You probably know, at least in an abstract sense, that “investing into your community” is a good thing to do. But have you ever stopped to consider the impact that you, as a business owner, can make?

You’re in a unique position, and it’s important that you leverage it. You have the ability to make a profound impact on the lives of your employees. You have the opportunity to support environmental and community improvement initiatives. You have the ability to partner with non-profits and charities in order to support causes that you are passionate about. At CSP® we take these opportunities seriously, as I’ve written here.

But in addition to being the “right thing to do”, investing into your local community is good business. Here are three reasons why:

1) Build relationships. As a home stager, relationships are vital to success. In fact, a strong relationship with just a few well-placed real estate brokers can be game-changing. But the reality is that it’s often difficult to build strong relationships in a professional setting. On the other hand, the relationships that you develop while you are working shoulder-to-shoulder with an individual on a community service project occur almost without effort. You’ll find that, by supporting the community, you come into close contact with community leaders and “movers and shakers.” Not all of these relationships will directly benefit you from a business standpoint—but many of them will. And they’ll be stronger than a strictly business relationship, because they were formed working together for a common purpose.

2) Build an appealing brand. The second reason it pays to support your community is quite simple: because your community appreciates the support! Getting your name out there as a conscientious, community-minded business will pay dividends down the road. It may not result in immediate business, but when a homeowner needs to sell and is debating between multiple home staging options, the fact that you are known as committed to helping the community will give you an advantage. Supporting the community also gives you an opportunity to get your name in front of an audience that otherwise might never be exposed to you.

3) Shift your focus – even if it’s only temporary. Another reason that charitable work and community service pays dividends is that it forces you to view the world from a different perspective—albeit temporarily. And sometimes, stepping out of the daily grind of running your business can lead to breakthrough ideas. It’s easy to get trapped into seeing the world from just one perspective, but the problem with this is that often solutions aren’t apparent from that single perspective. Spending time focused on others instead of yourself forces a perspective change—and every once in a while, this can lead to something brilliant.

At CSP® we believe that every home stager should be active in their community. It’s the right thing to do, and it’s good for business. If you’d like to learn more, please get in touch with us today!