Given what's been happening with the economy, climate change and the politically charged atmosphere we seem to constantly live in, there has never been a more appropriate time to be socially responsible as a business owner. As an entrepreneur I'm sure you have business goals to create the profit and lifestyle you want, but what about the world at large? What about the community you conduct business in? Do you want to be known as a business that improves the world around you? Besides the goals you have as a business, do you have other goals that support a cause larger than your business? There is no rule that says you have to be socially responsible, but the benefits to your business, not to mention yourself, can be quite satisfying.



Social responsibility can start as soon as you decide to have a product or service. If you are already in business and want to get on the bandwagon, a good place to start is by picking a cause or organization that you authentically want to support. Of course, if you are not genuinely interested in the cause or organization then people can see right through that. Consumers are getting smarter and smarter and they won't be fooled by you just having a half hearted advertisement about a coat drive once a year for the holidays. However, if you are interested in sports, then donating to a local little league team could be a great idea.

Be wary of making the decision to contribute to something in isolation. Your employees are a great resource to pull from when deciding where to start. It seems simple but, if as the boss, you randomly decide to contribute to something that the company workers don't support, you could have some grumbling amongst your employees. Polling your employees on causes they would like to support can create a stronger sense of contribution and camaraderie within your whole company. The other benefit to the company is that you'll start to see the passion that people naturally have. It gives people an opportunity to rise up into leadership in a way that they might not have otherwise.

Money isn't the only thing to give when you are considering a contribution. It can be a huge benefit to simply host a computer recycling drive on company property or to help clean up a local playground. The bottom line of profit doesn't need to be hit hard so you can look good in your community. Your contribution doesn't have to be huge either -the small stuff counts as well. Simply being smart about recycling the paper in your office is not only a socially responsible act but is cost effective. Instead of buying post it note pads for your employees, using scrap from the copy machine and then recycling can, at least in a small way, affect your profit. You can end up saving money doing that as well as saving some trees along the way.

There are so many ways to make a good impact on your immediate community. Your contributions as a socially responsible company can help you become more visible as a business while making a genuine contribution along the way. We all have time, money or energy to spend in our lives and they can all count towards making an impact on your community.