Five Ways to Be More Generous Through Your Business
by Jaya Schillinger
Published on this site: January 13th, 2006 - See
more articles from this month
One of the themes for my New Year's resolutions from last
year was to become more generous. I was motivated by wanting
to break a general feeling of entrepreneurial financial anxiety,
as well as to begin fulfilling a childhood dream of becoming
"a philanthropist." (Big word for a little kid,
but I was precocious.) Well, after reviewing my year, I can
say that I really did make big progress. Sometimes it was
challenging, especially spending money more freely than I
have in the past. But you know what? I don't feel that "tightness"
that I used to experience, worrying about the small stuff.
And I feel really good about running a corporation in a way
that represents my values.
If you're also feeling the call towards increasing your abundance
& generosity through your work, here are a few ideas that
I hope will inspire you:
Donate a set percentage of income. This is also known as
"tithing," and is what I personally do. Each month
I donate 10% of my income to various non-profit groups. I
started doing this a few years ago, but only at 1% of my net
income. Then each month I would increase by one percent until
I got to 10%. Now, I'm starting to tithe from my gross income. It's a stretch, but
the kind of stretch that feels good for the soul.
Provide hands-on help, also known as "service tithing",
this is where you give your time & expertise to a cause
that's important to you. If you've got a mental job, it can
feel great to get your hands dirty and donate some physical
labor, such as working for nature conservancy or building
construction. But don't overlook your business skills as a
powerful donation, because a lot of non-profit groups really
need administrative work to stay in business.
Give away your goods or services. Many charities host auctions
as a way to generate cash. Not only is this a way to help
the charity, but it can serve to promote your business in
a positive light. Just for the record, it's important to know
that donated services are not deductible, only tangible merchandise
is considered a write off. So check with your accountant on how
to handle the paperwork.
Make people feel special. Generosity is more than helping
the less fortunate. It's acting with warmth and abundance
to everyone around you. I try to remember birthdays, or send
a card when I know someone is having a tough time. At the
end of the year, I give gifts or tips to my various support
people such as business consultants, stylists, cleaners, and
pet-sitter. Random acts of generosity & appreciation can
really make someone's day-and yours, too.
Create generous contracts. As a business owner, you've really
got to watch your bottom line. But you also have to know when
to count your pennies and when to be the bigger person. For
example, you might have a strict no-money back cancellation
policy to keep yourself from being taken advantage of (a good
thing.) But if someone has a genuine emergency, consider making
an exception. Compassion and understanding are gifts of your spirit and
make the business world a better place.
There is an old spiritual adage that says if there's something
you want more of in life, then that is exactly what you need
to give away. So think about the areas you would like more
abundance, and use your business as a vehicle for becoming
more generous in those ways. It will come back to you.
Jaya Schillinger "The Turnaround Queen"
at http://www.InspirationInc.com
is a certified life coach & small business consultant
with over 20 years of business ownership & management
experience in the fields of personal development, health,
and beauty.
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