local newspaper that outlines what you are doing for the cause. What is the cost to you? The only cost is $50.00 per month to the organization and a little bit of effort. What are the benefits?
      • Your clients come back because they feel good about their haircut
      • Your clients recognize that you are doing something that is over and above the norm for a hair salon. They will recommend your store to their friends because your store stands for something.
      • You get a tax write-off for the $50.00 per month donation you make to the cause
      • You feel great about how your business is helping others
      • Your employees feel great about working for a business that stands for something
      Remember, this is only an example. For each small business, a customized program can help you meet your business goals, help the non-profit meet their goals, and will ultimately help the cause. All you need is a receptive non-profit, a little ingenuity, and a very little bit of money and you can create a philanthropic marketing plan that will build a benevolent brand image for your business.

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