Doing nice things for others and giving back makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside, but it also has an impact on our overall health. Seriously. There have been numerous studies on the subject and it’s been proved over and over again that giving back has a physical reaction to our insides.
When we help others or gift to others, out brain releases serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. These feel good chemicals regulate our mood, gives us a sense of pleasure, and creates a sense of connection with others.
Giving back and helping others can also lower blood pressure and release stress. Studies have also been linked to having a longer life span. People who volunteer have a longer life span than people who don’t. Who knew?!
And as a business owner, your giving power can be expanded much bigger than just yourself. Think of the people you work with, think of your network, think of the circles you’re in. There is so much expansion and a great opportunity to do good here. You’ll be able to give back so much greater by using your business as a gifting tool.
And with that, you’ll even get some benefits back to yourself as a business owner. A Forbes study went on to explain these benefits and I can confirm that I’ve gained every single one of them through my own efforts to give back to the community. These are expanding your network, empowering your employees, strengthening my business reputation, and increasing good marketing.
Think of a business that gives back that you admire. Are they giving a percentage of sales to a non profit organization? Are they gifting a sale to someone in need? There’s a guy in my BNI Group who has a tree cutting business. And for every tree he cuts down, he and his team plant 10 more. Isn’t that wonderful?
And for those who don’t know what BNI is, it stands for Business Network International. My group has about 100 business owners in it and we are all here to support one another. I've loved being in it so far!
Anyways, back to gifting. So think about your business and think about your life. I’m going to share 2 things I’ve implemented in my own business that have helped me be able to give back to the community:
- Donating flowers after custom events
- Teaching at UVU every semester. I teach how to design a floral arrangement to the advanced event planning class and all about event florals to the beginner class.
Both experiences have been so rewarding in lots of different ways. I love getting to share flowers with as many people as possible and get to do that on a larger scale thanks to the couples and companies that allow us to share their flowers when their events end.
I'm sure as a business owner, you can think of a way or two that you and your team can bring a little more happiness to the world. It just starts with one simple idea.