An increasing number of large firms are taking action on big social issues—from education, to gun control, to climate change, even impeachment. This follows, in part, consumers’ growing desire to shop with and support companies that reflect their own values and beliefs. But Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) isn’t limited to big corporations. Small businesses do this, too, and have for a long time.
What Small Businesses Know About Corporate Responsibility
They’re good at building ties to the local community.
October 22, 2019
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Summary.
Small business leaders often build tight bonds with the communities they serve and because of that, their civic engagement is driven by the customers and clients they see every day, not Madison Avenue marketing firms, focus groups, or message testing. In a recent study 72% of people believe locally-owned businesses were more likely than large companies to be involved in improving their communities. Still, CSR can be a risky undertaking. Approach the wrong cause, and you risk alienating customers and even employees. Devote too many of your resources, and you risk missing your financial goals. So how are small businesses so successfully navigating these waters? They do three things: they focus on their local communities, they work with local leaders, and they focus on people ahead of politics.