Sweet Beginnings is a honey and honey-infused skin care products company based in the heart of Chicago. But what really makes this company sweet isn’t just its products – it’s the outsized impact it has on its community.
Brenda Palms Barber, the company’s president and CEO, works with U-Turn Permitted, an employment-readiness program that helps formerly incarcerated individuals find work and learn new skills. Palms Barber, like many small business owners interested in giving back to their communities, goes beyond a one-time gift or donation and leverages a fundamental need of her company – its workforce – to generate positive momentum in her community.
If you’re looking to make a difference in your community, try a similar approach. If your company creates its own products, for example, consider hiring and training refugees, previously incarcerated men and women, or members of marginalized or disadvantaged groups. The benefits of these actions can go beyond just the good deed: thoughtful hiring practices signal to your customers that you stand for a cause, potentially boosting sales – a reported 87% of consumers make purchase decisions based on value alignment.
If hiring isn’t a clear area of opportunity to help your community, there may be other ways to contribute, such as by fostering a culture of charity within your company. For more inspiration, explore other stories of small businesses that make big differences.