While business expansion into new territories is a common goal for entrepreneurs, many still have a desire to promote and grow the region where they started out. In addition to helping a business firmly establish itself as a community pillar, community engagement also helps everyone who lives and works there, from businesses and schools to residents.
As business leaders, the members of Forbes Business Council have plenty of experience engaging their local community. Below 16 of them share community efforts they were involved in to help promote and grow their region, as well as the benefits on a personal and professional level.
1. Hold Entrepreneurial Events
Holding entrepreneurial events helped us foster an environment conducive to idea exchange, storytelling and the occasional startup showcase. As a firm focused on strategic and high-caliber intellectual property services, we are dedicated to promoting and cultivating our region’s growth. Additionally, we created Wine Wednesdays in collaboration with Innovation Studio, which is an event for founders and entrepreneurs to converge. – Keegan Caldwell, CALDWELL
2. Start A Networking Group
Many people want to connect with others who share interests beyond business. A partner and I created a monthly morning meeting to discuss trends that might have an impact on everyone. Each person also made a contribution to their favorite charity using a special portal. We raised tens of thousands of dollars for charity, which helped us understand changes in the world and how we should respond. – Jerry Cahn, Age Brilliantly
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3. Donate Money To Organizations Supporting The Community
Small businesses are the backbone of every modern economy. When a client agrees to work with us, we donate money to Kiva, which provides microloans to business owners in less advantaged countries. This supports the establishment and viability of small business, which in turn supports the communities. When the loan is repaid, the money is loaned out again to others in need. – Simon Bedard, Exit Advisory Group
4. Partner With Local Nonprofits
We have partnered with nonprofits to offer healthy school lunches in some neighborhoods in our city. The project aims to not just provide free food, but also to raise awareness of childhood obesity. So far, we have seen a lot of uptake. My office has even received emails asking us to speak in child obesity forums and engage with parents and teachers to see how to address the issue as well. – Erik Pham, Health Canal
5. Directly Provide Support And Services
I work with charities that support STEM in local schools, and a portion of my company profits are directed to my local Houston Area Women’s Center to help families escape abusive environments. I also coach women on starting their own companies and help them create a culture of sustainable growth in their businesses. I’ve seen a large number of women find their purpose, which is an amazing result to me. – Neha Naik, RecruitGyan
6. Fill Needed Community Gaps
At Black Briar, we have placed an emphasis on working on the affordable housing crisis through planning more hotel conversions to affordable housing. We look at assets that are functionally obsolete and reposition them to align with the community’s needs. – Stephen Nalley, Black Briar Advisors
7. Amplify Small Voices
In Singapore, we have regional offices for large corporations. One of the biggest challenges for our region is making companies headquartered in the U.S. and U.K. understand the Asian-Pacific (APAC) proposition. APAC is inevitably smaller in terms of revenue contribution but it has a story worth telling. I have been working with APAC offices to build their narratives. – Anjali Sharma, Narrative: The Business of Stories
8. Help Introduce A Major Industry
I have a story about a town in Japan with a population of less than 100,000. Around 2004, the town was primarily a local community with no major industries. However, we decided to utilize unused agricultural land to start cultivating herbs. We transformed those herb gardens into tourist attractions and began selling products made from these herbs as local specialties. – Karita Takahisa, UNIFY PLATFORM AG
9. Start A Book Drive
As a community leader, I initiated a local book drive encouraging businesses to donate books. We then organized reading sessions for children. This simple effort bolstered community bonds, encouraged reading among the youth and had local businesses take an active role in community development. – Vikrant Shaurya, Authors On Mission
10. Boost Local And Regional Travel
By suggesting that people travel locally throughout, my standing concept of “Alabama Strong” has boosted our economy regionally as opposed to just locally. While the focus on local is good, times have changed. As a business futurist, it has become apparent that what happens in a neighboring state also affects us. Therefore, regional wins on local levels are critical. We promote region traveling and living. – Olivia Friedman, TrueSuccessCoaching.com | Strategic Business Consulting
11. Create Mentorship Programs
As a community leader, I initiated a business incubator program that provided mentorship and resources to local entrepreneurs. The result was a boost in economic growth, job creation and the emergence of successful startups that contributed to the region’s prosperity. – Daniel Danino, Volta Metals
12. Locate Patients In Need Of Care
Our target audience consists of doctors, hospitals and specialty care providers. We focus on helping them find patients who need the care they provide so that patients can take preventative measures instead of waiting until they’re in pain. This helps every community with providers who care about their patients as our software allows them to focus on care instead of other aspects of their business. – Ty Allen, SocialClimb
13. Fund Efforts That Give Populations A Platform
My own Zain Jaffer Foundation is involved with helping South Asians cope with the ill effects of climate change, poverty, exploitation and discrimination. One of the efforts we fund are storytellers who use video and film to give context of their issues. For example, communicating their lack of potable water supply can help bigger charities and foundations understand their problems better to provide the right help. – Zain Jaffer, Zain Ventures
14. Collaborate On Regional Marketing Campaigns
I initiated a collaborative marketing campaign showcasing the unique offerings of our region. The result was increased tourism, local business growth and improved community pride. Unexpectedly, it also fostered partnerships among businesses and generated positive media coverage, putting our region on the map as a must-visit destination. – Henri Al Helaly, Skytex Aero
15. Establish Local Commercial Spaces
One effort I have been involved in to grow our region is the establishment of a local commercial space that combines all renovation needs in one place. The initial idea was born out of the need to provide our region with a one-stop shop where residents and businesses could easily access all necessary renovation services. We collaborated with local businesses to create a space that offered it all. – Michael Shribman, APS Global Partners Inc.
16. Provide Smaller Brands With PR And Marketing
I created a program to help smaller brands gain public relations and marketing knowledge without the price tag. I launched this locally, observing that not only did those clients grow on a local level, but the region also benefited as local experts spread the savings and benefits around from their exposure to clients. When local businesses thrive, the community thrives. – Michele Paiva, The Finance Therapist
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