What are your thoughts on volunteerism? I will guess that most people think it is a good thing and that it is awesome when other people do it. But I know as a busy entrepreneur time is not in abundance. So volunteering may seem to be unimportant.

Time Well Spent

I have volunteered in the past at women shelter's and at the Boys & Girls club. I found it to be very rewarding. You're probably thinking what does this have to do with business and being a small business owner?

 Social Goodwill vs. Your Bottom-line

According to a survey shared in the Huffington Post "40% of a company's reputation is determined by volunteering and corporate social responsibility." Moreover, customers come to expect that company's have some sort of social impact on their community. Finally, corporate finance experts agree that "maintaining a good corporate reputation or brand equity is the most important way [volunteering programs] create value." 

Making time to volunteer can give you a more tangible footprint in the community that you serve. It helps out your fellow citizen who is in need and in return it can help you to see that some things in life are truly priceless. As a fellow small business owner, I think we can have a social impact on our community in many ways that go beyond the bottom-line. We may not have the resources of large corporations, but we can still make an impact. Next week I will go over a few tips that can help us achieve this goal.

What about you? What are your thoughts on volunteerism and corporate social responsibility? Share with me in the comments below.

Keep It Sunny!