Looking to Grow Your Business Locally? ‘Tis the Season for Community Involvement

The holiday season is a time of giving and gathering. For many communities, this means holding local volunteer initiatives, or hosting events for community members to all come and gather together.

As many pest control companies thrive on business from their local communities and communities from surrounding areas, there are many benefits to involving your pest control business in these types of activities. Participating in community-hosted events will not only benefit the organization you are assisting or the community you are part of but can also help grow your business. Read on as we explore some of these benefits:

Branding: According to a recent survey of our pest control customers, over 75% say geographic location is the most important segmentation option when finding new customers. This makes community events a stellar opportunity for branding, as you can choose which ones you attend based on the specific areas you are targeting. Typically, sponsoring events will land your logo on t-shirts, flyers, websites, and social media pages. For events you are attending, you may have an opportunity to set up a booth and hand out some promotional information. Attending events in your area is an effective way to put your pest control company’s name and logo in front of a large number of potential customers in your area.

Networking: Anytime you attend an event, you are going to meet new people and form connections within your local area. These connections are potential customers and may also refer their friends to you in the future. Make sure to always have business cards on hand to share – this will help people contact you following the event.

Employee Morale: Working together for a charity or event can not only position your business for growth, but it can also boost the morale of your employees and help with team building. Employees will also appreciate that you are giving back to the community they live and work in.

“Charitable Giving” Tax Deductions: Charitable contributions can qualify as tax deductions against your business’s annual tax liability. It’s important to note that not all contributions are considered legitimate deductions, so make sure to do your research if you are planning on submitting your charitable donation as a deduction.

Here’s What You Can Do

While you may get the most out of sponsoring a large event or even hosting your own, there are also many smaller ways that you can contribute without dealing with pesky budget constraints. Here are some great ways you can get your business involved:

Host or Sponsor a Charitable Event: Throughout the year, charitable organizations host events to help raise money or awareness for worthy causes. Keep your eye out for these local events and contact charities in need of sponsors. Examples would include sponsoring a 5K Race, a local concert, or a town festival. An easy way to stay in the loop is to follow community pages and local newspapers on social media to receive updates on what is going on in your area. Most townships also have a website with a community calendar where you can find information on. If you have the ability, you can create your own event that would benefit the community based on causes that are important to you.

Support Educational and Athletic Associations: Public schools have fundraising events throughout the year to raise money for educational programs. You can contact local schools in your area to see if there are opportunities for your company to help. The opportunities in schools will vary depending on their needs. You may be able to donate free pest control services for a gift auction fundraiser, provide goods for a bake sale, or volunteer to work at an event. Athletic organizations take advantage of sponsors as well. Some organizations will allow you to sponsor a team and have your logo and contact information on the back of the team uniform. Other organizations will hang your logo up the walls of their auditorium or fences.

Have an Employee Volunteer Day: Once a year, give employees the day off to volunteer as a company in a community event. Have the entire company take the same day for a group activity such as working in a soup kitchen or volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. If it’s not practical for your business to shut down for an entire day, have an optional program where employees can choose the community service project they are interested in and take a day off to volunteer.

Some Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Involvement

• Send out press releases to let local newspapers and industry publications to let them know how you are helping them to better the community. They might pick up your story and feature it on their website or in their publication, giving your company more exposure.
• Use social media to promote the event you are participating in. Facebook Events allow users to RSVP as well as register for free tickets to your event. Enabling free registration directly on Facebook results in a 2x increase in ticket sales.
• Wear company-branded shirts when attending events. This will help people recognize your logo next time they need local pest services.
• Be prepared with promotional material and free giveaways with your logo to further branding efforts.
• Keep good records of charitable donations. You will need itemized lists for tax purposes.