What small businesses can do to engage their communities

FALLBROOK – Community engagement can benefit small businesses in various ways. By engaging with their communities, business owners can build brand awareness and inspire trust among residents. Trust in a brand leads many consumers to share positive word-of-mouth, and it also can inspire brand loyalty, a potentially lucrative benefit that can pay dividends for years to come.

A recent study from Bain and Company found that the average repeat customer spends 67% more in months 31 through 36 of their relationship with a business than they do in the first six months of that relationship. That unders...