You own a local business in a community that is struggling to compete with the big corporations. You have cut hours and laid-off employees.
A woman from a local nonprofit walks in at 3:18pm and wants to talk to you about volunteering or sponsoring an event coming up in two months. Your first thought is to turn and walk away and close the door behind you. It's not that you're cold, evil or uncaring, you just don't have the time. You don't have time to fix a good meal for your family let alone volunteer for someone else or sponsor. You're working 10 to 12 hour days to make ends meet in this economy, you don't have an extra dollar, you just gave the local ad agency $2,500.00 to plaster some fancy new ad in all the local papers, banking on it bringing in at least 25 new customers next month.
The woman realizes she aggravating you more than she is appealing to your sense of compassion. She turns and leaves and you feel empty. Every part of you wants to give to everyone that walks in the door, but you just don't have the time or money.
Let's look at both options. I'll start by explaining what happens when you sponsor an event since you know what happens when you enlist the services of an ad agency.
Monday, 30 August 2010 15:19 | 
Written by Laurie Griffith | 