How it Started:
The mindset that we have always held at Futurety is that we try to make a difference and make an impact in everything that we do. We have had the opportunity to work with clients that are positively impacting the local and national community and when we are not working with these clients we find new ways to make an impact ourselves.
One of the things that we focused on during the pandemic to make a difference was doing our part to rally and help small businesses and those most financially impacted by COVID. We reached out to the Futurety team for volunteers and more than half of the team signed up to help.
Our team connected via Google Meet to brainstorm ways to help out and get the much-needed resources to the surrounding small businesses. A few of the top ideas we considered were considered things like job boards to connect unemployed individuals to open jobs. We looked at how we could connect families with much-needed assistance in areas including childcare and transportation. We offered to help independently owned retailers and restaurants transform into an online-only business model given our expertise in using data to understand consumer audiences.
After brainstorming and voting on ideas we picked the best ideas and assigned everyone their specific roles and objectives and we got to work.
How it’s Going:
Sadly, despite our best efforts, our progress in this area fell short. We continued to watch small businesses suffer because they can’t hire, while employees struggle to get back to work.
Our ideas on a matchmaking service for employees and employers fell flat. With the global economy at a standstill, it was difficult for businesses to take risks and take on new hires.
Despite our work not turning out as we hoped we did make some charitable contributions, continue to shop and support local vendors and work with elected officials to support reopening strategies.
One of the best ways to help out the local economy is to shop at local vendors and support small businesses instead of choosing the giants. Local businesses rely on its community members to stay afloat and by choosing restaurants and other businesses in the Columbus area you can do your own part to help out and keep your favorite spots alive.
