Coming at the end of this week of love (!), we have some stories today in our Weekly Update, that can loosely be described as 'feel-good'.
Firstly, it's always a pleasure to feature articles of manufacturers recognising and awarding the great work undertaken by members of their dealer network. We've included a few of these lately, with Baroness now being the latest.
Of course no one is in business for the accolades, but to be told occasionally, yep, you're doing great work and we acknowledge that, is always going to be a fantastic boost for morale - as well as a perfect PR opportunity. So well done to all who have picked up a trophy from their suppliers this awards season - and for those yet to be recognised, your turn will be coming soon I'm sure!
Elsewhere today, we have a few stories that are definitely in the uplifting camp as they highlight businesses going beyond normal workplace remits and giving something back to the wider community. First up, there is a delightful piece regarding employees at JCB who are undertaking an epic cycle challenge to raise funds for cancer charities.
Inspired by a young employee of theirs, Hannah Roberts, who was only 20 when she was diagnosed with brain cancer, the team is aiming to raise £200,000 to buy and equip a luxury holiday lodge that will be offered free of charge to families of teenagers and young adults who are under the care of the Teenage Cancer Trust. It's a truly inspiring story and one that we wish them all the best with.
Also, we feature the news that Mountfield have donated one of their mowers to be auctioned off for the British Heart Foundation during this current Heart Month campaign that the charity is running. Clearly a fantastic cause.
Finally, Service Dealer owner, Duncan Murray-Clarke, tells us today about his passion for plogging - jogging combined with litter picking - and is encouraging anyone else who would like to get involved, to join a special Strava group in order to share their experiences. Duncan says plogging is not only good for your own physical health and your local environment - but it also has the beneficial side-effect, post-plog, of making you feel all virtuous! Which for some of us, is a feeling we can't claim to be all that familiar with!
Purpose in business
What these last stories remind me of, is a theme that emerged at the Service Dealer Conference back in November, of purpose in business. That day we heard from several speakers who believed that running a successful, profitable company and doing good as a business, are not mutually exclusive. Far from it in fact, both go hand-in-hand and can feed into each other. For an independent business, such as dealership in our sector, business experts would say there are multiple benefits to be drawn from having a purpose beyond that of purely profit-making.
Concepts such as a purpose-driven businesses resonating with consumers on a deeper level can be argued. When customers see that a company is committed to social and environmental causes, there's the potential that they are more likely to trust and support that brand in the future.
Also in today's world of social media and instant user-feedback posted online in a multitude of places, a company's reputation can make or break its success. Embracing social responsibility can allow a dealership to engender a positive brand image within their communities and wider industry. This positive reputation can be appealing to not only customers, but also potential future employees.
And talking about employees, advocates for this kind of social responsibility in business would say that a sense of purpose could inspire staff members to go above and beyond in their roles, knowing that their work contributes to something meaningful beyond financial gain. A motivated workforce, passionate about the company's mission and values, can foster a sense of pride and fulfillment amongst the team - potentially improving morale and staff retention.
We do know that so many of our dealer readers, as part of their regular working year, support local charities or get involved with community groups and projects. For example, activities such as sponsoring a local youth sports team or participating in community green space clean-ups or renovation projects can be seen across the network.
So if your dealership has anything like this on the agenda for this year that you'd like to share with our community of readers, please do get in touch and let us know. A few words and a couple of pics of what you've been getting up to will allow us to spread the goodwill. As ever, we're incredibly keen to highlight all the great work that our dealer readers achieve - and not just in the sales and service arena.
Please don't be shy - if you've got something above and beyond the norm going on, let us know!
