Community Involvement Pays Off

As a small business owner, your community is the lifeblood of your business. Here's how to establish goodwill and gain referral business.

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While contractors can help change a community's appearance through their remodeling skills, they also have an opportunity to produce a much larger impact in neighborhoods through community involvement.

"We do these little things because we want to help the community, but these little snippets do end up in the newspaper," says Robin Burrill, co-owner of Curb Appeal Renovations in Keller, Texas. Because of the variety of charity and community events she's involved in, Burrill's picture appears in the local paper about once per month, giving her company free publicity.

There are many ways you can become involved in charitable events and community activities. Your local Chamber of Commerce provides a way to give to the community while networking with the type of people who would make good clients. Networking opportunities also arise with any type of interaction with community groups. "I get a great deal of satisfaction from working with associations, and there are a lot of networking opportunities and contacts who can help you," says Michael Hamman, owner of Michael Hamman General Contractors in San Francisco.

Give Back
Contributions to worthy causes also aid the community, and the acknowledgement can keep the company's name before its best audience. Chuck Gabbert, owner and president of C.T. Gabbert Remodeling & Construction in Peoria, Ill., sponsors local school teams and takes ads in school programs. He also coaches the local school hockey team, which started while his kids were on the team but has continued. "I enjoy it, and they needed the help."

Gabbert also donates products and services when requested. The efforts keep him and his company visible in the community where he gains business, he explains, and provides additional return. "I get something spiritual, for lack of a better word," he says. "It allows me to make connections and expand my own perception of people." That proved true while conducting a weekly business class for 15-year-olds looking to learn about being entrepreneurs. After the class, he asked the students to critique his website. "They've grown up with the Internet and have a different perspective on what works."

Gabbert received a strong response after he donated materials and time to create dugouts for the high school's baseball team. "I don't know that we got any specific work from that, but I've had a lot of people mention it," he says. That not only keeps the company visible, but it shows off his construction skills.

Burrill, on the other hand, can point to a mention in the Chamber of Commerce newsletter as bringing in several key leads. Members not only bring work her way, but they also refer her to their friends. "Success in this business all comes down to who you know and creating a strong reputation," she says. Community involvement helps to show that the company is committed to the neighborhood and a key part of it, which reassures local residents.

In deciding which groups to help, Burrill suggests playing to your strengths. "You should ask yourself what you enjoy doing, how much time the activity will take, what you will get out of it for your company, and who you'll meet and work with in the program," she says. "The goal is to let the community know who you are and show you are a presence."

Getting Involved
Hamman suggests an easy way to start is to join the local neighborhood association and volunteer for a committee. "Those groups are useful for every business, and it's good to know what's happening." Contractor's expertise in knowing local regulations and activity can provide key input, he notes.

Once you begin, the problem may be controlling the number of charitable commitments rather than finding outlets. One donation will bring other groups that know you're willing to contribute. Burrill says leads aren't always easy to track back to one event and may result from the frequency or pervasiveness of seeing the company name.

She also says the return can't be judged immediately. "You aren't accepted overnight in volunteer groups; it took more than two years before I began to be recommended by people at the Chamber of Commerce," she says. "They want to get to know you and gauge your reliability before they recommend you. But I'm seeing that happen now."

In the meantime, the goodwill that's generated and the personal satisfaction can be reward enough for helping the community. "There's a huge payback for these contributions," Hamman says.