Many people will say that small and medium-sized businesses and organizations are the economic engine for our country; in many ways, they are also the socio-economic conscience.
Social concerns and economic realities are not mutually exclusive. After working a lifetime in the private sector and believing that this premise was not true, I now realize that it is truer than most people realize. Small and medium-sized organizations can have a dramatic influence on the social well-being of our communities without sacrificing their need to be profitable and sustainable.
The following points are suggestions that virtually any small and medium-sized businesses can adopt that would make a significant positive impact in their communities. There are costs involved, but these costs should be more than offset by savings and efficiencies.
Be aware of the social issues in your community.
Too few people in general are aware of all of the social issues that exist in their communities. The gulf between the extremes is only growing larger. Poverty, for example, exists for many reasons: one of the largest causes continues to be the lack of affordable and safe housing. Skyrocketing houses costs, low supply, and a lack of appreciation of what “affordable” really means has pushed poverty to include people once considered “middle” class. Our government agencies suggest that “affordable” is defined when a family or individual spends 30-40% of their income on housing. In many communities, people are spending 70-100% on housing, leaving very little for the remainder of their needs.
Food insecurity is a direct result of poverty and is a largely unseen and misunderstood problem. The demand for housing means that many people are living in substandard housing. This leads to a host of other issues, including health problems from molds and unhealthy environments, as well as anxiety and stress.
Another hidden and misunderstood issue in our communities is substance abuse and the opioid crisis.
Other significant issues include our appreciation, as country, about our systemic racism; the poor standards of our long-term senior’s residences; and things such as the lack of affordable day care which puts families under additional stress.
As either a for-profit or a not-for-profit organization, there are roles and leadership positions available that allow even the smallest organizations to make a difference.
Help change attitudes about social issues.
There is a prevailing opinion among many people that those suffering from poverty just need to pull themselves up by their bootstraps in order to escape poverty. This negative attitude is compounded because many of the same people fear that poor and vulnerable people are somehow abusing the charities.
While there may be some who abuse the system, the vast majority do not. Organizations can help by supporting and promoting not only the charities, but by helping to eliminate the stigma held by the community about those who utilize such services.
Re-examine your views and those of lobby groups.
Raising the minimum wage and supervised injection sites are only two issues that create very strong opinions from business owners. Everyone has an opinion and some have very strong views. Challenge your pre-existing thoughts and viewpoints. Look at the facts and then the pros and cons; you may find that your previously held strong opinions might need to change.
Hire full-time people.
Consider, where possible, hiring full-time people instead of just part-time associates. Flexibility and cost-saving are the perceived benefits; now consider turnover, efficiency, and commitment to your organization. A part-time person simply cannot afford to live in most communities unless they have a secondary income source. Due to the increased cost of housing, the associated food insecurity, and other pressures, part-time employment in your organization may be driving good people to find better jobs, ultimately weakening your organization and increasing your costs.
In addition, by offering full-time positions, your job advertisements will attract good applicants from similar organizations that only offer part-time positions.
Pay a living wage.
A living wage will vary from region to region, but it is essentially the cost for a family to meet their basic needs in your community. Most people can remember the fear mongering that many organizations and lobbyists raised about simply raising the minimum wage. There are not many regions in Canada that someone can actually survive on such a low income. As an organization that values its associates, having people who can actually afford to live in your community should be a given, not something that is unattainable.
Pay benefits or share in the costs.
Benefits are expensive for everyone. Having a basic benefits package, even if the associates have to pay a portion of the expense, is better than not having any coverage. In our very competitive labour marketplace, having benefits verses not having benefits can make the difference between attracting top people and not.
Support local charities to help your community.
In many communities, when there is a crisis, local charities step up to do the heavy lifting. Many of these organizations have precarious funding sources and/or rely on donations. Here are a few things that any organization can do that will make a difference:
- Have an employment deduction plan to support local charities. With digital software packages, setting up an automatic payroll deduction for either a charity that the organization supports or individual associates can support is easily done. Even small, regular amounts will make a large impact.
- Sponsor local events. Virtually all charitable organization have fundraising events. As an organization, offer to help pay some or all of their set-up costs for a special event and encourage your associates to volunteer. Not only is this a great community investment for the organization, it allows your associates to interact, build relationships, and boost morale, as many of these events are fun.
- Have organizational events that help fund-raise for local charities. Be one of the many organizations that hold special events as part of their normal sales and marketing and donate a portion of the proceeds to local charities. For large retailers, inviting a charity to set up and inform your clients and customers about the great work they do is just one example of the multitude of opportunities that will benefit the charity, your community, and your organization.
- Encourage your associates to volunteer with community organizations. Charitable organizations can always use permanent volunteers; there are possibilities for everyone up to and including serving on the board of directors. Sponsoring and getting involved in local sports organizations and clubs for children are also excellent ways to give back to the community.
Have a zero environmental footprint.
Any kind of organization can influence our environment in a positive way. Performing a waste audit is easy: basic things like turning off lights and computers at night, having timers on washroom lights, replacing inefficient light bulbs with low wattage LED’s, donating unused food to local food rescue, and encouraging carpooling are all easy things that your organization can start today to reduce its environmental impact.
- Start a community garden. If your organization has extra space, consider creating a community garden either with your associates or providing the space or funds for a community group to create one. Community gardens are a great way to build relationships across demographics and even small spaces can make a difference.
- Recycling programs. Your organization can help reduce waste by supporting local blue and green box programs. Having sports equipment exchanges is another great way to encourage things to be re-used. Coat and clothing drives are more ways to share surplus items with vulnerable people. Associates, clients, suppliers, and customers can support food drives. Having a wine and beer bottle drive so charities can benefit from the deposits is popular in many communities. The only limit for making a difference is your organization’s imagination.
One person, one organization can make a difference. Whether your organization can do one, two, or all of these suggestions, it’s important to do what you can. Involve your associates and start to make a difference today; it can happen as just a natural extension of being a good organization.
Thank you,
Paul.