As women in business, we are pillars in our community. We have many connections, we often serve in leadership roles on boards or within citizenship, political, and school groups, and we’re usually tapped because of our “can-do” attitude and ability to get things done.

I want to encourage you to find out ways to volunteer your gits and talents and skills within your community, or online thorugh a larger non-geographic effort.

When you’re really good at what you do, and you love to do it, your ability to share that knowledge with others shines through: you become a true resource to others, and when you volunteer and take away the need for money to be a part of the equation, you allow many people who might not otherwise afford it the opportunity to take advantage of your services and products.

I invite you to increase your giving to 10% of your efforts each year: this might mean 10% of staff time, or 10% of net profits, or one free client consultation for every ten that come through your doors.

When you volunteer, you experience the following five major benefits:

1) You increase the circle of people who know you. This gives you insight into people you might not necessarily meet in a ‘regular’ way. Also, your expanded circle may lead to valuable recommendations and referrals in the future.

2) You increase the list of “hands-on work” you’ve accomplished to your resume or list of credentials. With additional work experience, you become even more knowledgeable and valuable to others needing your skills.

3) You have additional opportunity to exercise and improve your skills. With feedback from a volunteer group, you will find candid and forthright answers to some questions that you might not get from customer feedback surveys. Gain valuable understanding about your products or service offerings when you volunteer them.

4) You feel part of an extended community of others who value you and appreciate your efforts. All of us benefit when we increase our circle of connections and inter-dependent links to people, places, issues, and causes.

5) You make a real difference in someone else’s life as a volunteer.

You might be doing some catch-up legal or accounting work for a nonprofit, you may be serving as a board chair, you may be donating products from your warehouse, or you may be a Big Brother or Big Sister to one child who needs you. Regardless of your volunteer efforts, your life outlook and will improve, and your business, in turn, will receive a boost of recognition, enthusiasm, and community focus.

As a special notice, I do NOT advocate you volunteering unless you truly feel that it is beneficial. Too many of us, as women in business, may fall into the trap of over-volunteering or overextending ourselves. When you are in a position where too much of your time is spent on nonpaying projects, you may start to feel resentful or overburdened. If this is the case for you, FALL BACK! Pull out of volunteer commitments where you are not able to fulfill duties, and pull away from events, people, or groups that do not allow you to feel productive and resourceful. I only advocate volunteering when you are in a position of being able to share the very best of your abilities, to the benefit of all parties.

Don’t sell yourself short, but also don’t forget about your community. A good balance of paid work and volunteer work will help enhance your entire outlook on life. Find that balance!