From my experience, volunteering, gaining feedback and appreciating the community around you is extremely important when building a business. In many ways, the members of your local community can become your biggest advocates and supporters when your business is just starting to grow.
When we founded My Place Realty (MPR), we had a concerted mission to integrate our business within the surrounding community in Winnipeg and find ways that we could support and sustain it. Since then, I would like to think that we have continued to maintain a focus on building strong ties within our community.
From our experiences at MPR, here are three ways you can run your business with your community in mind:
Celebrate your Members
When running an organization, investing time in your community is the most important thing you can do to build trust and a strong community network. At My Place Realty, we started investing time in our members by celebrating them and collaborating with our community.
For example, in July this year, we celebrated our first ever Tenant Appreciation Day, with donations going to the Manitoba Mutts Dog Rescue. We found an organization that we as a team are passionate about supporting, and invited tenants to the event to help support this wonderful charity. Not only did this advance our mission to volunteer and give back, but it also worked to strengthen our bond with our tenants and build community.
Start Collaborating
Direct collaborations with other companies, charities, and organizations can generate trust and support by gathering to support a cause that the community cares deeply about. As local businesses, the act of supporting each other, and collaborating on events and projects can help motivate and strengthen members of the community and also helps brand your business as an advocate of community development.
Be Open to Customer Feedback and Learn
Finding a place to live can be daunting. Therefore, establishing trust is very important for those looking for a new home. Building a community base helps support your business and celebrate the community. In doing so, we create a sense of loyalty and group cohesion. At My Place Realty, we are always looking for feedback from our tenants on how to improve our service. By looking for insights and constantly seeking methods of improvement, we foster relationships that are built on honesty and high quality service.