She Owns It

Celebrating, Connecting, and Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

Taking A Stand in Your Business by @HeidiDalzell

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by Heidi Dalzell

“I write for those women who do not speak, for those who do not have a voice because they were so terrified, because we are taught to respect fear more than ourselves. We’ve been taught that silence would save us, but it won’t.”

— Shirley Chisolm, first Black woman in Congress

Change has been a constant over the past weeks. I can’t believe it’s been almost two weeks since the death of George Floyd, and longer since the passing of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Aubrey and Tony McDade. This has been a time of personal reflection and change for me as well. As a business owner — and a therapist — I’ve asked myself some difficult questions about how to address racism within my business and my practice. I have considered what I am communicating to others, including clients and colleagues. My hope is that sharing these thoughts may jumpstart your thinking processes. I write this from the perspective of a White, Jewish, educated woman. Some of those statuses afford opportunities that I would not have otherwise.

When I shared my first blog for She Owns It, the topic was about embracing the changing world of Teletherapy and reinventing my business. I was thrilled to have my guest post published, and am now even more excited to be featured as a contributor on this site. None of us could have anticipate the recent examples of racism and injustice affecting our nation.

These events represent generations of violence against Black and Brown people. I stand in solidarity with the Black Community and state emphatically that Black Lives Matter. Sadness, anger and outrage are just a few of my emotions connected to the deaths of these innocent men and women. What can I do with these emotions.

Businesswoman and Advocate

Core values of my psychology practice include compassion, acceptance, tolerance and love. These values are the literal foundation on which my business is built. I have seen other women owned businesses speak out and some remain silent. Not speaking out and walking the walk would feel incongruent and inauthentic with of my mission.

I know that sharing my views may affect my business, and after a recent newsletter and blog post in which I advocated for change and racial justice, some people unsubscribed from my email list. That was ok. I do not want to be complicit in the racism that lies behind ignoring the voices of Black people.

I can use my privilege to speak out. Imagine if all people did this. When Martin Luther King led civil rights protests only 25% of Whites supported these ideals. Gloria Steinem encountered similar opposition. While many of us know Steinem, others are not as familiar feminists like Shirley Chisolm, Dorothy Pittman Hughes and Flo Kennedy. These women taught us that women should speak out.

Examining Privilege and Bias

Racism is “prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.” Privilege refers to unearned advantage or entitlement that benefits White people over non-white people.

As business owners, it’s important to be aware of our privilege. It aids our communication with others. And systematic privilege hurts everyone, especially women in the business world. Many of us would not be reading this blog had we not dismantled the systems of patriarchy during the Women’s Right’s movement. And while it’s still an uphill battle for women, Black women face bigger challenges in the workplace.

While conscious examination of privilege is a start, it is equally important to thoroughly examine our biases.

There are three main components of bias: stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination. Stereotypes are beliefs about a group, such as the false belief that Black men are violent. Prejudice is a preconceived opinion that isn’t based on reason or actual experience. Discrimination often begins with prejudice, and involves unequal treatment of people due to the various groups they belong to (racial, ethnic, etc.). Discrimination can range from inequities in opportunity to hate crimes and violence.

We form biases at an early age based on things we see in the media and learn from parents and peers. It can be helpful to sit down and create a list of adjectives that describe your feelings about a group. Are they factual, or do they reflect stereotyping or beliefs that may not be true? If you used these adjectives in your everyday communication, would the language be seen as neutral or dehumanizing?

Be honest—this list is for you.

Don’t Allow Invisibility

How do you promote diversity and allow Blacks within your organization to be seen? This includes being sure to actively provide depictions in artwork and other items within your work setting. For example, one of our waiting room magazines is Essence. Within workplace settings, provide ways for Black men and women to take up space and to be visible. It’s also helpful to consider the additional challenges faced by those with intersectional identities, such as Black transgender women. They are a group who face significant violence, discrimination, and many kinds of disparities.

Bring It Home

Another way to work on racial justice is to bring it home —literally. Seek out places where you can genuinely and authentically interact with people of different races and ethnicities. This may include in social settings or religious settings—places where you are interacting as peers. This does not include settings where there is an imbalance of power, such as interacting with someone who is providing a service. If you have children in your life, it’s also nice to be able to volunteer. If you choose a setting in which that imbalance of power exists, such as a soup kitchen, be sure that you augment the activity with a discussion of the disparities and injustices which led to economic disadvantage.

 

 

As we continue to witness the nationwide trauma unfolding, I encourage She Owns It readers to be kind, be sensitive, be compassionate, and be part of the solution. Please use your anger and grief to work for systemic change, and dismantling institutional racism and inequality in our communities.

 

6 Clever Ways Small Businesses Can Benefit From Blockchain and Digital Currencies by @johnstonaussie

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by Mike Johnston

Blockchain and cryptocurrencies and are great unknowns for most of the small business owners. They are more often than not, utterly unaware of their ability to create an entirely different business environment.

Thanks to its decentralized nature, blockchain’s transformational power lies in the fact that it enables verified and secure transactions between two parties, without any need for third-party verifications, reducing the costs and risks attached to the transaction. Especially now, when Covid-19 did some serious harm to economies and companies, modern technologies, such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies, can be used for a quicker recovery.

Read on to learn about the ways blockchain and digital currencies can benefit your small business.

 

Reduced costs

As they carry many different fees, traditional payment methods can put a financial strain on your business due to the amount of money you have to waste on banks. Every time someone purchases your services or product using their card, your business is losing money. Over time, this loss can accumulate and reach some truly shocking numbers.

On the other side, digital currencies allow you to eliminate or reduce or most of the fees related to traditional card payments. By using cryptocurrency, your business can averagely save between two and five percent on every transaction. Besides, you will be able to eliminate chargebacks, which will significantly improve your overall cash flow.

 

No need for middlemen

The use of blockchain technology will make transaction intermediaries obsolete. Today’s small businesses rely on third-parties, known as intermediaries, to manage the transactions, mostly serving as a source of verification, making both parties feel secure about the transaction. It’s the way financial transactions function, and the banks make a pretty good profit out of charging fees for their part in the process of connecting businesses and their trading counterparts. Blockchain can make this verification through its own network, without any external verification.

Small businesses involved could avoid all the costs related to intermediaries -bankers, brokers, or lawyers, while still being sure that their transaction is safe. They will also have more control of the process, and the transaction will still be safe, as the consensus of blockchain users will internally verify it.

 

Trust and transparency

Blockchain will be highly appreciated by businesses who will now be able to provide some clarity to their customers, and consumers who are longing for transparency. This is especially the case when it comes to Millenials, the generation with the most purchasing power. Concerned with sustainability, Millenials make their purchasing decisions considering the planet, the society, and finally themselves. They are also ready to pay for this transparency, both with their loyalty and their money.

Millennials, but many other consumers too, want to know whether their food is grown organically or whether their clothes were produced in a textile factory are paid fairly. Small businesses will have no trouble verifying how and where their item was produced or in case of the food, how and where it was grown. Or any other information, whatsoever.

 

There is a high demand

Even though some people are still afraid to use cryptocurrencies, the number of enthusiasts and professionals who are getting into crypto mining is on a constant rise. Because of all the benefits cryptocurrencies bring, many people, especially the younger ones, are starting to live entirely on digital currency, using it to purchase their goods and services.

Furthermore, a recent survey shows that more than 39% of the respondents want Bitcoin as a payment method for their general purchases. By adding a cryptocurrency-based payment system to their list of payment methods, small businesses can easily command additional market space and grow their customer base.

 

Go global

Due to its decentralized nature, small businesses can now follow the most recent cryptocurrency trends and open their doors to international buyers and tap into new consumer’ groups for whom their services or products were once inaccessible. Cryptocurrency has the potential to go global, as it knows no boundaries when it comes to business’s digital assets – it eliminates high costs associated with exchange rates and waiting times needed for processing international transactions.

Many businesses recognize the importance of adapting to the trend to stay ahead of the curve, especially in industries such as IT software and services, hospitality and travel, finance and fintech, and international export and sales.

 

Keep data secure

Our every transaction, and in some cases, our every movement, is an opportunity for businesses and authorities to collect data, and analyze it. For example, during the Coronavirus outbreak, Israeli authorities are using mobile phones location to identify persons who were in close contact with confirmed carriers. In China, authorities are using another technology advancement – facial recognition, for the same purposes.

Even if such data usage can sometimes seem justified, it severely affects privacy and opens up many opportunities for misuse. With blockchain technology, your and your customer’s data will be safe, as it will grant the power over data you want to share, who you want to share it with, and for how long.

 

Whatever the motivation behind your small business is, as an entrepreneur you’re no stranger to challenges. New technologies, such as blockchain and cryptocurrencies, are challenges waiting around the corner, so you better be well prepared to welcome them at the right moment.

 

 

Mike Johnston is an avid blogging enthusiast and experienced content writer with a focus in business, technology, entrepreneurship, and real estate.

 

 

 

 

How to Prepare for a PR Expert for Maximum Business Exposure by @eileenystheim

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by Eileen Ystheim

Business owners like yourself know just what you need to do to market your business online successfully, and you’re already on top of the latest market trends:

When it comes to blogging, you’ve got it covered.

When it comes to doing social media, you’re busy turning new followers into raving fans.

When it comes to podcasting, you’ve become a voice your market listens to.

When it comes to marketing, business professionals like yourself know what it takes to make income and impact – for a while.

But then the magic suddenly stops. Traffic to your website (both paid and organic) seems to have reached its peak. Your mailing list is no longer growing, and your income has plateaued.

When this happens, it’s time to get some outside help to ignite your traffic and help you get the attention that you need. Yes, it may be time to hire a PR expert and get some attention from radio shows, newspapers, magazines, and TV – both locally and nationally.

 

 

Have swipe files on hand

If CNN wanted to get your take on what’s going on concerning a current event, would you be able to respond quickly with a written bio and photo?

If you can’t respond in 5 minutes or less, then you need to reboot your swipe files before you start any PR work. A successful PR campaign is one that has ready-made media files on hand that you can use in case a producer or journalist needs your bio or headshot quickly.

Until you have these types of files at hand, hiring PR professionals at this point would be a waste of their time.

 

Narrow your focus

Being a jack of all trades sounds nice, but experts specialize in one area. Success is achieved in business when you dig “an inch wide and a mile deep.” That means success in business is best achieved when you focus on one area of your industry. A specialized focus allows you to provide better services to your chosen market.

Therefore, you need to target a particular client and only go outside your selected audience on rare occasions. When you adopt the three suggestions listed above, then you’ll be ready to do media outreach successfully.

 

No outlet is unworthy

Get your feet wet and start with local media outlets first. You can get exposure through local newspapers, magazines, and news channels that need to interview or quote an expert in your field.

Take advantage of local and regional outlets because they will most likely not be able to get interviews with national figures. For example, let’s say you’re a wellness coach with a lot of expertise worth sharing.

A local morning show in your hometown won’t be able to get wellness coach, David Kirsch, but you’re available. An advantage of starting small allows you to get your brand out there and establish your credibility as an expert in your niche.

Also, smaller media outlets give you practice that will help you be prepared for the bigger outlets.

 

Ways to show off your expertise

You can be one of the best wellness consultants or freelance writers around, but how will others know this about you? Do you share tips on healthier eating or writing tips on your social media pages? Do you blog about special diets or different types of content?

I’m sure you do, but you’re going to need to do more than this to get recognized as an expert in your niche. You have to put yourself out there further if you want to attract the attention of larger media outlets.

In other words, you’re going to have to look like an expert. No, you don’t have to go around buying expensive headshots, but you do need to establish your brand. Professional brand traits will let the media know that you’re the one they’ve been looking for.

 

Update your brand

It’s going to take more than just creating a logo and choosing your brand color to establish your brand. Remember, your brand represents your voice. It speaks to the people who will become your customers, and it tells your target audiences what makes you different compared to your competitors.

Your branding sets the tone for how people remember you, and it lets your target audiences know that you’re the one that can meet their needs successfully. Remember to cover the following areas when updating your brand:

• Facebook profile, business page, and groups
• LinkedIn profile
• Pinterest boards
• Podcast artwork and messaging
• Training/coaching programs
• Website and blog
• YouTube channel

 

Invest in Your Content

Expert advice that’s poorly written and filled with grammatical errors will scream unprofessional in a heartbeat! If you want your content to look professional and you need help, you must hire a content writer or editor.

They will lend your content a professional feel, and others— including media outlets—will see you as the expert you are. When your goal is to gain more brand recognition, you must take an objective look at how your business is operating.

Is your message in sync with your brand? Are you looking like a professional on your website, blogs, and social media profiles? When you address these issues, the media will start looking for you instead of you trying to get their attention.

 

 

I’m Eileen Ystheim, a vision-aligned SEO copywriter. I have over 13 years of writing experience as a journalist and press officer for a non-profit.

Now I run my own copywriting business where I offer compelling web articles, guest posting + SEO content for purpose-driven brands on a mission.

My secret sauce is compelling brand storytelling that makes your customers the heroes of your story, toppled with an extra spice of organic SEO traffic.

 

 

 

How To Perform A Competitor Analysis (And Why It’s Important) by @BlairKaplanPR

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by Blair Kaplan Venables

There’s nothing like a little healthy competition to light a preverbal fire under you. With the increase of businesses moving online during this COVID era, you need to make sure that your business stands out online. If you’re one of the 1% of entrepreneurs who managed to create a business with no direct competitors, congratulations! If you’re like 99% of the rest of us, it’s time to do some homework. Stat. It’s important to know who your competition is, what they are selling, how they are selling it, where they are marketing and what they are doing right. If you know this information, you are able to work on a strategy to potentially capture their clients and grow your business.

A good place to start your investigation is by performing a social media competitor analysis. By scoping out your competition, you will be able to see where their weaknesses may lie, which is information that you can use to you advantage. For example, if you see that your competition isn’t on a specific social media network and you know that your target demographic is spending time on that social media network, you may want to build up a presence there.

 

Identify Your Competitions

What other companies are competing for the business that you seek to obtain? You should be able to identify at least five companies that are your competition. You can do this by Googling key words, asking friends and doing your own research.

The best place to start finding out information about their social media presence is via their website, where these links should be posted. It’s also helpful to go into each social media platform and search their name because sometimes websites aren’t up to date with social links.

 

Document Your Findings

Creating a competition chart is the best way to record your findings. Open up your favorite spreadsheet program (I’m an Excel or Google Sheets gal, myself), open a new document and make rows listing your competitor’s names. Then create columns for the following four key pieces of information about your competitor’s online presence:

  1. Where are they on social media? Don’t forget about LinkedIn, TikTok and other surprising places they may be.
  2. What type of content are they creating? Is it instructional or do they share personal stories?
  3. How many followers they have on each social media network?
  4. Any notes you may want to reference later.

Determine Key Opportunities

We aren’t just cruising social media to be a lookie-loo. We now need to analyze the stats that we have found. Once your chart is filled in, you will be able to see what your competition’s social media strengths are (which may be places you don’t want to compete with them) and where their weaknesses lay (which may create opportunities for you to lead the pack).

Keep in mind you’re not trying to replicate someone else’s strategy. Your social media approach should be unique. But you are looking for opportunities. You may also find content ideas that your top competition isn’t executing yet, which is fantastic news. Learn what they are doing and you can figure out how to do it better or differently. There are always opportunities on social media to create great content and grow your brand’s presence.

 

 

Blair Kaplan Venables is an expert in social media marketing and the president of Blair Kaplan Communications, a British Columbia-based PR agency. As a pioneer in the industry, she brings more than a decade of experience to her clients, which include global wellness, entertainment and lifestyle brands. Blair has helped her customers grow their followers into the tens of thousands in just one month, win integrative marketing awards and more. She has spoken on national stages and her expertise has been featured in media outlets including CBC Radio and Thrive Global. Blair is also the author of Pulsing Through My Veins: Raw and Real Stories from an Entrepreneur. When she’s not working on the board for her local chamber of commerce, you can find Blair growing the “I Am Resilient Project,” an online community where users share their stories of overcoming life’s most difficult moments.

How to Easily Launch Your Business Online in This New Normal by @XLConsultingGro

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by Elaine Slatter | Featured Contributor

Launch Your Business Online

 

Launch Your Business Online – Don’t Let Technology Hold You Back

Is your business still the best secret in your community?  Now, more than ever, it’s time to change that and launch your business online.  This new normal could well be the next normal for years to come.  It is changing the way we work and live forever.   Most business owners have thought about having an online presence but often the fear of the technology holds them back.  We are going to give you some simple tips to get started.

 

Facebook and Instagram Business Page

This is the start of your online presence, even if you don’t have a website.  Here are all the things you can do if you have a business page on these two platforms.

  • Answer messages on your smart phone from customers who have questions
  • Post your hours of business
  • Post about new products and services
  • Add pictures
  • Post graphics that you make on the free, easy to use,  Canva software
  • Write about customer experiences
  • Get reviews about your products
  • Update customers on important notifications
  • Allow your customers to post on your business page to get their involvement in product ideas and interact with them
  • Post your events (event flyers can also be made for free on Canva)
  • Advertise your products! (only business page owners can advertise on these two platforms)

 

Facebook and Instagram Shops

This is a brand new launch from facebook.  It allows you to monetize your business (think jewelry) directly on your facebook page by having your own shop.  Facebook connects you directly with the payment gateway (and takes a fee, of course) and voila you have an instant shop, without having your own website.

Why are online shops so important?  The trend towards more online shopping is moving up.  You may think it will fall flat after the pandemic is over, but buying trends could have changed forever.  With large companies such as Twitter and Shopify changing to an at home work model for its employees, think of all the people working from home and ordering online for convenience!

Forbes Magazine says:

There’s been a 129% year-over-year growth in U.S. & Canadian e-commerce orders as of April 21 and an impressive 146% growth in all online retail orders

 

Google My Business

A free service by Google, makes it easy for your local business to be found on Google and Google Maps.

What else does a Google account do for your business?

  • Allows you to engage with your customers
  • Helps you stand out on Google ranking (even without a website)
  • Create a free, basic website
  • Post offers and updates
  • Get customer reviews
  • Post your business hours
  • Gives your business a locator on Google search
  • Add curbside pickup to your Google My Business page (new)

We had a great discussion about the future of business online with  Hugh Reilly of That Channel just recently. Check it out.   If you are still struggling to get your business online, we offer a free 30 minute consultation to understand your business and get you on the right track and we love helping women entrepreneurs! Check out the blog for how to write copy that converts here.

 

 

 

How to Stand Out As a Solopreneur by @DONNAAMOS

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by Donna Amos | Featured Contributor 

Building a business as a solopreneur can be fun, yet overwhelming. The most important job you have is working to stand out among the competition. This requires the right amount of focus so that you are continuously working toward more leads and sales inside your business. Here are tips that will help you build a larger business year over year.

Stay Consistent

Stick to the plan you’ve laid out for your business. Get ready for being challenged on your journey and understand that a business owner’s path is never a continuous upward climb. You’ll encounter difficulties and challenges on your way to the top. There will be times when it feels as though nothing is working. That’s when you need to be consistent in your effort to identify what works and what doesn’t. Course correct and continue onward from there.

Develop New Skills

Work hard to develop new skills that help build your business. For example, you need to become good at the following skills as a business owner:

  • Leadership
  • Marketing
  • Copywriting
  • Content creation
  • Networking
  • Consistency

You’ll discover that your business profits will increase the more you broaden your skillset.

Attend Networking Events

When things return to somewhat normal then get back out there. Attend local events to meet and network with future customers. Use your Chamber of Commerce to find out about the various events happening in your local area. Many virtual events are available now. Check out Meetups and begin building your network. Practice your what you do dialogue and get it down to 30 seconds: who do you help, what is the problem you help them with and what are the results after working with you.

Would you rather build your business entirely online? Try the hundreds of Twitter chats that occur each day. As your Twitter account grows, start your own chat and get conversations going that eventually end up with bringing new customers on board.

Use Testimonials Effectively

Nothing stands out better to potential customers than seeing what your current customers say about you. Testimonials are social proof in a world where people need to see that others are happy with your product or service. Get creative in the beginning by capturing screenshots of nice comments customers have made on Facebook or Instagram. Ask those people if you can show their headshot and comment as a testimonial to others.

Join Facebook or LinkedIn Groups

Take the time to build a reputation as an expert inside LinkedIn or Facebook groups. Don’t overtly promote and sell in these groups. Instead, offer tips and expertise that show that you’re there to help others. Do the following inside these groups:

  • Contribute to the threads
  • Answer questions
  • Engage with other members

You’ll soon be an expert authority in that community. Opportunities to do business will arise when others in need of your help start reaching out to you personally.

Stay In Contact With Customers

Use snail mail or email to stay in contact with former and existing customers. Nothing stands out more in today’s world than a simple thank you. Thank them for being a customer and ask how you might help going forward. Mention any special offers you have at this time, as well.

Consider a quick video message using a tool such as Loom. Send a thank you note in the mail. Anything you do to personally connect with customers will go a long way in gaining their business again and again.

Create a Facebook Business Page

Create a Facebook page and become active on it. You can get comments, reviews and messages from leads and customers on your page. Use various forms of content to connect with prospects, such as:

  • Videos
  • Quotes
  • Mini-articles
  • Ads

Use Facebook Live to periodically get yourself in front of followers. More people will show up for these sessions as your number of followers grows because Facebook notifies them when you start a new Live session. Use your Facebook Live sessions to:

  • Provide helpful tips
  • Inform leads about sales and promotions
  • Use it as a selling webinar

Use Instagram Effectively

Stand out on Instagram by using images effectively. Make sure your profile is completely filled out with a link back to your most important URL. Use a high-quality profile picture and research hashtags that are relevant for your business.

Use stories to engage with your fans. Post excellent images on a daily basis with the correct hashtags so your core target market can find you. Convert your account to a business profile after reaching 10,000 followers so that you can add links to the stories that you post. This will increase the amount of traffic over to your email opt-in landing pages.

Stand Out With YouTube Marketing

People are increasingly consuming video content online. Start a YouTube channel and publish weekly video content to it. This is one of the most effective ways to stand out as a solopreneur if you work at your channel consistently. Your subscriber base will grow steadily if you post great tips and ideas and encourage viewers to subscribe.

YouTube videos will help your website search engine rankings improve as well. The reason is that you can embed your videos on your site’s pages. As your visitors watch these videos, Google notices that they’re on your site for a longer amount of time. This is one of the metrics that helps improve your overall search rankings.

Don’t forget to optimize your videos for quality rankings in the YouTube search engine. Optimize by using:

  • An attractive video thumbnail
  • Detailed descriptions
  • Keywords
  • Linking to other relevant resources

Stand Out With Your Website

One of the best ways to gain customers inside your small business is getting good at attracting prospects who are further along the buying cycle. Some people are online searching for general information around your topic and niche. Others have done their research already and are now just about ready to buy.

You want to create content on your website that attracts both types of people. However, the more you can attract the people who are ready to buy, the more effective your search engine optimization (SEO) efforts will become.

Your website will stand out well if you focus on putting out excellent content that informs and educates. Do keyword research and find keywords that have the following words in them:

  • Buy
  • Review
  • Top
  • Comparison
  • Price

These terms indicate that your visitor is looking for the best company to buy from. If your content gets found in the search engines for those types of terms, then you will notice an increase in the quality of your site’s visitors from a purchasing standpoint.

Don’t forget to also create “how-to” content to capture visitors just starting down their research path. You’ll have the ability to capture them as leads and nurture them into buying from you later.

Use Email Marketing Intelligently

Your ultimate goal to stand out as a business owner should be to build an email marketing list. An email list allows you to market to your prospects over time until they trust you enough to buy your products or services. Work hard to place strategic ways for people to become email subscribers on your website and social media channels.

Send out weekly or bi-weekly newsletters that provide helpful content for your subscribers. Educate them and help make their lives better. Link them to your new blog articles or social media posts. Send them to your latest YouTube video. Ask yourself how you can best nurture them along so they come to trust you enough to buy from you.

If you take the time to build a large email newsletter list over time, then you will discover that you can often create revenue on demand by sending out the right offer or discount at the appropriate time.

Standing out as a solopreneur isn’t as difficult as you might think it is. Yes, the marketing world is a noisy one with many business owners trying to get their messages out. Your job is to use the above tips in a way that resonates well with your target market. Teach them something valuable first. They will notice that you’re different from your competitors and will buy from you.

 

Tips for Small Businesses to Encourage a Healthy Workplace

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The unfortunate COVID-19 pandemic has created many uncertainties and shifts in our everyday lives. Some of us continue to have our entire team work from home while others have some or all of our teams working on site. Regardless of where our teams physically are located, we have a responsibility as business owners and employers to ensure we protect employee health as best as we can while also keeping our businesses afloat.

Being proactive and creating a clear plan and sick policy is a necessity to ensure everyone is aware of how they’ll be supported in the event they do fall ill. Ensure that this policy is available to everyone and adheres to any local and federal laws. This way, you and your employees know what steps to take to keep everyone safe and to keep operations running while anyone is out.

Some things to clarify in your policy include:

  • When employees should notify their manager
  • Whether or not a note is required
  • Whether remote work and/or a reduced schedule is an option
  • How sick leave is treated during this time
  • How sick leave applies to new employees

You should also keep in mind different laws, rights and entities that relate to employee privacy and safety when forming your policy. Here are a few to get familiar with:

  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
  • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
  • Worker’s Compensation
  • Other local laws specific to your area

In addition to a sick plan and policy, it’s also important to implement programs and other things that can help keep your employees safe and healthy.

If you have non-remote employees, it’s important to keep the workplace sanitary and to have cleaning supplies available to maintain cleanliness. It’s also important to maintain social distancing between employees in your office space. This could mean physically spacing desks farther apart and closing off lounge areas.

If you have remote employees, you should check in with them often to see how they’re handling themselves, especially if they were sent to work home due to a shelter-in-place (or similar) order. Encouraging them to go outside, take breaks and spend time connecting with coworkers are a couple ways to promote work-life balance while they may be stuck indoors longer than usual.

Overall, it’s important to remember that we’re in uncharted waters and everyone is dealing with the current situation in their own way. Approaching this time with compassion can help you navigate this period with your team. JW Surety Bonds has a list of tips to support employee health below. Take a look at the infographic below to see how you can encourage a healthy workplace for all employees.

things to spend money on when starting a business infographic
Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

 

 

5 of the Most Popular Digital Marketing Trends in 2020 @Shane_Barker

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Change is inevitable in the digital marketing world. If you want to get ahead, you need to stay on top of the latest trends.

Chatbots, influencer marketing, SEO, etc., are terms we’re all familiar with. But within these broad concepts, there are a lot of interesting trends emerging.

This article will help you learn which trends are likely to shape the world of digital marketing in the coming years.

Which Trends Are Likely to Dominate the Digital Marketing Space in 2020?

Whether you have a mom-and-pop shop or a big enterprise, you need to have a digital presence. To get an edge over your competitors, here are the trends you should leverage for your digital marketing strategy:

1. Communicate With Gen Z In Their Lingo

In the coming years, Gen Z’s spending power is likely to increase as they enter the job market.

If you want to appeal to this crowd, you need to speak their language.

Here are some of the things that you need to keep in mind if your target market involves this age group:

Originality

Let’s get this straight — Promotional tone is dead.

Gen Z can see the marketing lasso you’re trying to throw around them to bring them to your product.

What’s the way out?

Try being more transparent.

That’s more likely to get their attention.

If you’re real with them, they develop a sense of trust.

Respect Their Privacy

Now that we’ve brought up trust, data privacy is particularly important to Gen Z. They want to be assured that you won’t exploit their data. It’s a good idea to highlight the measures you are taking to protect their privacy. You need to reassure them that they can trust you.

Keep Up With Internet Culture

Knowing what kind of content is trending on the internet among Gen Z gives you an idea of their preferred medium, humor, and style.

A great example of modern crisis marketing is the collaboration of the WHO with “Dude with Sign” to raise awareness about coronavirus.

awareness about coronavirus

Image via Instagram

Another way to reach out to Gen Z is to promote your brand via memes. While that may be unorthodox, it’s definitely a great way to make your brand stand out.

2. The Popularity of Micro-Influencer Marketing is On the Rise

Small and big, brands around the world are leveraging influencer marketing to grow their businesses.

However, top-tier influencers have discovered how they can monetize their clout with this strategy. Their expensive fees may not be affordable for smaller brands.

That’s why micro-influencer marketing is gaining traction.

Instead of approaching big-time influencers, you can work with micro-influencers to grow your brand. They can help you reach out to a broader audience and boost your engagement.

As a result, your sales can also increase.

Here’s how you can move up the influencer marketing ladder:

You can start with those who don’t necessarily have a blue tick next to their handles.

Once you build a small community of influencers who are promoting your product, you are likely to see growth.

If your sales do well as a result, you can move on to medium-sized influencers if they fit your budget.

3. Featured Snippets Will Be Critical For SEO

Featured snippets enjoy the best real estate of online viewership.

Until recently, SEO experts have been trying their best to figure out Google’s search algorithm to appear as the first result for a search query.

But, the first result doesn’t necessarily need to be the best result.

Google tries to give every user the exact answer to their query. If your content is optimized for featured snippets, then you’re more likely to shape the content on a web page to meet the exact problem you’re trying to solve.

This does not mean that you stuff in keywords as that can negatively affect readability. Your goal should be to help your target audience and cater to the needs of the search engine equally.

4. AI Chatbots Are Likely to Make Customer Interactions Smarter

Conversational marketing is everything.

With many brands like Sephora, Lyft, and Nike implementing chatbots to converse with their consumers, it’s clear — chatbots are here to stay.

What’s more, conversational AI chatbots are likely to help companies provide their customers with superior customer experiences. They can help customers answer complex queries and gauge what they are looking for.

Not only can they help improve customer experience, but they can help with data collection, lead generation, feedback, and more.

5. Personalization and Data Will Be Important For Marketing

When you communicate with a large number of people, giving a one-size-fits-all message is really easy.

But is it effective?

Not really.

Each visitor has a different experience with your brand. If you want to ensure that your customers are satisfied, you need to provide them with a tailored experience.

If you’ve noticed, ecommerce websites like Walmart show you what you’re more likely to buy based on your patterns. When you offer consumers what they are looking for at the right time, you’re more likely to make a conversion.

With personalized marketing, you can also boost your customer loyalty as well. For this, data-driven marketing will be crucial.

Here’s an example.

Based on their customer data, Sephora predicts the amount of time that a particular product is likely to last for. When a product is expected to run out, they send a reminder email.

In addition to this, they also feature their complementary products and include discount coupons in the emails.

Sephora predicts the amount of

Image via Sephora

Final Thoughts

As you can see, a lot of exciting things are happening in the digital marketing space.

If you’re feeling short, it is a good time for you to re-evaluate your digital marketing strategy. Younger generations want to interact seamlessly with your brand and you want to give them the best experience.

What do you think about these trends? Please share your opinions in the comments section below.

Favorite leadership tips from 7 influential women

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From Resume.io

Women face a variety of extra challenges on the road to success, but it’s heartening to know that success can be achieved.

Some indomitable women have proven that it is not only possible to become the top of their fields, but also that the priorities that motivate action can be re-defined, and goals can be transformed to match. There’s a lot to be learned from reading about their experiences, and they have plenty of advice to embolden the next wave of successful women.

So, what leadership wisdom do readers find most inspiring? To find out, the resume experts at resume.io used the ‘most highlighted’ feature in Amazon’s Kindle to find the most popular quotes in the best rated leadership books on Goodreads.

We have gathered 7 extracts from books by powerful women to share their wisdom with you. 

You can find the rest of the list here.

1. Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking, by Susan Cain

Cain’s book explains how the unique skills and potential of introverts is often overlooked by a society that has grown to believe in an ‘Extrovert Ideal.’ She uses strong anecdotal evidence and examples of influential speakers who are actually introverts.

2. Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead, by Sheryl Sandberg

As Chief Operating Officer of Facebook and one of Time magazine’s most influential people, Sandberg has a unique insight into the external, and internal, obstacles faced by working women.

3. Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead, by Brené Brown 

This best-selling book focuses on vulnerability and dealing with difficult emotions, suggesting a transformative practice that can help us become more balanced in leadership, relationships, and parenting.

4. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, by Carol S. Dweck 

Carol S. Dweck PhD is a hugely influential psychologist with a simple, but powerful, argument. Whatever your field or goals, adopting a growth mindset will help you to approach it in a healthy and effective way.

5. Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person, by Shonda Rhimes

In this revealing and funny memoir, the creator of Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal explains how being open to new opportunities, having a can-do attitude, and believing in oneself, has opened doors to her undeniable success.

6. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

Amoruso’s journey from high-school dropout to being CEO of a successful online fashion retailer shows that the path to success isn’t always straight. This is a rallying cry for anyone who wants to chart their own course.

7. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts by Brené Brown

The New York Times #1 best-seller uses a research-based approach to motivate readers to believe in their capabilities. What do leaders, culture shifters, and change makers have in common? They have the courage to take the lead.

These strong and influential authors each offer strong and valid perspectives on realising one’s potential and building the confidence to take control. 

Which of these quotes motivates you the most?

 

Rolf Bax, Content Specialist
Since 2018 Rolf manages Resume.io websites & content together with a dedicated team of Copywriters, Product Specialists, Designers and Developers. Rolf worked for several cross-border e-commerce businesses in the last decade helping them with managing their online appearances.

 

 

 

How to Create a Reopen Plan by @DrRKayGreen

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by Dr. R. Kay Green | Featured Contributor

As the shelter-in-place laws begin to easy, many business owners are looking toward their future. But nothing is going to be the same, and opening up business will not be as simple as going back to business as usual. No matter the industry, changes are going to have to be made, and care will have to be taken when reopening business.

Here are five things to consider while creating your reopen plan.

Know the laws in your state.

The first step to any reopening plan is to make sure you are compliant with any laws in your state. Make sure you stay up-to-date on any shelter in place laws, but also keep an eye on things like recommended building capacity. You may not be able to fill a restaurant to full occupancy, for example. This may affect your time table.

Of course, for many, these laws are changing every day. Make sure you keep your finger on the pulse and be prepared to change and update your plan as new information becomes available.

Consider any logistical challenges.

Some businesses will have more difficulties than others operating in this post-COVID environment. Will your prices have to go up to compensate for the lowered occupancy? Is it feasible for you to test temperatures at the door? These are the questions you should be asking yourself to ensure the smoothest transition.

Some “best practices” might simply not be possible or beneficial for your business. Take the time to consider these carefully and make sure you have the best possible plan for you.

Get serious about cleaning.

As day-to-day work resumes, it is important not to let safety measures go lax. It is incredibly important for all of your employees to understand that regular cleaning is imperative. You should be purchasing masks for them, and consider investing in additional safety measures such as barriers in front of registers to ensure both their safety and the safety of your clientele, for example.

Ultimately, though, it will be the responsibility of your employees to keep things clean and safe, even when work life starts to pick up again. Make sure they understand that this is in their best interest as well as the best interest of your clients.

Consider the little things.

While talking about reopening seems easy in theory, in practice there could be things you had not accounted for. For example, consider the size of your bathrooms and the space between stalls. Can people easily move around while safely social distancing? Or what about your parking lot? How filled does it get, and what does foot traffic look like.

These are things that are easy to overlook, but can create challenges in the long run. Think of your business from a very analytical perspective and try to catch these things before they actually become problems.

Be prepared to take it slow.

As difficult as it might be to hear, these past few months have marked a dramatic shift for everyone, and we will not be able to return to normal overnight. Even as you open your business, consider taking it in phases—for example, having employees come into office in “shifts” and have them work remote on off days.

But even while you are taking it slow, there are things you can do to take advantage of time. If your employees are not going to be working the same number of hours, for example, now is a good time to invest in training, to empower them to make the most of their time.ournal, College View, Business New Hampshire Magazine, Bay State Banner, Reader’s Circle, North Dallas Gazette, Harlem News, Top News Today, One News Page, NE Informer, Women in Business PR News, Consumer News Today, Women PR News, San Francisco Chronicle, Houston Chronicle, Chicago Daily Herald, The Miami Herald, and Book News Articles.