Riddell: Aiding a local charity may cure recession blues

As the recession drags on, everyone is trying to find the magic bullet, that one thing they can do to make it all better. The good news is I have found it and the better news is you can implement it immediately.

It is very easy for any businessperson, confronted by the harsh realities of the marketplace to feel isolated, unfairly treated and generally disconnected. Given the often solitary realities of entrepreneurship, these same feelings can be amplified. Minus proactive steps, this path can quickly turn into a negative spiral complete with the expected negative results. Negativism feeds negativism and this saps the strength of even the strongest at the time when personal strength is required the most.

If you find yourself experiencing the initial pangs of some of these emotions, run -- do not walk -- to your nearest nonprofit and let them know that you are there to help. It is amazing the impact that it can have on your psyche when you realize that as bad as you think you might have it, there are a whole lot of people (or even animals) in circumstances significantly worse than yours.

Even though you may be struggling mightily, if you are still in business your personal plight is dramatically better than the homeless on the street, the ex-convict trying to find a job or the single unemployed parent trying to feed a child. Just recognizing this helps to put into much better context the true magnitude of your personal situation.

But the opportunity to make it better is where the real benefit resides. Virtually every nonprofit is feeling the pinch of reduced funding. Recognizing that a financial contribution is not available in your toolbox of assistance, volunteering of your time can be just as important to some of these organizations. Certainly most people have come to recognize that at certain points of their business curve, time spent worrying about things they cannot control can only result in diminished effectiveness.

So don't do it. Carve out that same time and spend it away from your business in the service of someone else.

Some folks will gravitate toward this position purely from altruistic reasons. Others, however, may still feel that only with a 100 percent focus on their business can they survive this greatest of challenges in their business lives. Anything less than this focus comes with an underlying feeling of guilt, one that will also prove to be very nonproductive. For these folks, it is important to recognize that doing good also has pragmatic business implications.

Consider for example that this "doing good" almost never happens in a vacuum. While many entrepreneurs are strong supporters of networking, many never think of such volunteering activities as simply another chance at making a new potential business contact.

That volunteer working next to you might very well be interested in your story or know someone else who might be and the spirit of helping is certainly in the air. Pro bono work done for charitable organizations can be significant sources of "free" advertising, especially to board members who often are connected with businesses that may also need your services and are willing to pay for them.

The possibilities for productive connections are endless as are the needs of the community. Do yourself a favor and put into practice this guaranteed cure for the recession blues. Some folks who need it will truly benefit and whether you need it or not, you'll be better off, too.

John F. Riddell Jr., director of the Center for Entrepreneurial Growth-Hamilton County, writes every other Tuesday about entrepreneurs and their impact on companies and the marketplace. Submit comments to his attention by writing to Business Editor John Vass Jr., Chattanooga Times Free Press, P.O. Box 1447, Chattanooga, TN 37401-1447, or by e-mailing him at business@timesfreepress.com