CSR - Corporate Social Responsibility


Part of any organization now is dealing with the community around it. It's no longer enough just to run a business but now you need to be a part of the community as well. It has changed from when I first started running the place and it was all about providing value. In today's world the value is not just counted in terms of money but in terms of wellness and responsibility. We have had to put more focus on sustainable products, good business practices and giving back to the local area.

Today the local GAA hurling team is playing an All-Ireland final which is the top prize at their level in the whole country. In respect to this we have been fund raising for them this week since it is a fully amateur sport and a lot of money is needed to keep any team running. This is a huge achievement for the team an one that no other team in the area has reached before. So we got in touch with the chairman of the club, sat down and set out a plan for a little competition. Nothing serious but at this level every euro counts for the club.

Building your Brand


The costs for us are time and effort but the rewards are massive. We got a set of jerseys from the team and have been wearing them all week so that people pay attention to what we are doing. Between that and the massive poster at front of house it's hard to miss the competition. What is great from it is that the jerseys are so recognizable right now that the word of mouth effect is massive. People see them and straight away start to ask questions about what is happening and what we are doing.

They think it is great that we are a large organization but can still get involved in a local club and be part of things that are happening. None of the other large businesses in the area have done anything to show support so straight away we get a boost from the local people. It's only one of many events that we get involved with during the year but it's the one happening rigt now.

All of this comes down to building your brand and how people perceive you and your business. It's a vital lesson to learn since people talk. People especially talk in smaller areas and if that turns against you the effects can be devastating within smaller circles.

STEEM businessess and Apps


It's a lesson that we can take into STEEM and the various communities and apps that are involved here. At the moment it's a small social circle where most people know and talk about each other. Everything gets around very fast and can have an immediate effect, both good and bad.

I think that there are lessons we can take from existing business into STEEM going forward. Building our brand and getting people to ask the questions is the next step. Instead of just hunting for new users to achieve real growth we will need them to come to us. We need them to look at the apps and want to join without being asked. I see @steemmonsters pushing their brand on facebook and twitter which is great. I'm seeing @actifit stepping up their presence and recruitment. For @actifit especially we should be able to get their brand out into the open and get people asking about it. Merchandise, promotions, events. Show off what they have to offer and get involved in a few suitable projects that match with their corporate image. Anything that gets people interested is a good thing. I know that I spent a lot of time looking for places that I could earn a bit of money on the side, apps, websites anything at all. We have the product or we are at least building the product but people don't know about it yet. It's a step that we will need to take to build our brand in the future.