As a business, if you don’t seem as if you’re giving back to your local community, your customers will find a competitor that does.  I say “seem” because, as it should come to no surprise, companies are much more interested in what their public image is rather than a strong sense of compassion on behalf of the company’s owner(s).  You don’t believe me?  Try Googling “company community involvement”.  The result will be an infinite list of companies detailing each specific instance they’ve ever contributed to their community.  We come to expect this as common knowledge…If they give back to the community, they’re more compassionate, less of a wall street centered/soul sucking sort of company (alliteration really drives a point home).  But when Kathleen donates her time to The Childrens’ Hospital fund raiser, she doesn’t make a webpage detailing how many smiles she put on the faces of the less fortunate.  Sure, she might add it to a resume; more likely she’s already volunteered more times than you could fit on resume paper.  Well, why then, must a company demand some sort of public recognition for each dollar or hour donated?

I’m being somewhat sarcastically critical.  Of course a business is going to advertise their goodwill.  It would be an extreme sense of ineptitude if they didn’t.  This business is still, after all, a business… Read more →