Among the many benefits of positioning yourself as an expert are the gains you reap when you share your expertise with others. “But what’s in it for me?” you might ask. A fair question because any entrepreneur—at the end of day—needs to earn. At first blush, freely sharing a portion of the knowledge you ultimately need to monetize seems crazy. But there are major upsides you shouldn’t ignore. I’m not talking about giving up the whole game—just enough to make a positive impact.

The “Warm Fuzzies”

We often get so caught up with the work involved in building our businesses we forget simple truths like helping other people feels good. Success is important, but to be a truly well-rounded person, you need to take care of your personal and emotional needs as well as your financial needs. Giving something back is a way to do that. And while it’s great to donate to the local food bank or the toy drive during the holidays, no good deed is more personal or closer to the heart than sharing your own hard-earned knowledge and expertise.

You need to care for your own personal and emotional needs as well as your financial needs.

Make the World a Better Place

From the richest of us to the poorest of us, one thing we all have in common is that we want to live in happy, healthy communities—even if those communities are virtual. But in communities—just as in our businesses—nothing good comes unless you put in the work. Whatever your niche is—be it finance, real estate or psychology—you can use your expertise to improve the state of your field. Sharing what you know has benefits that are not always personal or direct. Our expertise affords us a real opportunity to make the world better for everyone.

Build a Good Reputation for your Business

Helping others is great, but it doesn’t pay the bills… Or does it? Whether you’re demonstrating your expertise through infographics, free e-books or webinars, you’re getting your name out there. Word-of-mouth is powerful, and when you display not just your knowledge, but also your willingness to help others succeed, you stir up a lot of good will. Customers respond positively to entrepreneurs who are knowledgeable and generous. Managed properly, giving away a little for free can mean getting a lot back.

Ready to get off your duff?  Get in touch with me here or on LinkedIn.

photo credit: Bigstock/Imabase