Veteran’s Day offers a unique opportunity for small business owners to give back to their community. Most would agree that veterans deserve our respect. This Veteran’s Day consider coming up with some creative ways to thank them. Small gestures can go a long way and big ones are also needed. Your efforts should be focused on both your employees and customers. There are thousands of ways you can show our veterans they are appreciated. Here we’ve outlined a few great ways to do so.
Say Thank You
A simple thank you can sometimes be more than enough to make a veteran smile. This small act of gratitude lets them know their efforts were worth it. If you have employees that served they deserve to be recognized. Company emails that mention them by name as well as social media posts that detail their efforts are great ways to bring them recognition. You may even consider dedicating a page on your website to the veterans that work for you company. Make sure you include everyone and reach out to your employees to share their stories. Encourage your workers to say thank you to those among them who have served.
Offer a Discount
Veteran’s Day sales are very popular and with good reason. Offering a further discount to military customers will ensure your promotion doesn’t come across as purely revenue based. Consider providing an additional percentage off of products or services for those that show a military ID. If a person claims to be a veteran but does not have an ID, it’s good business to still provide the discount. You may lose a bit of revenue in the end but the backlash from denying a veteran the discount could become a PR nightmare.
Display the Flag
If your company has a flagpole make sure the stars and stripes are flying high. Novelty flags and other patriotic decorations can be prominently displayed throughout your business as a show of pride and solidarity. Our soldiers fought for what the flag stands for and showing that you appreciate it will in turn show your veterans that you appreciate them.
Collect Donations
There are many different ways you can support our veterans and military in a financial sense. You can collect donations for your local veteran’s hospital, the USO or even to send a care package via operation gratitude. There are an endless amount of charitable organizations geared towards helping veterans and they are always in need of funding. Offering to match any donation made by your employees is a great way to encourage participation and bring the company together.
Give the Day Off
While it may not be possible to give your entire staff the day off, you should provide the option to veterans to have a paid holiday. Allowing them the time to participate in celebrations in their honor, allows them to be recognized for their service. If you’re unable to give the day off you should at least make an effort to recognize your veterans throughout the day.
Volunteer
Company outings that involve volunteer work are a great way to bring your employees together and promote teamwork. During Veteran’s Day there are typically many celebrations and non-profit organizations that are putting on events. Take some time to identify where your company can help and encourage participation from all of your workers. This gives them the opportunity to meet and help veterans directly.
Yellow Ribbons
Yellow ribbons are typically used to honor those that are serving abroad. You may use the sale of yellow ribbons within your office as a way to raise donations for charitable causes. Not only will you collect money for a worthy cause, displaying the ribbons will show your support for our troops.
Veteran’s make up a significant portion of the American workforce and should be shown appreciation for their efforts.
Quikstone Capital Solutions would like to say Thank You to those who have served our Country.