I maintain that running a solid, successful business and being an involved community member go hand-in-hand. Some of the most successful business people I have known have also been quite involved in community and civic projects. Now, I’m not just talking about writing a check or making a donation here—I think that spending some time on community service is one of the best ways to motivate oneself and invigorate a small business.
Community service can be anything that moves you and that you feel passionate about. If you are volunteering just to make contacts or choosing a cause that is popular, it will more likely drag you down than actually get you excited about being involved. That is one of the keys to creating a marriage between your business and community service—it has to be work that you care about and actually WANT to be doing. There is just something about bringing our intellect, talents, and skills to something bigger than ourselves and our little businesses that can be incredibly energizing. I find that understanding how my miniscule efforts can benefit the community at large is a great way to re-motivate myself and start to feel good about what I am doing again.
Plus, I think that community service is a way of taking the pressure off ourselves if we are stuck in our businesses. Just by shifting our attention to something else for a few hours a week, we can shake things up enough to get a new perspective. Getting out and doing something helpful and productive of our own choosing is what community service is all about.
Meanwhile, community service does provide us with new people to meet, networking opportunities, and exposure to other businesses and service providers in our community and this can be a bit boost to our own home business operations too.
Also: You Never Know Who You’re Talking To
How Volunteering Can Help Your Business