Lots of people drop spare change in the bell-ringer’s kettle in December, but how often do you think about charity the rest of the year? When you donate to charity, is it to a big, multi-national organization or to a local charity? At Urban Mattress, we support local charities and encourage others to do the same.
Why should a business support local charities? Shouldn’t a business concentrate on doing business? Making, repairing, selling, consulting?
“But you were always a good man of business, Jacob,” faltered Scrooge, who now began to apply this to himself.
“Business!” cried the Ghost, wringing its hands again. “Mankind was my business; charity, mercy, forbearance, and benevolence were all my business. The deals of my trade were but a drop of water in the comprehensive ocean of my business!”
A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens
Urban Mattress is locally owned and operated. We donate 2% of every sale to local charities, and we encourage our customers and other businesses to do likewise. Why?
Supporting a charity is good public relations. It provides publicity for a business. It helps a business be part of the community. That’s where customers come from, you know. The community.
By supporting local charities instead of a big multinational organization, you know where your money is going. You know how your money is being used. In fact, you often have more say in how it’s used. All charities need to spend some money on administrative expenses — pencils, computers, paying the electric bill, the phone bill, office rent, etc. — as well as donating to whatever their cause is. However, some big charities spend more on executive salaries and fundraising than they do on helping people. Some charities are wonderful. The American Red Cross, for example, devotes more than 90% of its funds to charity. Some charities devote a higher proportion of their money to administrative costs and fundraising. Some are scams, designed to appeal to your better instincts. Always check to see how any given charity allots its money. With a local charity, that’s easier to do.
When a business gets involved with a local charity, it helps improve employee morale. It helps build a group of employees into a team and enhances employee relations. A team is much more efficient than a group.
Generosity actually decreases cortisol levels, according to Scientific American. Higher cortisol levels make it harder to rest. A good night’s rest is important to us; that’s why our premium mattresses are made with natural materials.
A company with a good reputation for community involvement attracts better employees. Better employees make for a better, more successful business.
When public relations improve, your presence on social media grows. Word of mouth publicity will always be the best publicity, but in the 21st century, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Google+, Pinterest, and blogs are an electronic form of word of mouth. Your customers — your neighbors in the community — do your advertising for you. Through the process of enlightened self-interest, “positive public perception and social media sentiment influences branding, and eventually, purchasing,” which leads to more satisfied customers, which leads to your business being successful and making a profit. The more profit you earn, the more you can afford to donate back to the community.
And the most important reason of all for a business to donate to local charities: it’s the right thing to do.
If you’re interested in making your night’s rest more comfortable, contact us. If you’re interested in being more involved in your community and helping your neighbor, contact us about that, too. We’ve got some great ideas to share and some great mattresses for sale.