Small businesses are at the heart of their communities.

They have a strong record of contributing to their local communities. Many do not label this as ‘corporate social responsibility’ or see it as such. For many businesses, this is an everyday occurrence; something that makes good business sense and helps regenerate their area

Community involvement by a business can include activities such as being a governor of a school, investing in employees’ skills, developing travel plans to include lift sharing amongst employees, managing and reducing waste more effectively or representing the private sector on a local development partnership.

Businesses that integrate social and environmental concerns best into their operations and customer interaction do so when they focus on their core operations and look at how they can add value to those. It’s not about getting a standard checklist of things they should do, which may not fit with their business.

The most effective way for businesses to continue to bring benefit to their local communities is for action to be voluntary. It is not something that legislation can achieve – there would be a tendency for action to be based simply on what is required, not on what really adds value to the business, employees, customers and wider community.

Responsibility and sustainability are always in the news. But working out how they relate to a business can be difficult when there are so many different aspects to each. Chambers of Commerce can advise businesses and put them in touch with others who have found solutions that work for them.

Further Information

Other useful sources of advice are www.smallbusinessjourney.com where you can find the jargon-free guide ‘Better Business Journey’

For information on volunteering, Volunteering England provides advice and case studies.

The School Governors’ One-Stop Shop provides details on vacancies for governors.