Have you heard the bells jingling, ring ting tingling too? Have you felt the rush of holiday cheer breeze past you as we skate to the end of the year? Hold onto your seat, we are gliding along with a song of a wintery fairyland – like it or not. We are six weeks from Christmas!

This time of year can seem like a blur – Thanksgiving, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Giving Tuesday – they all line up like nutcrackers on a mantel to start the Christmas season. Just when one is over, the next one is waiting in line. It sets the tone for corporate big-heartedness. Businesses are asked to do their part to be generous this time of year. And there is a naughty and nice list for businesses. Those who give bonuses and support charitable causes are on the nice list. Those who lay off employees and miserly keep their profits are the Scrooges of the business world. If you are in charge of marketing at your business, it is your job to make sure your brand ends up on the nice list.

There are obvious ways to do this. You can promote a charitable cause at your business. I know corporations that will match dollar-for-dollar the giving of their employees during the Christmas season. You can sponsor holiday events – opportunities abound. Tying your brand name to a good cause is always a wise marketing move.

However, I am going to suggest you do something a bit different with your generosity that I also think will pay dividends for you. I would suggest you give your time during this season. That seems to be in short supply during the rush of the holidays, but it may make more of an impact than giving money will in the long run. What exactly am I suggesting? There are a myriad of people who need a human touch this time of year. Here is a short list:

• People in homeless shelters

• Elderly people in senior-living facilities and nursing homes

• First responders

• Military families

• Recently relocated families

• Widows

That list was pretty easy to come up with. We often think of people who feel lonely or abandoned. How often do we show our kindness by giving them a bit of our time? It will make a difference.

Now, let me give you a list you might not have thought about.

• College students home on break who need a connection with someone in business who can give them some guidance.

• Young parents who could use a little help with their kids

• The unemployed who are looking for a new career

• People who are moving

• Recently divorced

• Family members of someone who recently passed away

• A kid who needs a good role model

How does any of this pay off? Isn’t this a blog about marketing and how it helps you make money for your business? Brands are judged as being good or bad based on the perception of consumers in the marketplace. Being kind is a very marketable trait. But let me speak about giving time as a gift with no strings attached. When you give of yourself to help others, it pays off in other ways. People trust you. You are appreciated. They want to work with you. They want to work for you. As we quickly slide towards the season of giving, try giving something more than money this year. Give your time.