Pay It Forward Day

Pay it Forward Day is all about creating a ripple of kindness across the world. It is a day where acts of kindness are encouraged.

Maya Angelou said, ‘when you learn, teach, when you get, give.’

The idea of paying it forward became popular after the year 2000 movie of the same name based on the novel by Catherine Ryan Hyde. The basic idea is that when someone does something for you, instead of paying that person back, you pass it on to another person instead.

The philosophy of the movement can work in business too. People you have paid it forward to will hold you in higher regard than people they’ve never met, or those they have had bad experiences with.

Five ways you can ‘pay it forward’ in business

A business can give back to the community in many ways, which is their way of ‘paying it forward’.

• Adopt a company charity such as the Alzheimer’s Society.

Those of you who have read some of my previous blogs will know how this charity is personally important to me, as my grandmother, Dorothy suffers with this.

I made the decision that because of my first-hand experience with my grandmother, I would support this charity in my business, and become a Dementia Friendly company.

I know my grandmother is safe in her own home, being looked after by my mother, but some people suffering with the condition are not so lucky. Therefore, I want to make sure than anyone in their home is safe, and we support our residents if they need help.

This was even more important during the Lockdowns we have recently had. We have supported residents with shopping and contacted people living alone to ensure they were coping and had someone to chat to.  This helped their families to relax a little too, knowing that their loved ones are living in a supportive environment.

• Show your appreciation for others in your business.

While we have all been existing in a strange place over this last year, particularly in work, taking the time to praise someone and tell them how well they are doing is even more important.  It could be noticing how well they answer the phone, keeping their patience, when people are stressed. The person who answers the phone in your business and how they answer, i.e the tone of their voice, and their use of words, is extremely important. Our Office Manager Alice is especially good at this and we feel, always puts our clients, residents and contractors at ease. 

• Take on an apprentice or ‘kickstarter’.

Many young people are suffering in a way that hasn’t happened in recent years. Their whole future has been turned upside down in terms of their education and exams, and the opportunities open to them for their future careers.

If you have the capacity in your business, take on a young apprentice, or mentor a young person who is coming into your business sector. This is another way of giving back, paying it forward.

We are proud to be sponsoring The Cotswold Challenge this year to support young students who have been unable to take their GCSE’s and A Levels. 

• Give old computer equipment to local schools.

Again, during this last year, many children have had to work at home, and have not been able to work well due to lack of laptops. We bought 5 new laptops for a local charity supporting children who were working from home.

Even now schools are back, some children may still be at home for different reasons, and also some schools still need more laptops. Older laptops can be wiped of all information and given to local schools too. It is however really useful for the students if the laptops have a camera so they can engage in online learning. 

• Go that step further with supporting clients.

One of the best things I’ve found with my business is providing more support for clients than they expect.

Having worked for larger property management companies in the past, I often hated the fact that we were only allowed to do the work in hand, and were actually told off for doing more than was on the worksheet. 

In my business, if we are working on a property, for example, on garden maintenance and we see a resident’s flower pot need re-potting, we are happy to do this even if it’s not technically ‘our job’.  We’re there at the property, it makes sense, and we will have a happier client.

Excellent customer service has always been high on the agenda for my business.

My clients and residents are people, not just numbers.

Over the years I’ve been running my own business, I’ve found that providing good customer service for people stands me in good stead and I have been recommended to other property owners who are looking for new block management agents and I am more likely to be recommended than companies who have poor or mediocre customer service.

However, this isn’t why I am so passionate about good service. I love my business, and I love working with people and putting those two things together means, I have a business where I can confidently say “I care. We enjoy paying it forward.”