Helping others achieve their goals is one of the best ways to ensure your own success. Start by saying ‘yes’ and ‘thank you’ more often.

When I lived in Seattle, I periodically came across someone with whom I had a “six degrees” connection of mentors and coworkers in common. My new acquaintance would ask, “Bob Ratliffe?” “I am acquainted with Bob. One of my closest buddies is him.

My supervisor was Bob. He was McCaw Cellular’s senior vice president of corporate communications at the time, which was before AT&T Wireless. He also served on a number of boards related to philanthropy, education, and economic development. Everyone appeared to know Bob, and Bob seemed to know everyone. Numerous people saw themselves as his closest pals.

Over the course of a fruitful career, Bob’s kindness and love of people have enabled him to create a strong social network. Even when it doesn’t directly benefit him, he is always eager to assist. He is really liked and desired by those around him.

Bob once called to check on me during a challenging medical treatment my daughter was undergoing. He hurriedly declared, “I’m going to get on a plane and come there right away,” as soon as he learned about the circumstance. I’ll do whatever you need me to do, like shovel your driveway and go to the grocery. I understood his meaning. If I hadn’t urged him to remain put, I was certain that he would have purchased the ticket as soon as we hung up.

Adam Grant, a Wharton professor, has studied the effectiveness of givers and presents his results in his book Give and Take. Grant discovered that those who are more concerned with helping others succeed generate 50% more revenue on average than those who are less concerned.

One of the best things an entrepreneur can do to ensure success is to start giving. Here are five suggestions for kicking off your donating strategy.

1. Employ the 5-minute favor.

Grant’s book cites internet entrepreneur Adam Rifkin and his “five-minute favor.” Any time Rifkin is asked to do something that will take him less than five minutes, he does it. He believes we all should be willing to commit this small amount of time to help someone else.

Research has shown that social giving has an enormous impact on emotional connection in any interaction. I’ve tried the approach myself, and it has blessed me immensely — in both professional and personal relationships.

2. Shine.

Today, I reside in Salt Lake City. I’ve had multiple opportunity to investigate the many local possibilities for car-body repair because to the snowy roads and a few careless teenage drivers. Most are identical in every way. They’ll complete the task around the general time and cost they estimate, and then they’ll depart, leaving you to wonder if you weren’t taken advantage of.

Not at Gerber Auto Body, formerly known as Shine Auto Body Repair. The extra efforts made by their personnel are surprisingly great despite appearing to be easy. First off, you receive a loaner automobile with no questions asked for you to drive while yours is being fixed. Every day, you’ll get a text message with pictures describing the development of your car. Even the office staff is there to assist you with the insurance paperwork you dread filling out.

This company goes above and beyond to make the everyday special. Every time I required repair work, I returned. And I frequently share with others how it “shines” in terms of business.

3. Say ‘thank you’ every day.

I really do mean this. Although gratefulness has many recognised advantages, it can be challenging to see its potential in a professional setting before giving it a shot.

I was once given the task of sending a thank-you note, making a thank-you call, or writing an email to someone each business day for a full year. I accepted the test. Although I didn’t hit every day, I succeeded on more than 90% of them. I expressed my gratitude to coworkers, superiors, friends, strangers, family members, and a great deal more. Because it led to so many wonderful unexpected talks and strengthened my existing friendships, it was one of the best experiences of my life. In the end, I received far more than I gave.

4. Try a ‘giver’ experiment.

There are many ways you can experiment with giving. Here’s one that’s worked for me: I invite the new, younger members of our team to a giving breakfast a few times a year. The breakfast is free, but I ask each guest to bring something — personal or professional — that he or she needs help with.

We begin the lunch by asking guests to express their needs and to offer to assist others as needed. I’ve witnessed individuals receive and give assistance in a range of situations, including finding housing, handling money, coping with challenging customers, establishing healthier eating routines, getting to sleep, and rediscovering their passion for music-making.

At this stage in my career, I’m convinced my personal network is my most most valuable asset. And there’s nothing that nurtures a friendship-based network more than being a giver. As Mark Twain said, there’s never a wrong time to do the right thing.

Giving is the right thing. Oh — and Bob Ratliffe? Yeah, I know the guy. He’s one of my closest friends.