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A market downturn can take the luster out of a growing business and end any glory days it may have experienced but even more devastating to any business is the effects they reap when they try to make the wrong segment of its fans happy. While privately held companies often struggle for funding, going public may not be all that it is cracked up to be either.

Once the shift has been made to a publicly traded status, there is another bunch offer the business owners can advice on how to run the business. They are called shareholders and to many businesses can be dark cloud blocking the sun on their future. When things are going good and shareholders are earning good returns, they tend to stay in the background silently collecting their dividend checks. When an even occurs that may cause a loss of revenue, some shareholders are the first ones out the door, placing blame on everything and every body.

Earnings expectations are the darling of the investment community and companies that meet or exceed their earning are praised regularly. They may escape massive criticism for failing to meet one quarters earning projections, but two in a row can be a death knell for a business. Unfortunately, the fallout from missed earnings and the wrath of the investors usually fall on two places that have the least amount of control over the business operations and they affect most customers and employees.

As unwise and unfair as it may be, when companies are struggling to turn a profit, the logical step is to cut expenses, to bring them inline with income to maintain the profit margin. One of the quickest ways to reduce expenses is by cutting payroll or benefits, leaving the business short staffed with unhappy workers who have to work harder for possibly less benefit. When a business lack the manpower to properly take care of the business, customer service suffers.

This circle can be likened to a buzzard circling dying prey in the desert. Sales have gone down, expenses have been cut resulting in fewer workers, resulting in less customer service, resulting in fewer customers, resulting in even fewer sales. Sometimes businesses need to just bite the bullet and live with a small loss over a short period, depending of course on the circumstance that caused the downturn and continue to give customers a reason to visit their business.

If the customers remain and sales can improve, the earnings will return and the growth path continues. However, in some cases the business may deserve to die, if the leadership of the company is not taking care of business when they have the chance. As a business owner it is important to recognize the needs of the customer and the employees as opposed to always looking after the wants of the shareholders. The owner needs to consider how pleased the shareholders will be if the customers stay away in droves and the business closes. Keeping customers happy should be their main concern, as well as the concern of the shareholders.

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Donating and supporting non-profit organizations is one of the most “noble” marketing strategies known to man. Many businesses waste thousands of dollars on ineffective television advertising that could be used more effectively by using “charity” as leverage.
A business that supports a non-profit organization will love the results.

Charities will grow and get the support they need, and they will also spread the word about the generous folks in your business that are making their efforts possible. A business gets a huge image boost in exchange for supporting these kinds of organizations on a regular basis. Consider some ideas that you should talk about with a non-profit organization. Does the organization offer pamphlets, brochures, or programs at events that can carry your company name and logo? If so, you will win a lot of credibility with the group’s supporters as long as you do not come across as blatantly advertising your business.

As you or a company representative participate in planning and administrating events for the organization, you will have a great opportunity to make new contacts and meet potential clients as conversations sway to the nature of your business and the benefits it provides.

You can obtain great tax benefits in exchange for your donations as well. This can help keep your business inside a desirable tax bracket, so be sure to consult your accountant on exactly what you need to do, what documents are necessary, and what kind of budget you should consider working with. Be advised that charities are financially hungry so get your agreement in writing and approved by your attorney to avoid any unpleasant confrontations over expectations.

Be prepared to use the agreement to justify the limits on your donations because you most certainly will be approached for more money. A subtle way of getting your hot merchandise into the hands of people who will test it out is to offer your products or services as door prizes. Hold dramatic drawings that get everybody’s attention on your product (the prize) and on you (the door prize host.

Give out discount coupons to everybody that appears at the event, so your company will be displayed prominently on people’s refrigerators for days after the event has ended. Make sure the local press is all over the event so there is no chance of missing the opportunity to appear in the news. One of the potentially most cost effective forms of helping charities and getting lots of advertising benefits would be to donate use of your business facility. Do you have a warehouse or a gym or some kind of large meeting auditorium? If so, get more out of your investment by permitting non-profit organizations to use your company facilities to conduct their events and other related business.

Make sure your company’s facility transmits a positive image of your services or products. Make an effort to establish subtle references to your best marketing messages throughout the building that people cannot help but read.

Terry Fitzroy is a professional writer specializing in Non Profit Hosting and Free Non Profit Design. To learn more about Non Profit Web Design visit http://GrassRoots.org

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