Today’s social society means it’s no longer just you and your business who determine if you’ll be successful. Business success encompasses so much more than what goes on inside the four walls of your office.
Things like who you know, your brand image, community engagement, corporate and charitable partnerships, your experience and so much more play a role on your company’s bottom line. Business has ultimately become a more rounded field in which consumers expect you to do more than just what you do business-wise.
One way to address this “more” attitude is to get involved in your community. There are a million different ways to do this, but if you’re doing your employee wellness program right, the two can definitely go hand in hand.
How can you use wellness to get involved in your community?
Here are some of our favorite ways to build your community presence. All of these things can be framed as wellness activities and embodied by your wellness program.
Charity Events
This is a no-brainer. In your community, there are likely a variety of charity events in which you can take part. Keep an eye out for them! Most of these events give participants the opportunity to make teams. If you sponsor a team from your company, you give your employees the opportunity to register without much hassle.
Look for events that all types of people can enjoy. Walks or fun runs, clean-up days, recreational sports tournaments and basically anything ending in “-a-thon” are great options.
Non-Profit or Business Partnerships
Healthy relationships make healthy people. Exemplify that in your business at a systems level. Is there an organization in your community that has a mission that compliments yours nicely? If so, take full advantage! These types of relationships are mutually beneficial for both you and the new business partner.
Depending on the partnership, your relationship with another business could vary. Consider starting small with a partnership in which you both contribute and benefit from a similar action. As you get more familiar with them, you can branch out to joint campaigns and more complex undertakings.
Open Projects
Starting a project that’s open to the public can be a great opportunity to get to know people you may not have known before. Addressing community health with this type of project is a seamless way to promote your wellness program as well.
Consider projects like a community garden, a prescription drug take-back, a family activity field day, or even a bike rally. All of these things remind people that you care about the community and their well-being.
Community Events
Hosting, attending or sponsoring community events is another great way to get involved. Find conferences, galas, parties or networking events that have a mission you support, and ask how you, your company and your wellness program might be able to help.
Make Your Presence Known
No matter how you and your employees choose to get involved, it’s important to make sure people know who you are. Brand everything you give away with your logo and website, wear team shirts, give out business cards or even offer samples of your products. It’s important that when people see you in the community they see a consistent image and know exactly who you are.
Community involvement can make or break how successful you are where you work. Our social society demands more from businesses than simply the product the offer. Use your employee wellness program as a springboard to get out there and get involved.
What are you favorite community partnerships?
