Did you ever ask yourself Why should someone buy from me and not from my competitors? If not, you should consider how your offering is different from those of the many competitors who are vying for the same customers as you are. One of the ways to make your business stand out from the crowd is to link your business with charity work and non-profit public service.

Everybody is chasing after the all-mighty buck, but only a few firms really do more than pay lip service to social service. Lets take a look at how charity work can help your firm as well as the wider society around it.

1. It will give your business an extra edge

As mentioned above, when you become involved in social work in a significant way, then you begin to stand out from the crowd. It gives you that something special, which may be the difference when your potential customer makes up her mind and decides which firm to go with. I have had customers confide to me that one of the reasons that they chose to do business with my firm is that they know that some of their money will be allocated to charity.

2. It increases your credibility

Credibility and trust are vital if you are going to sell anything. If someone is going to part with their scarce resources they want to be sure that they are doing business with the right people. When you show that your firm is doing something meaningful for society in addition to the normal work of making money, then you and your whole team are viewed in another light.

3. Charity work is inexpensive

It doesnt take any money to set aside part of your website to explain your companys participation in charitable activities. Similarly, it doesnt cost you anything to mention your charitable activities along with your primary information in other media. Messages in your firms internal bulletins and media are likewise easy and inexpensive to implement.

4. It helps you to convince people whom you would otherwise not reach

Charity work appeals to the nobler side of human nature, and, believe it or not, deep down inside of every one of us is the desire to do something that is good. When you get involved in charitable work you will reach civic minded individuals who are oftentimes community leaders and prominent in social, economic and political sectors of society. It might take you years of normal business activity to make contact with people like that and in fact, you might, like most people, never connect with them.

5. It lifts the morale of your staff and your clients

High morale is one of the intangible factors that can be the difference between great success and mediocrity and even complete failure. Your team will in fact become a team when it works not only for financial gain but also for civic betterment. Your customers will also feel good about the charitable aspect of your company and will be more likely to refer you to others.

6. It builds your legacy to society

A successful financier told me recently, In a hundred years who will remember the hotels that I built? But, they will still be attending and benefiting from the university that I am now helping. We have to take care of our core business, no doubt, but we should also have an eye on leaving a lasting mark on the world around us.

What we do for ourselves dies with us....but what we do to improve our society will last forever.

So, take a look at your marketing strategy and do whatever you can to incorporate charitable activity into your overall plan of action. You, your company and society will be the winners.

This article is part of the Dont Go Broke While You're Getting Rich business series, presented by Darrell Berg-Smith, CEO of DBS Worldwide Marketing Co., Ltd. He is a speaker, author, consultant and entrepreneur who specializes in teaching low cost, high impact marketing and business building resources to businesses worldwide. For lots of free resources visit http://www.darrellberg-smith.com Darrell is also the founder and CEO of The Land of Smiles Foundation...a charity working throughout Asia. You can access it at http://www.landofsmilesfoundation.org Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darrell_Berg-Smith

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Millions of Americans suffer from allergies and asthma. If symptoms persist or increase indoors the odds are dust mites are causing or enhancing the problem.

Dust mites are tiny members of the arachnid family that live in homes all over the world feeding on dead sloughed off skin, which comprises up to 80 percent of household dust. Up to ten percent of the weight of a two year old pillow can be due to dust mites, their feces and their dead skin.

For most people these little critters are benign freeloaders, but for people with asthma or allergies their waste can cause intense irritation and discomfort ranging from runny noses to severe asthma attacks. With the pervasive nature of dust mites making them the second most common cause of allergic reactions (after pollen) it would be nearly impossible to rid your home of them entirely.

However, with a little understanding of their preferred environment, it is easy to limit the effect dust mites can have on your health and comfort. Dust mites thrive in warm humid environments, as well as anywhere they are offered protection and food.

Furniture cushions, pillows, carpeting, upholstery, and particularly mattresses offer superb living quarters for dust mites. Remedying the issue may take a bit of effort, but will ultimately save unnecessary stress and discomfort. Be sure that all sheets, pillowcases, blankets, and mattress pads are changed and washed regularly in hot water to kill dust mites and remove their waste. Avoid clothe window covers, opting for plastic shades instead.

Vacuum frequently using a vacuum equipped with a high efficiency purifying air (HEPA) filtration system. Replacing carpet with hardwood or tiles may be necessary in certain cases.

The polyurethane foam used in most mattresses and cushions are for the tiny pests. This means that when allergy and asthma sufferers got to bed, where health experts say everyone should spend eight hours of every day, they are immersing themselves in a sea of allergens leading to a frustrating, unfulfilling night of sleep Recent years have seen the development of new technologies aimed at keeping mattresses microbe and dust mite free without sacrificing comfort.

The latex in latex mattresses and pillows creates an environment naturally unsuitable for dust mites, molds, bacteria, and other microbes. Amicor, a fiber in which active microbe eliminating ingredients are imbedded allowing it to maintain its antimicrobial properties through 200 or more wash cycles, can be used in fabrics for mattress and pillow covers.

When combined with wool, which is also naturally microbe resistant, a bed is created that provides an escape from allergens rather than a place where they wait to keep you itching.

¶ 12:12 PM 0 comments