Nowadays, more and more small companies look for ways they can proactively give back to their communities. Also, customers are starting to demand companies they support also engage in this kind of corporate behavior. As a result, we are seeing how social responsibility of small businesses has become an essential aspect every company needs to address, regardless of its size. We shouldn’t feel overwhelmed, though, as achieving social responsibility can be easier than you think.
To begin with, we need to start with the basics and understand the importance of corporate social responsibility, or CSR. Then, we should be able to start planning and developing a CSR strategy. Enforcing transparency with our market, including employees and customers alike, will help us reinforce our CSR practices. Besides, we must include environmental and responsibility to our strategy, too.
Start with the Basics
One of the most important elements for strategies of social responsibility of small businesses is understanding the basics. The concept of Corporate Social Responsibility basically refers to a set of practices every company or corporation, large or small, should follow. Not only because our customers now expect us to do so, but because it is the right thing to do. In order to start applying ethical business practices, we need to develop an appropriate strategy.
Develop a Strategy
Whenever we start developing a CSR strategy, we must consider many different aspects that define social responsibilities of small businesses. Implementing such practices requires careful planning, as every company might have a different impact thus they might want to focus these efforts into an appropriate area. For small businesses, however, it is always important to consider the members of the community our company is a part of. Giving back to such community will differ, but the focus should always remain on being active and collaborating with them.
Be Transparent with Your Market
Another essential element of social responsibility of small businesses is transparency. We need to be transparent with our customers so that they can know we are trustworthy and committed to making a difference. These efforts or being open and honest should be reflected not only to our customers but to our employees, too. As a result, we should see an increase in loyalty from both customers and employees. Enforcing strong cultural values among our staff and inviting them to openly support these values is another huge benefit, too.
Include Environmental Responsibility
We cannot talk about CSR without talking about the environmental impact many if not all, companies and businesses leave behind. Social responsibility of small businesses and companies starts with implementing eco-friendly practices and strategies. Coming up with campaigns to protect natural resources and recycling programs are always a great way to start implementing CSR at work. Besides, we can also consider analyzing energy efficiency and the amount of waste we generate on a daily basis. This should allow us to become more aware of different practices and patterns we hadn’t realized yet but we still have time to change.