Connect Your Creative Business to the Community

Connecting Creative Business and Community Initiatives

Build trust with consumers and other business owners that live and operate in the very communities your creative business is located in and you may witness an increase in your product inquiries and sales. Connecting business and community initiatives (e.g. annual celebrations, fundraisers, environmental initiatives) is one way to start building this trust.

: Connect Your Creative Business to Community

Regardless of where your creative business is headquartered, you can connect with members of the community. Before you hire staff to build community projects and initiatives, find out about existing programs in the community. For example, the local Chamber of Commerce might host a weekend long annual community celebration, inviting vendors, speakers, members of government agencies (e.g. police department, fire department) and local entertainers to set up booths and interact with attendees. Additionally, local media professionals typically cover large community events, presenting your creative business with the chance to gain media exposure.

Ask About Appearing in Brochures and Handouts as a Creative Business Leader

If the city or town your business is located in host community events, ask about appearing in brochures and other handouts associated with the events. You could get interviewed in brochures, at event websites or on radio stations advertising the local community events. Of course, you can also take out an ad in event programs.

To introduce your company to community event attendees consider:

Passing out goodie bags filled with free product samples, a product catalog and a magnetic postcard that highlights your company name, address, telephone number and website URL
Allowing attendees to sign a contact form so they can receive newsletters, product discount alerts and other relevant information from your creative business
Delivering a speech at community events, being sure to provide your business contact information at the end of the speech

More Steps to Connect Your Creative Business to the Community

Additional steps you can take to connect your creative business to the community include:

Partner with worship centers and local businesses to host fundraisers
Participate in youth mentoring programs; invite the media to cover a mentoring session
Host a suit drive and donate the clothes to discount stores that support economically challenged community residents
Teach free seminars on key subjects in your industry. For example, if you operate a bank you can teach free financial savings seminars
Offer to write a column in your local newspaper. You can answer resident questions about issues impacting your industry or you can share a valuable tip with readers each week.

If you regularly participate in community programs, fundraisers and events as a creative business leader, you and your company may become a household name in the region your company is located in. This approach has worked for bestselling authors and small business owners. Over time, you can expand your reach and start traveling and participating in national events, creating brand name familiarity amongst a growing customer base.

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