Ways To Give Back To Your Community

For a community to continue to grow, it needs the support of those in the community. This can be done in various ways - supporting local nonprofit organizations and initiatives, volunteering your time and services, or through mentoring and education. Rona Bunch, a 2019 Faces of Sola and owner of Rona Bunch Inc. in Jacksonville, Florida, makes it a priority to give back and has shared with us some ways you can too.

“Being a part of your community helps promote unity,” said Rona. “We are small business owners and giving back gives us the amazing opportunity to be a charitable backbone to our local communities. By helping others in your area, you’re also given the opportunity to promote your brand.”

Share Your Wisdom & Expertise

Of all the ways to give back, Rona is unquestionably most passionate about education. “I made a promise to the owner of my beauty school that I would come back and teach some classes one day. Well, I did that and to this day still love doing that!”

Becoming an educator was a calling for Rona that could not go unanswered. She has poured all her time and passion into learning as much as she can (and continues to do so!), so that she can share the knowledge. Over the years she has been able to share her expertise and experience on the technical and business side of beauty.

“Most recently I was able to devote myself to mentoring future stylists and it has been the most rewarding journey,” she shared.

“Cassidy Thompson started with me as a shampoo assistant in her junior year of high school. I paid her a salary for the days that she worked, and upon graduating high school, she enrolled in beauty school. I then gave her complete control of the operational side of the business so that she could learn that part as well.

“After graduating from beauty school, she then became my apprentice and also did all the waxing services. With the permission of my franchisee, whenever I was scheduled not to work, she was allowed to come in and start working on her own clientele. Now I am extremely proud to say that, ‘Cassidy Thompson Hair’ has opened for business right next to mine. With dedicating myself completely to mentoring, the biggest payback has been still keeping in touch with those that inspired me every day and seeing how awesome they have become.”

Donations

Gift cards for your services are a great way to support those who can’t afford to pamper themselves. For example, donate a $25 gift certificate towards a haircut or $50 towards a hair color service at your salon. Also, consider donating a few items as an added bonus. A gift basket filled with full-size shampoo & conditioner, a brush, comb, and some styling products, along with a $25 gift certificate, makes a beautiful addition to charitable a silent auction.

Support Local Charities

Time is our most valuable asset and sharing yours with a local charity is an amazing way of giving back. If you aren’t sure where to start, contact your local chamber of commerce, check out local Facebook pages, or ask your clients if they are involved in an organization that could use some extra hands.

“When I first started getting involved with donating my services for charitable events, I would ask my clients if they knew of any coming up.” If they aren’t personally involved, they may know someone who is.

Sponsor A Team

From tiny-tikes flag football and Lil’ Kicker's soccer clubs all the way up to high school teams, these organizations and their booster clubs rely on local businesses to help make their dreams possible.

“I’ve sponsored high school sports teams, high school cheerleaders and baseball teams,” Rona shared. “When sponsoring those, I decide every year a monetary amount that my business is allotted to give. It’s amazing how much those types of organizations will support those that have been supportive of them.”

In addition to monetary contribution, certain teams, like cheerleading or dance troupes, may benefit from hair or makeup services on competition days.

If a local football team is getting their team picture taken (without helmets of course), offer to give everyone a discounted or even free haircut a few days beforehand to the team looks sharp and styled. And in return, you can ask for some recognition in the form of social media posts and tags. It’s these little things that add up and get more attention for your business.

Giving back to your community doesn’t have to require a lot of time or money to make a huge impact. Once you get involved with an organization, it’s wise to stay in touch. “Over time, staying consistent with the same organizations will help bring in more clients as well,” Rona added. “The word will spread from those that you helped.”