IN THE NEWS
A business with a heart
By GARY CORBETT
____________________ IN THE NEWS
A business with a heart
By GARY CORBETT
We're the cheapest on the coast, we will beat any writte quo
WHEN it comes to community-minded businesses, there are few more committed than Burleigh-based Peter Sun Marketing.
For one day every month the company closes its doors to enable all 10 staff members to do volunteer community work.
The aim is to do whatever is necessary to help a local nonprofit community organisation on a special project or merely with routine daily work.
While most Gold Coast businesses constantly look for ways to maximise trading hours and profit, the company happily gives up a day of wages, rent and sales opportunities to help others.
On any given day the employees can be found building playgrounds, painting office walls, planting and tending vegetable gardens, collecting plants, cleaning yards, assisting with basic carpentry or 101 other jobs.
There is only one catch, however.
According to company owner Peter Sun there is a shortage of genuine non-profit organisations to help.
While the Gold Coast and Hinterland Environment Council (GECKO) at Currumbin and the Silk-wood Steiner School at Mt Nathan have benefitted from the program to date, Mr Sun said he was keen to involve more organisations.
He said he wanted to not only assist many more organisations, but also expose both himself and his employees to different experiences.
The idea for the volunteer program came from a seminar Mr Sun attended in Hawaii late last year.
During the course of the seminar all del- egates were required to go out and do community work, a concept that hit a chord with Mr Sun.
"I thought to myself `hey this is a great idea I must do that at work'," he said.
"It has been an amazing experience. It makes you feel great and helps everyone bond closer together.
"It also helps employees realise they are working for a company that thinks about more than just business.
While he has never worked out an exact figure, Mr Sun estimates the program costs him about $3000 to $4000 each month once wages, rent and lost sales are taken into account.
However he said the cost was unimportant.
"It is easy to talk about helping others or to make a financial donation, but personal effort and time are more meaningful," he said.
"All staff in our business work by a code of conduct which aims to improve life not just for ourselves but for others too.
"Our community volunteer work is a great way to keep in touch with what is really going on in life, be grateful for what we
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