In running a business you need to make every penny count.  

But did you realise that you need to consider giving stuff away should be part of your business model?  

Why would you do that? Let me explain.  

Because it makes business sense.  

This seems counter-intuitive. Giving money or time away surely doesn’t make business sense?  

Well actually when you help others the rewards do come back – it isn’t consistent, it isn’t quick, it isn’t reliable but somewhere, sometime it comes back. It is like magnetism but it comes back.  

I’ve experienced both ways in terms of feeling compelled to refer business to someone and also being the recipient of referred work as reward for helping people in the deep distant past years ago. BNI - the business networking group - call this ‘Givers Gain’.  

Doesn’t helping other people make you feel good? That’s the immediate reward but other rewards can come later. In fact isn’t it easier to help others than to ask for help?  

What about giving to charity? How does this help your business?  

Again as well as the emotional reward from helping those in greater need than you, by communicating and demonstrating how you help others you will eventually get the reward from other businesses from them seeing how you help others.  

Even start up businesses can help others by for example simply donating 1% per annum of their profits to charity.  

It will help the start up business focus on higher targets in future years and so grow profits but also provide the rewards I mentioned.  

We give over 1% of our turnover annually to local charities both in terms of time and gifting.  

Our chosen charities are Suzy Trust and we also support three Hospices. Suzy alleviates poverty and needs across the world from Eastern Europe through to Africa and Asia and has raised over £700,000 in 30 years and is run by volunteers with no costs.  

We also support Wakefield Hospice, Kirkwood Hospice and St Joseph’s Hospice through the Leeds based charity Light for The Blind.  

St Joseph's looks after the homeless and dying elderly destitute in India. £25 looks after one person per month in the hospice.  

We would also like to mention a wonderful organisation called B1G1 a business giving program which organises donating to many different projects and has been the inspiration for our charitable work. B1G1 helps embed giving in your business, can give impact to your giving and enhance your relationships with your customers and prospects. We came across B1G1 through our commitment to Accountants Changing the World.  

Why not give by helping others in business or through gifting.  

Please let us know if you want us to help you to put giving at the heart of your business.

We can show you how.  

Jan Szczepanski, (pronounced ‘Che-panski’)

Mr Accountant