Community Relations Strategy for Small Business

Does your company have a community relation strategy? Have you even considered it? It is essential to have policies in place. Having run a small business for years which eventually turned into a multi-state franchise system, I realized early on that a business who is part of the community it serves can survive the ups and downs of the business cycles, making it somewhat recession proof. Nothing turns off the community more than a business which refuses to give back a little and gives some ridiculous excuse of; "It is our corporate policy, sorry!" Many times a volunteer for a club or organization will come in and ask for a hand out. Rather than giving them an excuse, talk with them about what you can do, have a policy which helps them too. Do not just tell them sorry; "No can do" offer them other assistance instead. For instance if they come in a are looking for a donation, you might say. We are not able to give a straight donation, but we are allowed to give you an item or two on the discount rack for a door prize or silent auction.

Your employees and managers of all your stores should have leeway to help you serve the community, which support your business. By having a policy up front and community relations over all strategy you can turn a potentially negative event, which will hurt you thru word of mouth into a bonanza of new discovered customers within that group. I have written an outline, which can assist you in promoting your community relations strategy. Now realize every business is different and ours is unique like yours. We are in the mobile car wash business and are able to do such things as car wash fundraisers and give out gift certificates for auto-detailing. But whatever business you are in you can easily develop a community relation manual by taking this outline below and modifying it and then writing three paragraphs for each item. This will give you an edge on your competition and help you align your business strategy with that of your community and insuring that you attain a larger and more loyal customer base.

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

I. CLUBS AND ORGANIZATIONS

A. Volunteer Support

B. Maintaining Lists

1. Change Yearly

2. Phone Numbers, Addresses

3. Share Lists

4. Networking With Lists

C. Carry Through

D. Remember Names

E. Environmental Groups

1. Maintain Communications

2. Volunteer

F. Attend A Meeting

II. SERVICE CLUBS

A. Rotary

B. Kiwanis

C. Optimist

D. Elks

E. Lions

F. Women's Groups

III. PTA'S, BOOSTER CLUBS

A. Community Relations Representatives At Schools

B. ASB Clubs

C. Student groups

D. Awards

E. Scholarship Funds

F. Fundraisers

G. Coupons, Etc.

IV. SENIOR CITIZENS

A. Discounts

B. Mobile Home Parks

C. Golf Courses

D. Square Dances

E. Senior Centers

V. SEARCH AND RESCUE

A. Fires, Locusts

B. Floods, Hurricanes, Tornadoes

C. Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Tsunamis

D. Riots

E. Volunteer

F. Other

VI. WHEEL CHAIR WASHING DAY

VII. MISCELLANEOUS

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.worldthinktank.net/wttbbs

premium house cleaning Highland Park ..
In The News:

A New Jersey teenager filed a major lawsuit against AI/Robotics Venture Strategy 3 Ltd. over ClothOff, an AI tool that created fake nude images from her social media photos.
Microsoft reports Storm-2657 cybercriminals sent phishing emails to 6,000 addresses at 25 universities to steal payroll credentials and redirect funds.
Astronomers have discovered asteroid 2025 SC79, a skyscraper-sized space rock orbiting the sun in just 128 days. the second-fastest known.
The Fox News AI Newsletter delivers the latest developments form the world of artificial intelligence, including the technology's challenges and opportunities.
A cyberattack on SimonMed Imaging exposed personal information of 1.2 million patients, including medical records, financial details and identity papers.
Spotify's managed accounts for kids under 13 now available in at least seven countries, allowing parents to filter and block explicit content and songs.
Friendly text conversations about BBQs and social events can lead to WEEX gold trading scams that target older adults with fake investment opportunities.
California company Skyeports creates self-healing glass spheres from Moon regolith that generate solar power and support plant growth for sustainable lunar living.
Cleafy researchers discover fake VPN streaming app Mobdro Pro that installs Klopatra banking Trojan, giving attackers full control over Android devices.
Police departments across the U.S. and Canada are adopting virtual reality training to better prepare officers for high-pressure, real-world situations.
House Bill 469 would prevent AI systems from owning property, serving as executives, or gaining legal personhood in Ohio under Representative Thaddeus Claggett's proposal.
Public voter records expose retirees' personal details to election scammers who create targeted cons using names, addresses, and voting history data.
Instead of fearing what comes next with artificial intelligence, think outside the box. Here are high-earning AI jobs that don't require a computer science degree.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says polite words like "please" and "thank you" cost millions annually, while direct prompts may improve ChatGPT accuracy by several points.
Chattee Chat and GiMe Chat exposed intimate conversations and photos, revealing users spent up to $18,000 on AI companions before the breach.
New Instagram parental controls allow families to manage teen screen time and content limits through the Family Center with stricter safety settings.
Third-party security breach at Discord exposes sensitive user information including government IDs, highlighting cybersecurity risks from external service providers.
Survey of 1,000 students shows teens using AI for personal relationships while two-thirds of parents remain unaware of their children's AI usage.
Cybersecurity experts warn about a ShadowLeak vulnerability that weaponized ChatGPT's Deep Research agent to steal personal data from Gmail accounts through hidden commands.
Tesla's Full Self-Driving system faces federal investigation following 58 reports of crashes, with six vehicles running red lights before colliding with other cars.
The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest developments on artificial intelligence, with news on OpenAI moving to soon allow erotica for adult users.
Eric Schmidt alerts that hackers can reverse-engineer AI models to bypass safety measures, citing examples like the jailbroken ChatGPT variant called DAN.
Cybercriminals exploit Microsoft Teams through impersonation, malicious links and fake profiles to gather intel and deliver ransomware to personal and work devices.
Google, Dior, Allianz and dozens of other companies lost sensitive customer data in Salesforce-related breaches affecting millions of records across multiple sectors.
Apple launches iOS 26 with new Preview app that combines document editing, PDF annotation and scanning features into one streamlined iPhone experience.

Wichita Kansas is a Great Place to Run a Business

We love Wichita because it has great all round weather... Read More

Starting a Small Business: Balancing Risk and Reward

In a perfect world, starting a small business would be... Read More

How to Write a Credit Policy for Your Business

The book, "Become the Squeaky Wheel," by New Hampshire author... Read More

Freelance Tips: How to Cope with Spring Fever When Theres Work to Be Done

We all know how glorious those first warm days of... Read More

Deciding Which State To Incorporate Your Small Business In

Once you've decided to incorporate your small business the next... Read More

Promote Yourself More Successfully

One of the great challenges for independent professionals and small... Read More

Where to Find a Cash Windfall of $10,000 to $1,000,000 -- You Never Knew You Had

There is a rather famous true story called "Acres of... Read More

Consistency Builds Trust

You know your prospects need what you sell. You know... Read More

More Business Card Uses

Why would you use an event pass?Event passes are often... Read More

How to Curb Antique Shop Theft Inexpensively

If you have ever had your antique shop or mall... Read More

25 Valuable Phone Numbers For Small Businesses Success

Starting and growing a small business can be a daunting... Read More

Obtain Maximum Results For Your Small Business Through Better Time Management

Most small business owners are faced with so many responsibilities... Read More

Are You Really the Boss in Your Own Business?

I recently met with a very successful magazine publisher who... Read More

Over Disclosure Hurts Businesses

Many investors and business ethics professionals are calling for more... Read More

How Small Business And Nonprofits Can Afford Multimedia For The Web

Multimedia is everywhere on the Internet, whether in the form... Read More

Direct Mail - For Small Businesses

We hear a lot of talk about junk mail nowadays.... Read More

Aircraft Washing Business Tip - Interior Private Jet Cleaning

Aircraft Interiors of personal and corporate jets have hundreds of... Read More

If You Want to Work from Home

Here are some important points to take note of if... Read More

Predicting Business Retirement Satisfaction for Business Owners

Most business owners do not think of selling their companies... Read More

7 Habits of Highly Successful Small Business Owners

Do you spend every waking minute in your business? Do... Read More

Business Plans - What Consultants Don?t tell You!

Do you have a Business Plan? Congratulations, but you are... Read More

Leveraging Business Relationships for more Profits

When should you leverage the relationship?Leveraging sometimes brings a negative... Read More

Small Business And The Ability To Find Market Place Opportunities

Marketing is one of the four corner-posts of a solid... Read More

Combating Over Regulation of Small Business

Many small businesses do quite well due to the blood,... Read More

A Day in the Life of a Self Employed Professional

It's Monday morning and Connie the Consultant sits in her... Read More

bedroom cleaning professionals Mundelein ..