If you love our community as much as many people do, then you want to see it thrive. One of the best ways to make an impact is to start a small business. Not only can doing so put our town on the map but if you are successful, you could help the local economy. Here at Community Partners, we are all about supporting our local community, so we have put together this guide to help you build a strong business that can become a pillar of our community.

How to Start Your Businesses
The first step to starting a business is coming up with a great idea that you can eventually turn into a full-time career. Think about what jobs inspire you. It could be freelance writing, construction, a driving service, or anything in between. Ideally, it is something you have experience doing and something that you can market to our community.

Another good idea is to look at our town and think about what is missing. Does our community have a specialty shop, such as a sport store for one that sells fine wines that may interest your neighbors? Once you have an idea, you’ll need to go through all necessary legalities, such as registering your business, acquiring tax IDs, and applying for necessary permits.

It is also a great idea to sharpen your accounting skills so you know exactly how much money is coming in, what you can afford to pay your employees, and how to cover your bills and still make a profit. If you are new to this area, then it may be a good idea to go back to school to learn more about accounting. With that in hand, you can ensure that your business is always thriving.

This bankrate.com article provides some good additional advice about mistakes to avoid when starting a business.

How to Draw The Community to Your Company
Once you have your company up and running, you need to attract the community to your business so you can start to make a profit. When you first open your doors, you can try to get your name out in the local press, either in the newspaper or on local blogs. Use that space to advertise your products, talk about your big sale, and entice customers to visit.

Another great idea is to launch a website and promote your products. Create a page specifically for customer reviews and encourage satisfied customers to leave their thoughts. When customers leave reviews, make sure to respond to them. Thank them for positive reviews and offer to help customers who leave negative reviews.

How Your Company Can Help Your Community
As mentioned, you aren’t only out to make money but to also help the community, and your new business can do that in many ways. For one, you could employ people within the community and give them the jobs they need to help their families. 

The fact that you opened your own business could encourage other people in the community to do the same, which is great! By promoting entrepreneurship in your town, you can have other like-minded individuals start companies that the town never realized that they needed and the economy will thrive even more.

When you make local products, you are also helping the environment. Think about it: When you have items shipped from across the country, you are wasting resources in gas and wear and tear on vehicles that need to be replaced. If you stock everything you need right there in town, then customers get what they need without wasting resources.

Here at Community Partners, we are all about enriching the town in which we live. You can find out more about us on our About Us page.

Article by Gloria Martinez