An Honest Look at Volunteering & Business
I live less than one mile from my childhood home. Needless to say I feel at home in Broomfield, CO. I have always been motivated to volunteer and serve in my community. I’m passionate about being a volunteer football coach at Broomfield High School, I currently serve on the Area Young Life board, and am a director and President Elect of the Broomfield Rotary Club.
At times it can be difficult to manage family business and volunteer work. I’ve been challenged on occasion from people I respect. “You need to learn to say no,” I’ve been told. I think to myself, “I did say no, these are just the things I couldn’t say no to.” However those people are absolutely correct. What makes an effective community volunteer is the person who can give of their excess time, treasures and talents, not the person who gets burned out or is over committed. Unfortunately, I’ve had to learn those hard lessons before.
So, is “volunteering” good for business? I think that is a fair question. It really gets at the heart of the motivating factors of giving. The answer, in my case is yes. I would say that any activity that fosters good honest relationships that are founded in purpose is pretty good for business. I do think it would be a major mistake to venture into some sort of service opportunity for the purpose of enriching yourself. Community service should be equally rewarding for both the person serving and the person being served. In that sense helping people and giving of yourself should be part of an economy that is manageable and sustainable.
At Higgins & DeYoung we rarely advertise for the sake of advertising. We partner with organizations that provide for unmet needs in our community. We hope that that is just a part of how we display commitment to our community. We know that if we serve our town and our clients we will grow our business the right way and by doing so can have a greater impact where we live and work.
