Why Your Business Plan Needs to Include Community Service

Community service in business will never be out of style and, in fact, it may be more in style today than ever before. You can look at a business’s commitment to community in one of two ways. First, it is a business’s responsibility to be a good corporate citizen in its community by contributing positively to the local people, institutions and organizations. Secondly, it is simply good business.

Not every business believes that it has such social responsibility. In the running of a successful law firm, my partners and I have found that by establishing core values that include community responsibility and acting in accordance with an internally published business purpose, our business has been greatly appreciated by the business community, which then, became a marketing edge. If you are a national restaurant company serving renewable fish, using organic products, or contributing a portion of your profits for needed and necessary causes, the market will pick up on that, and such conduct will benefit your business in the long run.

If you have a business to consumer (“B2C”) company, such as a restaurant, grocery store, or professional service firm that serves individuals and provides products and services the positive name recognition that comes from being socially responsible gives your business a high level of credibility before your first customer walks in the door.

In reality, though, more than the marketing advantage provided by being a good corporate citizen, you need to understand, and believe, that community service is the right thing to do. We have had a genuine commitment to the community because it is part of an essential part of our culture. When that commitment is set at the highest level, it filters down to every employee, thereby increasing the overall power of doing good in the community. Our firm has had the great pleasure of receiving many awards and forms of recognition for our work with charitable causes. While that can be rewarding, the greater satisfaction came from knowing that we simply did the right thing. Not every contribution needs to involve a significant financial commitment. Serving on boards, taking leadership positions in service organizations and sharing your expertise to help groups and charities is an important way to be a good citizen.

Be the good guy in your business and industry. Connecting your business with good causes is the greatest and least expensive way to build positive brand awareness. It is a great way to attract talent, especially younger employees who are more aligned with altruism, and to build real relationships with customers and connect with like-minded vendors. Be a leader by doing things the right way consistently and you will see the customers, both business and consumer, reward socially responsible businesses.

Kerry Lavelle is the author of "The Business Guide to Law: Creating and Operating a Successful Law Firm" published by the American Bar Association. It can be found on the ABA website at: http://bit.ly/1J1p0Aa. He grew his solo practice to a 26-attorney firm, accumulating numerous awards and commendations along the way for his legal work and community service. He is a frequent speaker at bar association seminars and conferences on law office management, has served as an adjunct professor for business, economics and law school classes, and has served on boards for the Northwest Suburban, Illinois and American Bar Association.