Consider giving a little something back to the community that supports you.

Volunteer work by companies is very helpful because the resources a company brings often exceed those of individuals. This is not just about donating money…it is about talented people who can combine their skills into something powerful, something that can really help others.

There are many good ways to volunteer. You might offer your employees’ services to a non-profit group. Maybe they could teach life skills at a youth center or mentor students in their field at local schools. Your graphic designers could brighten the children’s ward at a hospital, or your hairstylists might do hair once every couple weeks at a battered spouses’ shelter. Your opportunities are limited only by your creativity.

Why should you do volunteer work? Well, for one thing, it is just a nice thing to do. We are all part of a community (however we choose to define that community) and contributing to that is something responsible members of a community tend to do. Just think of it as a way to positively increase the strength of the society where you live.

It is also a good way to build on existing skills or try something new. Your employees might hesitate to do something different with a paying customer and could feel more at ease testing it out as part of a volunteer opportunity. That does not mean you should provide bad work for a charity…if you mess something up, be sure to fix it before you leave! It is also a good chance to practice existing skills, especially those they might not use every day.

If business is slow (and in some industries, the end-of-year holidays are a petty slow time) their skills might be getting even less use, and your employees might have extra time on their hands. Volunteering offers one way for them to be productive even if they are not being profitable.

Finally, it can be a good recruiting tool. Actively volunteering in your community suggests a company culture that is attractive to many people. It tells potential employees that there is more to your company than just making a buck, and a lot of people are looking for the opportunity to do more with their talent than simply make money for someone else.

Speaking of recruiting, you never know what the future holds for those people you help. You just might find a great new employee in that group. Recruiting does not get much cheaper than that.

So give it a shot. At this time of year people tend to be filled with lots of good feelings…how about carrying that beyond December????