Sponsorships: How to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Sponsorships: How to Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is
Have you ever noticed what conferences, networking events
and even some special television programs have in common?
Ok, we know...you probably haven't given that strange
combination of things much thought until now. :-) But bare
with us, we have a point here...

What can you do to support a cause or an event even if you
don't have the time to be physically present? Sort of like
putting your money where your mouth is.

We're talking about sponsorships.

Think about the organizations you are involved with. Or
maybe there are organizations you would like to get
involved with but you just don't have the time or the
energy to commit to the cause?

Now, you could just sit down and write them a check and be
done. And we would agree that would yield some good Karma.
Don't get us wrong, financial support is important! And
you will feel good about your gift; not to mention the
charity you donate to can continue doing their good works.

But we want to challenge you to think of your support for
these organizations a little more strategically.

Are there any organizations you can support that would not
only do good things for the world but also help get the
word out about your business? Here are just a few ideas to
get you thinking:

1. Sponsor a conference for a trade or professional
association.

2. Subsidize a program at your local community college.

3. Create a scholarship for someone in your target market
to attend a conference, workshop or seminar.

4. Provide "in-kind" donations to an organization in your
industry like a workbook you wrote or a CD you created.

5. Host (and pay for) a well-known speaker to visit your
Chamber of Commerce or networking group.

6. Collaborate with several businesses to establish a
foundation that serves your market in some way.

You might be thinking, "But my business is small and I
can't afford to do any of those things." Believe us;
anything you can do, even on a small scale, makes a
difference. Think about throwing a small stone into a
lake. Those ripples go on and on, longer than the eye can
see.

Sponsorship activities give your business a lot of bang for
your buck. Not only will you be doing good things for
people, you will be positioning yourself as and a leader in
your community and maybe even your field. This strategy
also gives you "inner circle" access to other leaders and
decision makers, who now have the opportunity to get to
know, like and trust you. So the next time, they will be
the ones calling you!

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Kelly L. LeFevre, MSM, and Molly A. Luffy, MBA, authors of
the upcoming book Unleash Your Marketing Karma: How to
Build Your Business by Giving It Away, are Co-Founders of
the Business Building Roundtable. This free virtual
community helps service-based solo/micropreneurs create
powerful strategies and implement innovative techniques to
achieve their ultimate success and satisfaction. To learn
more visit http://www.BusinessBuildingRoundtable.com