Picture your hometown or local community. The main street you have there is likely charming and unique - special in many respects due to the small businesses that occupy it. Small companies offer character and individuality to an environment. But they also help the locale in quantifiable and concrete ways. For your small business to grow to greater heights, you’ll need to engage with the local economy around you. Here’s how to do it.

How Do Small Businesses Benefit the Community?

Local entrepreneurs account for over 64% of new jobs in the U.S. workforce. Thus, one of the biggest ways small businesses benefit the community is by providing job opportunities and helping the local economy flourish. When customers patronize a local business, the money ends up circulating in the local economy too. Not to mention, small businesses doing their thing help innovate and diversify the marketplace, bringing charm and character to the town (perhaps even inviting new traffic).

Setting Up Your Small Businesses

If the benefits of starting a community-minded company have inspired you to launch a business, you’ll need to take care of a few startup basics. Importantly, you’ll need to come up with a catchy company name that you register with the state of California. While there are many business entities to choose from, a limited liability company (LLC) is the go-to option of many new entrepreneurs. These structures offer tax advantages as well as protection of your personal assets from being involved in your business’s legal matters. You can hire a formation agency to take care of filing the paperwork for you, but be sure to read up on the best LLC services to ensure you’re working with a trusted, highly-rated company.

Form a Unique Community Identity

To begin benefiting from your local community, you’ll need to highlight your town and showcase your appreciation for it. The best way to do this is to create a unique identity that reflects the values of your environment. Whether it’s highlighting locally-raised meat at your restaurant or displaying other small business’s products in your store, be sure to try to reflect the personality of your town to leave a positive impression on the community.

Another great way to make sure you’re generating positive buzz around your business is to work with a PR firm. These pros will get the word out about your community involvement with press coverage that might include local events, news broadcasts, and social media blasts. Take a look at local and national agencies’ portfolios and client ratings to choose a few to contact for a meeting. When speaking one on one, you’ll learn more about how each company envisions promoting you in your area so you can make an informed decision about who to work with.

Prioritize SEO

A big part of going local is the reassurance that locals can find you easily. However, it can be challenging to get discovered when you’re based in a small community. Thus, utilizing local SEO services will be vital in generating traffic and interest, which will help convert to leads. Once you have a steady inflow of customers, you can ramp up your SEO efforts to ensure you’re constantly inviting new audiences in and keeping business going. To find the right SEO professional, be sure to check out unbiased reviews before making a final decision on the company you want to work with. A great review site will offer customer feedback on a variety of companies along with price ranges so you can find a service that falls within your budget.

Volunteer/Sponsor

Whether it’s sports teams, charity runs, or farmers markets, every event needs help in operations or financing. If you’re looking for a way to get involved or perhaps meet fellow business owners, try sponsoring or volunteering. There are many positive outcomes for your business when you contribute to charitable causes. You’ll be helping a local cause but also gain an opportunity to network for future partnerships. You may even want to advertise with your logo on promotional materials so you’ll gain local exposure.

Prioritize Relationships

MindTools reports that cross-collaboration is the quickest way to gain exposure to new clientele and audiences. Show your neighbors some love by finding opportunities to promote their products or collaborate with them in unique ways. This could be as simple as reserving some space in your store for flyers and cards of businesses in the area. 

Or you could launch a new product with a relevant and like-minded company near you. And if you find another local business struggling, be sure to support them by shopping with them and aiding them however you can. Set yourself apart by actively promoting and assisting other small businesses - it’s good for the economy, and it’s good for your bottom line too.

Small businesses are the backbones of the communities they occupy. They invite revenue, provide jobs, and bring repute to neighborhoods and small towns alike, and the community shows their support by shopping local, collaborating, and promoting your wares. Be sure to get started on this symbiotic relationship to make a difference today.

Join the Visalia Chamber of Commerce to expand your local network and access fantastic resources for helping your business thrive in our community!