In less than a week the airwaves will be filled with celebrities making pleas for donations to fight muscle related disease. Helping the huge telethon effort raise funds will be well-known national companies and brands through their cause-related marketing heft. With their help – and the public’s, the 2013 MDA Telethon raised nearly $60 million.
But for small self-serve business entrepreneurs such as Zinga Frozen Yogurt franchisees, cause-related marketing remains decidedly local and, although the money they raise for their communities is small in individual cases, their efforts stand out as shining examples of how neighborhood businesses can make a real difference in the lives of their communities – and their customers.
Here is an example of how a local small business is making a big difference in its communities:
Waynesboro, Virginia: Hiring special needs employees
Franchisee Heather Conrad’s brightly painted Zinga! Frozen Yogurt shop was the perfect place to combine her business expertise with her lifetime of helping children with special needs. Conrad’s store employs three Down syndrome team members and she says the enthusiasm they bring pays dividends not only for their bank accounts but also for her community. The employees are paid the same wage as the other staffers.
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AFP
