Tag Archive for: Virtual Admin Newmarket

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The Importance of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) for Your Business

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We already know that the days of operating solely for profit are long gone. Whilst this is still a priority, many businesses like, Rosewood, now care about more than just the bottom line. They now focus largely on corporate social responsibility.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is when a company operates in an ethical and sustainable way and acknowledges and handles its environmental and social impacts. This means careful consideration towards human rights, the community, environment, and society in which the business operates.

5 Ways To Be More Socially Responsible in Business

  1. Support causes close to your heart
  2. Support causes that align with your business
  3. Support your community
  4. Support your friends & family
  5. Collaborate with like-minded people and organizations

Rosewood is a Proud Supporter of Non-Profit Organizations

Here at Rosewood, CSR is undoubtedly one of our top priorities as it actually determines what clients we choose to work with. Whenever we go into business with a new client – one of our first conversations is always about the philanthropic or community work they’re involved in.

Rosewood Participates/Has Participated in:

  • Annual Big Bike for Heart and Stroke (Participant on Vince’s Market Team)
  • Pupchella Pawty for SPCA (Sponsor)
  • Walk It Off’s Annual 5K (Participant)
  • Doane House Hospice
  • Client Events & Fundraisers for Good Causes
    • Covenant House (Rob Barlow of WireIE)
    • Easter Seals Dancing with the Stars (Brian Johns & Maria Ciarlandini of Vince’s Market)

Rosewood is Working/Has Worked With:

We are proud to offer a 10% discount on all projects for qualifying Non-Profits Organizations.

Philanthropic Organizations in York Region:

There are many philanthropic groups which also allow you to network with like-minded individuals. Here are juts a few within York Region that you can attend and contribute to. Expand your network while doing good!

Rosewood founder, Deanna Simone, is currently on the board for Green Connections Networking Group, which promotes environmentally and socially responsible initiatives in York Region.  You can attend the next meeting for free as her personal guest. Email her here.

The Bottom Line

Remember that when corporate social responsibility is integrated into your business model, it can attract positive publicity, work as a marketing strategy to network with like-minded people, help attract and retain top talent, and improve relationships with customers and their communities. The benefits are far reaching, including client retention, improved sales, financial success, and a sense of community. 

“We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

Questions? Get in Touch!

Until Next Time,

Ananta

Content Coordinator

Rosewood Inc.

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Digital Main Street: A Lifeline for Small Businesses

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There is something so iconic about a small main street business. It reminds one of a simpler time. They fill us with a sense togetherness, and truly serve as the heart of any community. But just because these small businesses might have a yesteryear feel doesn’t mean that their digital footprint should be lacking.

In a fast-moving digital culture, businesses of this nature have felt the threat from new shopping behaviors and technology. The Digital Main Street initiative was developed to aide these businesses and help them compete.

Created by the Toronto Association of Business Improvement Areas (TABIA) with direct support from the City of Toronto, Digital Main Street (DMS) is a program and service that helps main street businesses achieve that digital transformation they need; through the adoption of digital tools and technology. The program element of DMS uses an online learning platform with structured training programs for business owners. While the Digital Service Squad, a team of highly trained recent graduates, helps main street businesses navigate the ins and outs of services like e-commerce platforms or social media posting.

Top Notch Support

Funded by the Ontario government and supported by a group of strategic corporate sponsors, including Google, MasterCard, Rogers, Microsoft and Shopify, DMS is a lifeline for businesses that would otherwise struggle to keep up with their online counterparts.

The onboarding process to join DMS is completely free and includes a digital assessment and recommended to-do list. This list identifies the technologies and tools that can help businesses meet their digital goals. Once the assessment is complete businesses can gain access to tools like email marketing, content development, e-commerce, search engine optimization, and much more.

And these businesses also qualify to receive exclusive discounts from the hundreds of digital vendors that belong to the DMS community.

The Digital Main Street $2500 Grant

One of the most appealing aspects of this program is the possibility of being awarded a $2500 grant. Qualifying businesses can prepare an official application and be reviewed by

DMS. If approved, the small business receives a $2500 grant to use towards their digital marketing efforts – no strings attached!

Rosewood: An Official Digital Main Street Vendor

DMS truly is a useful service for any small business looking to gain a stronger online presence and base for their customers, and Rosewood is pleased to announce that we have been one of DMS’s official vendors from the very inception of this concept.

If you are looking for more information on what Digital Main Street is; what it could do for your business; or if you could qualify for the free $2500 grant, please feel free to reach out to us. We’d love to sit down with you and give you some more comprehensive information.

Here’s to your success,

Until Next Time,

Deanna

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Is Your E-Commerce / Online Store Ready for the Holidays?

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With Black Friday and Cyber Monday behind us, let’s take a tally. How many people shopped online? And how many people went into a physical store?  If you’re like me, I did both, although the majority of those days were spent online shopping.

There is a Fine Line Between Informative and Annoying

My inbox was LIT. Full of emails boasting 40% off, 50% off, 80% off, etc. And you know what? These emails worked! There were two companies I purchased from on Cyber Monday, simply because their promotions notices went straight to my inbox. And the deals were just too good to pass up.

That being said, there were a few companies who overdid it. Some companies that I regularly purchase products from sent me no less than 15 emails on Cyber Monday, and about 30 emails in total from Black Friday through the weekend. This was absurd, and very annoying. It left a bad taste in my mouth about the company and their products.

Authentic Marketing All Year Round

Rosewood is a proponent of Authentic Marketing. If you are providing a service of value, people will purchase it even at full price. Your product/service should speak for itself. If you decide to run a promotion, make sure people know about it, but do it in a respectful way. Think about your own habits as a consumer.

Taking Advantage of Automated Tools:

Abandoned Cart

We’ve all been there: shopping on a website, adding items to your cart, and then leaving before you finish the checkout. Most companies have enabled some sort of an “Abandoned Cart” tool. If the person is logged in or has input their email address before abandoning the cart, the store will email them, notifying them of the items in their cart. Sometimes they’ll even offer an incentive discount. This can be a great strategy, since you already know they are a qualified lead, and perhaps just need a little push (ex. free shipping) to close the deal.

Sales Countdowns

This tool comes in and out of fashion. It offers a countdown sale unique to every visitor. It is incredibly smart, and tracks the IP address of the visitor so it knows how long is left in their specific sale period.  You can also set up automations that will offer incentives if they’re closing in on the end of their sale period. There are many possibilities!

The holidays are competitive for online sales. If you have an online store, what tools are you taking advantage of this holiday season? We would love to hear from you in the comments below.

If you’d like to discuss your website needs with us feel free to contact me. You can follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. And don’t forget to sign up for our monthly newsletter as well for more education and inspiration!

Deanna

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