Give and Ye Shall Receive

Give and Ye Shall Receive 

Looking for a way to create a positive image with the people you want to do business with? Volunteering your services to support a cause you and they believe in is very effective. By helping a charity or other community organization, you (1) get your name in front of potential customers, (2) demonstrate your expertise, (3) make valuable contacts, and (4) show your community spirit.

Of course, the primary reason for volunteering is to do good. But there is nothing wrong with doing well while doing good. A furniture store in my community donates rooms full of furniture to needy families every holiday season. When they deliver the furniture, they are often accompanied by camera crews from local TV news shows, and they get publicity for their donations. Does that mean that their good works are negated by the fact they use the publicity to help build their business' reputation? If you ask the people who receive the furniture, I think they would tell you that they don't care about that -- they are just grateful to get the help.

So, what can you do? Serve on the board of a community organization, sign up for a committee, get out in the trenches and serve. Can you use your products or services to aid the community? Donate products to a charity auction, or to an organization that will distribute the products to those in need. Volunteer to counsel students. Write communications or coordinate a PR campaign. Show your stuff!

If you're just starting out and need samples to show prospective clients, your volunteering project can be a valuable addition to your portfolio. By the way, you wouldn't show a sample and say, "I charged this client $20,000," so why should you offer that you charged a client nothing? It's just a sample of the great work you do for your clients. Of course, if asked by a prospective client, you should be truthful about the fact that this was a volunteer project. 

Remember that visibility is about getting in front of people many times and many ways. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to create a positive image for yourself and your business, while helping the causes in which you believe.

You'll get lots of fun and creative ideas like this one in Cathy Stucker's free email newsletter, Bright Ideas. To subscribe, see http://www.idealady.com/

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