Dedicating space on your business card for anything but your own business may sound absurd. Yet when Fox Graphics decided to endorse local charity KidsCan on the back of their business cards, it had positive consequences for all involved.
After attending a networking event about the way in which businesses can help charities, Kate Fox from Fox Graphics began to contemplate the role her business could play in supporting a charity. At the time, she was redesigning her business cards and rather than opting for testimonials from her clients or more information about her business on the back of her cards, Kate decided to donate that space to KidsCan, a charity dedicated to curing children with cancer.
‘It’s not an advert – it’s a dedicated space,’ Kate explains. ‘We wanted it to have the right message, which isn’t about us being great, it’s about raising the profile of this charity.’
The actions of Fox Graphics demonstrate the way in which any business can help a charity, regardless of money, if they choose to think in a very open-minded way.
‘It was a pebble in the pond and the ripples were unbelievable,’ Kate explains. ‘I did it to help them, not thinking it would help me!’
At networking events it became the perfect icebreaker, stimulating conversation as people wanted to find out more about the charity and the reasoning behind Kate’s decision to help them. Kate believes that her business was highly regarded for the values it showed through its connection with a charity. Fox Graphics was shown to be run by decent people, people that others wanted to do business with.
By supporting KidsCan on its business cards, Fox Graphics has motivated other people to think about what their businesses can do to help a charity. Two clients of Fox Graphics saw what Kate had done and now too dedicate a space on their business cards to a charity. Whilst this may be a small minority, it demonstrates the impact that can occur when people chose to act in a positive way – will you do the same?
Davina Harrison
BA (hons) English – 3rd year – Leeds University
Please click here to go to the KidsCan website
