HATTIE: All right, do you think that too many business owners are stingy, selfish, scared, close to the vest?

MARC: Small business. I see that with small business. I really have very few original thoughts. I'm one of the greatest plagiarizers I know.

HATTIE: Is that right?

MARC: And I see what the big companies do. And, for example, I see here in town Dell, or I see IBM or McDonald's. I see how wonderful they are to the community.

I see Motorola. I see how wonderful they are to the community. I see Merrill Lynch. They're giving it away. They're not giving it away because they're stupid. They're not giving it away because they have too much. They're giving it away because it's good business. And everybody benefits. Who receives benefits? I benefit. Everybody benefits.

HATTIE: So give them a piece of advice. What are some ideas that they need to move on, go forward on, try?

MARC: My basic--where I start from is, if I had a choice to eat with a friend or eat with a stranger, I'm going to eat with a friend. I try to be that friend. And a friend can't be false. Friend by definition is somebody who's sincere. If there's something I really like, and I really find the need for, I get involved in it. And I have this company give and give and give in every way we possibly can. And it comes back to me, not immediately, but eventually it comes back to me.

In the Studio

HATTIE: Marc says you keep what you have by giving it away. All of us expect to earn profits from our businesses, and to enjoy the fruits of our labor. We may think, too, that the bottom line is managed by increasing sales and by controlling costs. But that is only partly true. When we're small, we're usually afraid to be generous, because we need every penny to fund our growth. Marc says his commitment to charities has taught him giving pays.

He points out that he does not model himself as much after the small-business owners his size, but after big business. Why do you think big corporations have foundations and give millions away through many programs, from matching employee donations to paying for the T-shirts worn by Little Leaguers? The mayor of Austin says he cannot imagine Austin without the involvement of Marc Katz in the community.

Marc has organized fund-raising benefits that have helped to raise thousands of dollars for a variety of community organizations, such as the Hospice Austin, KUT Public Radio, Pediatric AIDS League, Diverse Arts and more. Want your business to grow? Find ways to give yourself and your services away. Take action to be a catalyst for good. As Marc says, you keep what you have by giving it away.