Tip 95: Give back

Show you care about the people and communities that share the world with you by giving back. Donate some of your profits. Donate your time. Find some ways to show you care about more than just your bottom line. And the more you show you are committed to making life better by giving, the more your customers are sure to appreciate you for it.

Examples

For every pair of shoes purchased at TOMS, they provide a pair of shoes to a child in need. For every pair of eyewear purchased, TOMS restores the sight of someone. One for One. That’s their philosophy. That’s their business model. Since launching in 2006, TOMS has given more than 10 million pairs of shoes to children in need and restored site to more than 200 thousand people. Makes me wanna go buy some TOMS. 🙂
The fashion brand Tory Burch has done that with the Tory Burch Foundation. It supports the economic empowerment of women and their families through small business loans, mentoring programs, and entrepreneurial education.

Suggestions

Bake giving back to the communities around you into your business model. When you plan in advance how to make the world a better place, it makes it easier for you to carry it out on a regular basis.
Have a clear goal with regard to your efforts in giving back. Not only will it focus your giving efforts, but it will help others to more easily get mobilized around the cause you are supporting. For instance, you goal could be women’s economic empowerment, or skills training for inner city youth, or making sure everyone around the world has access to clean water.

Application for your business

Write down three causes that are near and dear to your heart, that your business can mobilize it’s giving back efforts around. Next prioritize each of those causes in terms of priority.
Brainstorm how to make giving to your top priority cause a part of your business model.