When a crisis or pandemic hits, it’s easy to feel like your business is going to suffer. It can be hard to focus on sales and growth when there are so many other things demanding your attention. It’s no secret that sometimes the last thing you want to be worried about when you’re trying to run your business is how you can be socially responsible. But if you want your business to thrive, you need to keep your eye on the ball—and that means being socially responsible.
Being socially responsible doesn’t mean just handing out money or products. It means thinking about the impact of your business on the world around you and making sure that it’s positive.
Social responsibility is one of the most important, yet challenging aspects when running a business. It requires businesses to think beyond their own bottom line, and consider how their actions affect other stakeholders like employees, customers, suppliers and the community at large.
But if we’re going to get through this pandemic and come out on the other side as a stronger, more connected society, then we all have to start thinking about how we can give back. Here are some ways you can do that:
Etiquette/Customer Service
In times of crisis and pandemic, everyone is going to be stressed out and worried about their own safety. As a business owner, it’s important for you to make your customer service practices as friendly as possible. Be sure that your staff is fully trained in how to treat customers with respect and kindness during stressful situations.
Payment Timelines (small businesses with large corporations)
Offer payment timelines that work for both parties. You don’t want to overextend yourself or leave yourself vulnerable—but if you can offer your clients the option of paying you later, or at least giving them an option, such as consider extending your payment timelines from 30 days to 60 days during these turbulent times. Small businesses often don’t have this luxury but if you can still offer extended payment, it might help them feel better about their decision to buy from you rather than someone else.
Small businesses typically don’t have the same resources as large corporations, so they might have trouble meeting their payment deadlines during hard times. If you have extra cash on hand and are willing to work with small businesses that need help paying their bills, then offer a discount for those who pay early!
Sales
Stop being pushy and greedy—give space and assume the best about your customers’ needs. The truth is, most business owners don’t know how to give space to their customers because they’re too busy trying to make money off of them by pressuring them into buying products they don’t need (or even want). This isn’t fair, but it’s also not the way forward in these days of uncertainty. So instead of being pushy about sales, try being proactive about helping customers find what they need—and maybe even giving them more than they expect from you!
Philanthropy
While many companies do give back to charities and non-profits, it’s easy for them to fall into the trap of thinking that because they’re already doing so much good in the world that they’re off the hook for any other kind of philanthropy—but this is actually where companies can make more of an impact than ever before! Instead of donating money to a cause, why not offer your expertise and mentoring services instead? You’ll help others achieve their dreams while also giving your employees time off work so they can spend time with family during these stressful times.
In times of crisis and pandemic, small businesses have a significant role to play in the recovery of a community. Small businesses are often the backbone of communities, providing local jobs and fostering a sense of belonging and pride for locals. This is especially true for small towns where the local business owner is often well-known.
The best way for business owners to be socially responsible in these situations is to remember that they have a responsibility beyond making money: they have a responsibility toward those who depend on them for jobs and income.
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