The holidays are approaching and with the influx of shoppers and time off requests from employees, this is often the busiest time of the year for businesses. It can be challenging for business owners to balance their sales priorities in the midst of preparing for the coming year, but the season of giving it also serves as the perfect opportunity for business owners to make a positive impact.

Investing in your employees and local community is a great way to strengthen your business to end the year, as it can help improve workplace morale, increase customer loyalty and set your business up for success in the new year. . As business owners look to get into the holiday spirit, here are some ways they can give back to their business this season.

Related: 7 easy ways to thank your employees this holiday season

Invest in your employees

According to the last Bank of America spotlights women and minority business owners63% of US business owners are planning to expand their businesses in the next year and more than half plan to hire over the next 12 months. Employees are an essential part of business operations and it is up to business owners to ensure that their workplace culture and morale is supported during their expansion efforts. Assess your existing business culture and how employee needs are currently being met and prioritized over business needs. From there, outline possible strategies to close each gap.

During the busy holiday season, consider ways to ease staff pressures by making small schedule adjustments. This can have a huge impact on employees, especially those who are parents and may be balancing childcare during the winter break from school. Increased communications, planning and transparent offers flexible work optionswhen possible, it can significantly reduce staff stressors.

Beyond operational changes, 83% of business owners are investing in education, according to Bank of America, and recognize the value their employees see in programs like on-the-job training and mentoring. For employees interested in career growth, professional development opportunities are a great way to strengthen existing talent and increase retention.

Workplace culture programs like employee resource groups can also reinforce a positive environment for employees – plus fostering a friendly staff improves customer interactions as an added benefit. There are many strategies that business owners can implement to improve the workplace; recognition of your employees and knowing their needs is key to ensuring your business is well staffed and thriving.

Connect with your community

In addition to your employees, it's important for business owners to appreciate the complementary relationship they have with their communities. When a community supports its local business owners, those businesses thrive and in turn, they are able to reinvest in the community, provide jobs and boost the local economy. This creates a positive feedback loop of mutual support that is essential for long-term community growth.

Business owners can explore different ways for it give back to their communitiessuch as donating to local nonprofits, sponsoring community events and programs, and offering specific discounts to residents. Informational workshops, seasonal celebrations, and employee volunteer initiatives are just a few examples of how business owners can foster community engagement to help people make personal connections with their business beyond the products or services it offers.

Try to connect and collaborate with other local businesses too – not only can collective endorsement increase your presence in the community, but it can provide cost savings that can be reinvested in the business. For example, you can get involved cost sharing to cut some costs for you and your neighboring business owners. Whether you partner to pay for health care plans, share supplies and resources, or offer discounts to overlapping customers, working with other businesses can be very rewarding and the cost savings can help any business owner. to keep the prices fair for its customers.

Related: 4 ways your company benefits from giving back

Give and return

Investing in your employees and community is an investment in your business. Today's consumers value businesses that align with their values, so expressing care for your community is a powerful and mutually beneficial way to enhance brand reputation and increase customer loyalty.

By investing in your community, you can encourage employees to take pride in your company, knowing that it is creating a positive impact on the community around them. This energy, along with improvements in employee scheduling and training, will position your business as the best place to work.

As you position your business for success in 2025consider starting this moment by supporting and empowering your employees and community. The turnaround is a win-win, driving internal and external growth for long-term success.