By Jennifer Henderson
What if your business could be profitable and meaningful? What if success didn’t mean choosing between making money and making a difference? Most business owners think those things are separate. You build a company to make a living. You give back in your personal life, if you have the time or the budget for it. For many people, the two exist in different lanes.
However, that’s not what I’ve found in my experience as a business owner. I’ve learned that the most sustainable, fulfilling work happens when you stop treating profit and purpose as opposites. I’ve found they’re actually connected through commitment.
Committing your business to a specific community matters
My commitment to Fort Worth’s Near Southside set the stage for many of the ways I’ve been able to give back. When I planted my business flag here in 2001, people were scratching their heads as to why. New businesses were only beginning to consider Magnolia as their location. Jennings Avenue and later, South Main Street, were years away from redevelopment. Picking a neighborhood and pouring my work, energy and enthusiasm into it allowed so many wonderful things to flourish.
When you commit to a community, over time you can create opportunity for others. Meet your neighbors and fellow business owners and find ways to communicate with and support each other. Plan events together to bring people to the neighborhood. Advocate as a community for infrastructure improvements if they’re needed. Promote one another’s businesses. As you grow, you can help others grow.
My investment eventually took the form of buying a building, which allowed me to rent space to other creatives and start-ups, giving them affordable rates and helping them take risks. It was a smart business move, and a way to support others getting started. I got to watch South Main Street become a vibrant destination in Fort Worth thanks to a number of business owners all making the same decision to commit to the neighborhood and the community.
The “location, location, location” adage is true, but commitment to that location is what ultimately makes the difference. When you plant yourself somewhere and genuinely invest in its future, you become a foundation for others to build on.
Commit to people: Leadership is a service, not a status
From the team you build, to the relationships you cultivate with clients, your dedication to people has impacts beyond what you see. I’ve learned that businesses built on genuine relationships tend to grow through referrals. When you invest in people and your community first, clients and opportunities follow.
I recommend thinking of leadership less as a status and more as an opportunity to serve others; this mind shift begins to open doors.
Here are a few ways you can start pouring into others today:
• Offer expertise through thought leadership — maybe that’s on LinkedIn or by mentoring a business owner younger than you or newer to the industry.
• Say yes to speaking opportunities with high school and college classes, and to requests from young hopefuls in your industry.
• Cultivate a culture of in-office internships where interns work on real projects and learn from an expert.
• Nominate coworkers, colleagues, clients and friends for awards.
• Write hand-written letters (congratulatory, thank yous, inspirational) to people who need and deserve them.
Commit to a bigger vision: Think beyond financial donations
Companies aren’t always in a position to follow the more traditional giving back routes, such as sponsorships or donating money. This is where your giving of time and expertise becomes an excellent option.
By the early 2010s, I realized the expertise I was using for profit could also serve non-profits doing incredible work. I committed significant time and resources to pro bono work. If you have expertise, consider offering it for free to organizations aligned with your values. This often has a way of opening a new door to meaningful work you had never considered!
Other creative ideas for giving back:
• Look for ways to deliver a little more than the customer or client expects without charging for it.
• Donate items such as office supplies to organizations like The Welman Project and Goodwill Industries.
• Give referrals by sending good vendors, clients and business contacts to people who need to be connected. Making connections is a great way to give back.
You don’t have to choose between business and donations
Your interests matter, so follow them. As a business owner for 28 years, believe me when I say your passion will sustain you through the hard years and guide you toward the work that feels the most meaningful. When you honor what matters to you, the opportunities to give back reveal themselves.
This doesn’t have to mean large financial commitments. Your approach to giving back can grow and change through the years. Neighborhood involvement, cultivating your connections, sharing the knowledge and experience you’ve accumulated — these things benefit your community, the next generation of your industry, and ultimately, your business.
In the end, being a business that gives back can, and probably should, look different for each of us. Let your interests guide you and look for ways to share all you have to offer with your community.
Jennifer Henderson is the President and Founder of J.O. Agency (www.joagency.com), a full-service marketing and public relations firm. She’s also the founder of The Cause Agency, a non-profit marketing firm, and owns and curates Gallery 440. All are located in Fort Worth’s Near Southside.
