As a graphic design company proudly based in Yukon, Oklahoma for 12 years, we were recently honored to be named Small Business of the Year by the Yukon Chamber of Commerce. It was presented to us with a heartfelt, flattering introduction that had us feeling all warm and fuzzy about being involved in this community. Over the past few weeks, it’s had us reflecting on the immense value our community has brought to our success.
Not only have we gotten the opportunity to create brand identities and design websites to show off businesses as proudly as they deserve, but we’ve also been able to shape the community around as everyone grows. It truly is a symbiotic relationship! So, let’s talk about exactly what being involved in your community as a small business means.
- Build Relationships & Trust: Network with local businesses through community events or volunteer projects. This strengthens your reputation within the community and creates opportunities for referrals – after all, word-of-mouth is powerful! You’ll also connect with professionals in complementary fields, fostering a network where you can recommend each other’s services.
- Boost Your Brand & Visibility: Collaborating on projects with local businesses puts your work in a real-world setting. This will not only sharpen and show off your skills, but it also makes a fellow business shine in a way they truly deserve.
- Sharpen Your Skills & Gain New Perspectives: Community projects often present unique design challenges that push you outside your comfort zone. Embrace these opportunities to develop new skills and broaden your creative problem-solving horizons. This keeps your design thinking fresh and allows you to tackle future projects with a wider range of expertise.
- Find Inspiration & Purpose: Working with passionate individuals on meaningful projects can be a source of inspiration and fulfillment. It can reignite your creative spark and give your design work a deeper meaning. Foster that passion!
You may be saying, yeah, this is all well and good, but how do I get started? Well, here’s a couple of things we do to be involved in the Yukon community that we call home. There are likely similar opportunities in your area, you just have to do a quick Google search.
- Community Events: There are plenty of events that take place just about every week, you just have to take a look at the city calendar! We like to have someone from Spraycan at the weekly community coffees every Friday, for example. We also try our best to attend ribbon cuttings or galas that bring business owners together. This helps us stay connected with people currently in the community as well as new people in town.
- Get Involved: This doesn’t always have to mean volunteer work, although that is an excellent way to give back to your community! We try to stay involved in a couple of ways, like joining our city’s Chamber of Commerce. There’s a built-in community of business owners there, and it’ll put your name in a pool of resources that opens more opportunities for you to give back.
- Southern Hospitality: Host events! Although we’ve been out of practice for a while, we love hosting art shows or other events. If there isn’t an event that you want to go to as a company, make your own! This brings the community to you, to be able to see your space, and make sure you can meet as many people as possible. It helps you become familiar faces, rather than recurring strangers.
Community involvement is more than just showing your face at an event; it’s familiarizing yourself with fellow businesses and patrons who may become a great partnership later on in both of your careers. Giving back to the community that you call home helps create a greater future for everyone. Change will come no matter what, so why not be a part of making it a great one?
*This post was written by a human named Alex.
