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It’s Ok to Not Be Productive

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by Kristen Westcott

I don’t think anyone could have really seen this coming. Both within my online networks and in my local community, COVID-19 (Coronavirus) has forced many businesses to reallocate their time, resources, and money. My clients and I are incredibly fortunate to already be in the online space and work-from-home gurus.

However, as someone who usually encourages productivity, I hold a responsibility to my clients and to those who look to me for advice to help you understand that during a global crisis, you decide what level of productivity is appropriate for you.
The need for productivity

There have been a lot of posts circulating the internet about how your extra time during quarantine should be spent developing a new skill, building your side hustle, or obtaining new knowledge. If you don’t, “you didn’t ever lack the time, you lacked the discipline.”

As an entrepreneur, I can see many similar-minded people looking at this post and feeling guilty for not spending all their extra time on their biz. I can imagine people who haven’t yet started their business feeling like they’re behind.

I feel for you.

But in all honesty, I don’t think that the root of this post is meant to shame people who aren’t taking the time now to upskill, dive into business, or learn. I believe the need for productivity stems from a desire for normalcy. And what a better way to be normal than to engage in the hustle?
The reality is grief

The truth behind the scenario is that we’re going through a time where we’re experiencing a lot of grief. Grief for the things that we’re missing out on. Grief for things that we’ve lost. Grief for the lack of physical connection. The list goes on. At the end of the day, everyone has a different way of dealing with this grief.

For some people, the answer may in fact be productivity. This is fine. If waking up early in the morning, getting your groove on, and hacking out your to-do list helps you deal with the heavy emotions you’re experiencing, good on you! We may be the same type of person.

But for others, the last thing they want to do is get on the productivity train, and that’s fine too. We don’t want to let this experience stop us in our tracks, but we must prioritize both our physical and mental health during this period. If that means taking a break, then we should welcome this break with open arms. It’s ok to complete our regular commitments and responsibilities and not spend our extra time on being productive. It’s also ok, if your business allows it, to take a break from your work entirely. Take a day to recoup.
You don’t have to decide all at once

With that being said, you don’t have to commit to being productive or not being productive. It’s ok to take it as you go, and decide what levels of productivity are appropriate for you as you progress through the stages of grief.

The world will one day go back to “normal,” but for now we have to embrace that for a while this is going to be our normal. We have to take the time to process this and to enable that shift in our minds in order to handle this transition into our new, temporary normal. And that’s the only thing that we have to be sure about right now.

So, take the time, be kind to yourself as you are being kind to others. Decide the level of productivity that will have the most positive impact on your mental wellbeing. Cheer on those that you know who are having their productivity highs. Be empathetic toward those who are taking a break from the productivity train and in return, those around you will show the same support and compassion.

During this period when we’re dealing with high levels of grief, you may feel pressured to be productive. However, desire for productivity may be the result of a yearning for normalcy. If productivity helps you achieve normal, I encourage you to stay productive and remember your self care. But if taking a break, or only completing your regular duties is what you need to process your grief, know that that’s ok too! We are not judging you. We do not view you as any less just because you’re prioritizing your mental or physical health.

This is a time for community. Know that there are people who will support you regardless of which path of productivity you choose.

 

 

 

I’m Kristen Westcott, a Business Growth Strategist and Operations Consultant for online entrepreneurs.

I am the founder and CEO of Kristen Westcott Media and I have been helping others with goal setting, time management/productivity and project management for over a decade – in the legal field, education sector and as an entrepreneur. My goal is to help entrepreneurs free up time to focus on the right things, so they don’t burn out.

I do this through strategic planning, project management and managing business operations. My gift, if I can boast a little here, is helping entrepreneurs take their vision and create an action plan so that they can be successful and scale beyond what they had imagined. I help break things down into manageable pieces so there is no overwhelm or frustration and nothing gets forgotten.

I truly believe there is a better alternative to feeling burnt-out, exhausted and miserable trying to keep up with your business’s day-to-day operations and I started my company to show other entrepreneurs what is possible when the backend of your business isn’t weighing you down.

 

 

 

3 Ways Small Businesses Can Provide Comfort to Customers During COVID-19 by @DeborahSweeney

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Photo by Gustavo Fring from Pexels

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In April, I was able to catch a Salesforce webinar on stories of resilience that was co-hosted by Mark Cuban. During the webinar, a listener wrote in to ask his advice for marketing and messaging during this time. His response was simple and transparent: at this specific moment, small businesses need to connect more than sell.

Behind every sale a small business makes is a customer. Right now, that customer is scared or at least a bit worried about something during COVID-19. Small businesses can provide comfort to their customers that go beyond making a purchase from their storefront. Here are a few ways you can get begin spreading kindness as quickly as today.

Add a handwritten note to orders.

Small business owners are currently working from home and have adjusted their daily routines accordingly to safety/shelter in place structure. As we take the time to make healthy lunches and add meditation to our schedules, how about setting aside 20 minutes to hand write thank you notes?

Put aside 20 minutes daily (if not more) to write physical thank you notes to customers. Not sure what to write? Keep it simple. Write a few sentences thanking them for shopping with you. Talk about how much you love to use the product they purchased or where the inspiration to create it came from. If you’re artistic, add an illustration to the note.

Encourage shoppers to stay connected by including your contact information, including social media handles, website link, and where they may sign up to receive a company newsletter, at the bottom of the card. Customers will be surprised and delighted to see a thoughtful thank you note included with their order.

Engage on social media.

Most individuals spend roughly 90 minutes on social media apps. Our amount of screen time has likely increased significantly during COVID-19. As customers and potential customers scroll through their Instagram and Twitter dashboards, your business has plenty of opportunities at hand for how it may engage and connect on social.

  • Repost content. Share the love by spreading it on your social accounts. Fill Instagram Stories with image reposts from customers excited to receive their new products. Retweet tweets from customers about positive interactions with your business.
  • Respond to comments. Whether these comments are made as a private message or publicly to your social media page, write back in a timely manner to thank customers for their kind words or address any potential issues or concerns.
  • Follow customers. Depending on the platform, follow your loyal customers back. They’ll be thrilled to see their favorite small business follows them!

Take a phone call together.

Many entrepreneurs, including business consultants, PR executives, and real estate professionals, are accustomed to taking calls and meetings with clients. We may not be able to physically meet with customers during this time, but that doesn’t mean we are unable to connect over the phone. Pick up the phone and call clients with whom you have developed a rapport together.

What’s a good icebreaker to open with for this kind of call? Why not start by asking, “How are you doing?” It’s an ordinary question that has an extraordinary impact. Clients, established and brand new alike, are ready to talk. They want to highlight professional and personal aspects of life that are going well, ask for help where they need it, and update you with news on major changes or trends in and out of the industry.

Use this time to have a heartfelt, open conversation. This is one of the greatest opportunities you have to connect on a transparent level. Your kindness and understanding will pay back incredible dividends into the business. Make the time for a long, candid chat. It will pay off in the long term — and is absolutely worth it.

 

Deborah Sweeney is the CEO of MyCorporation.com which provides online legal filing services for entrepreneurs and businesses, startup bundles that include corporation and LLC formation, registered agent services, DBAs, and trademark and copyright filing services. You can find MyCorporation on Twitter at @MyCorporation.

How to Crush Your Big 2020 Goals even when the World Around You Is Falling Apart

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by Rakel Chafir

Whether there’s a global pandemic spreading, you just lost your number one client, or you’re in the midst of a divorce—or all three—you have other options beside curling up in your pajamas, turning the blinds down, and spending the day scrolling through social media waiting for something else to happen. You can still double your email list by the end of the year, launch your online course, get your new website up and running, and create multiple sales funnels. So go ahead, feel your feelings fully, let them all come out, but know this one thing: Your life and your business is only on hold if you decide it should be on hold.

Here are five things you can do to overcome low energy and refocus of your Big Goals when the world around you is falling apart:

1. Write down your goal (every day as soon as you wake up):
Writing down your big goals every single day means you’ll look at them every single day. It’s a constant, powerful reminder of where to put your focus. According to a study on goal setting, people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve it than those who don’t and yet very few people actually do it. It will take you only a few minutes, but it will help you stay consistent on your journey to success.

2. Keep a solid daily routine (no matter what happens around you):
Maintaining specific daily habits such as waking up at a specific time everyday, having a healthy breakfast, working out, showering, getting dressed, putting on makeup, and sitting down for a journalism session before doing or dwelling on anything else, can reduce our stress level and help us feel more in control of our lives while we are coping with change. No matter what’s going to happen, know that you will be having your meals at the same time, that we’ll be wearing fresh clean clothing, and that you’’ll be moving your body every single day.

3. Re-calibrate your nervous system:
Anxiety, fear, anger, and frustration are natural responses to stress, which can be expected during turbulent times. However if ignored or left unchecked, those unpleasant feelings will snowball and become extremely harmful to both your physical and mental health, not to mention, they will prevent you from having the clarity you need to consistently take action and move forward on your goals.
From simple breathing exercises, to meditation, and conscious body movement, all you need to practice along with some of the world most renown experts in the field, is an Internet connection and a digital device. Make it a priority.

4. Implement a Bounce Back Strategy:
If we don’t take a positive next step, we risk being caught in an emotional loop of failure. When you are having one of those days where even getting out of bed seems like an effort, take a deep breath, forgive yourself and let it go fully. Recognize that you are in it for the long run, then pick up your journal and answer these questions:
1. Which action can I take at this moment to feel even a little better?
2. What can I do differently tomorrow / this week/ this month?
3. What’s the biggest challenge I have overcome in my life?

5. Stay connected:
The feeling of isolation can fuel depression and contribute to the feeling of low energy and hopelessness. Be proactive about reaching out to others, speak about your feelings and ask how they’re doing as well. Doing that will help you get out your own bubble and boost your mental health. Above all, don’t be afraid to ask for help when you need it. There are countless professional services and support groups you can find on the web if friends and family don’t feel like a good option at this moment.

 

Rakel Chafir is a body confidence expert and success coach who teaches women how to heal their relationship with their body so they can reach their full potential in life. Her signature approach combines physical movement, resilience training and spiritual principles to help clients let go of unwanted weight, eliminate addictive behaviors, and more. Rakel has worked in some of New York City’s most elite studios as a certified personal trainer and also has an extensive background in health and wellness that includes being a Precision Nutrition Certified Coach, a Master Expert in Hypopressive Abdominal Method and more. Her expertise has been featured on Thrive Global. Rakel is the author of the forthcoming Free Your Body: 7 Steps To Get The Freedom You Deserve and the Body You Desire (November 2020).

The Coronavirus Will Change the Future of Working from Home by @juliekminer

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by Julie K. Miner

If the last few weeks have taught us anything instructive, and may even contain a silver lining, it’s that telecommuting – working from home – is here to stay and will most likely increase in scope and frequency in the years to come as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Twenty or thirty years ago, working from home was code for not doing any work while being arms-length from a phone just in case it happened to ring. But with cell phones, email, WiFi, text messaging, facetime, Skype, and now Zoom, working remotely has become easier and more prevalent in our society as employees and employers continue to struggle with the ongoing quest to find a competitive work/life balance. It has helped employees cope with the growing demands of being on the clock at all hours of the day and has allowed employers like my partner and me to offer a competitive leg-up with little to no downside to our employees.

In 2012, Gallup reported that 39 percent of Americans worked from home during some portion of their workweek. Eight years later, that number is closer to 45 percent of the national workforce operating from places other than a traditional office space one or more days a week. In less than a decade, many have replaced water coolers for kitchen sinks and suit pants for sweatpants.

Given the impact of the last two weeks – and most likely the next few weeks or months – that trend is only likely to increase as more and more companies, regardless of size, have enacted a work from home policy at the behest of mayors, governors and the federal government. Especially now with many shelter-in-place orders and closure of non-essential businesses throughout the country, almost every job that can be done from home is being done from home.

Perhaps, just as suddenly, many CEOs have discovered their businesses keep on functioning and (with the exception of the last week) prospering, even when their employees are out of the office. Conference calls still go on as planned, meetings (the ones that couldn’t be emails, of course) are now held online, and documents are reviewed and edited just as they were two weeks ago. Business is going on as normal as it can, given the circumstances.

When we started J Strategies, a full-service communications and public affairs consulting firm, my partner and I worked exclusively from our homes. Over time, as we added staff and clients, we maintained that ability, realizing it helped financially as well as emotionally.

Even as we grew, adding more employees and leasing office space, we ensured the ability of our staff to work from home at least one day a week (more if needed) would be preserved. Now, with approximately 20 employees in New York City, Albany, and Boston, the entire firm works from home every Friday, 52 weeks a year, answering emails and phone calls, and remaining just as available to clients as we would in an office environment during business hours (and beyond).

The rest of the week, if our employees have legitimate reasons (such as a doctor’s appointment or childcare issue) that would keep them from commuting into the office, we make every attempt to comply. We have found that by saying yes to these requests, it has made our staff more responsive to the demands of the job, not less. Emails and calls from managers are answered almost immediately when employees are home and client communications are tended to just as fast.

We are living in stressful times, to be sure. With the experiences of the last 10 years working from home, our firm is at a competitive advantage when it comes to weathering the storm in which we all now find ourselves. Many will not be as lucky.

Now, thousands of American companies are finding through a kind of baptism by fire that employees working from home is more than just tenable – it’s just as productive as it could be in another environment.

One day, weeks or maybe even months from now, the American workforce will come out of this experience stronger and more resilient than ever before. Hopefully, the stereotypes about working from home will be gone and employers will have more open minds about what constitutes a productive workday – regardless of location.

 

 

 

Julie K. Miner is a Managing Partner and CEO of J Strategies, a communications and government relations firm with offices in Albany, New York City, and Boston. She previously served as a regional director to US Senator Charles E. Schumer.

Leading teams effectively in this new COVID-19 World by @LeadToInspireC1

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by Crystal Smith

Within a matter of weeks many of us have been forced to manage our teams in this new virtual world because of the COVID 19 pandemic. In just three short weeks I have witnessed teams overcome the challenges extremely well. I have also witnessed teams crumble at the core. There are many leaders in my field that I follow on social media platforms who I admire and respect. Their ability to transform and pivot their organizations ranged from phenomenal and timely, to inefficient and too late. In my first week working in this virtual environment, I had a team member who resigned, a team member who needed accommodations because they were unable to perform in the work-from-home environment, and I introduced team members to two new platforms that allowed us to stay connected. What are the biggest takeaways thus far from this forced work from home environment?

  1. Leaders are the same people in the virtual world that they are in the brick and mortar world. In other words, we cannot expect people who were poor communicators, not engaged with their teams and unapproachable, to all of a sudden become amazing at all of these skills because we are now working virtually. These areas of deficiency will actually become more evident in this new world because the curtain has been pulled back and there is no office door where they can close and hide. The lesson – leaders, like all employees, should be evaluated and have 360 assessments from their teams in order to identify their areas of strengths and areas of improvement regularly. If these things are not done, when any other disaster or emergency takes place, these inefficiencies will be more challenging to overcome for the leader and for the team.
  2. Leaders don’t have to duplicate what was done when we were in buildings and offices. In other words, just because we met every Tuesday and Thursday at a designated time, doesn’t mean we have to do the same in a virtual environment. Quite honestly, many of my face to face meetings were not productive. In this new world we can re-evaluate what meetings are important and what can be sent in an email. So many of my meetings have been cancelled in this new virtual world and people are beginning to realize that not everything is “urgent”. We can also introduce new meeting platforms that allow us to meet using technology (Zoom, Skype for Business, Microsoft 365 Team, etc.). The lesson – we can use this tragedy as an opportunity to re-imagine the way we lead and do our work that is productive for our teams, our customers and our personal lives.
  3. Leaders may want to limit the “reply all” emails and ask team members to send a message to the leader first to determine if it is “reply all” worthy. I realized within two days that some people confused this “out of sight” experience as an opportunity to lead the ship that already had a captain – that captain was me. The request to the team to send all “reply all” messages to me first allowed messaging to be streamlined. During chaos and confusion, emails are often coming from everywhere, and it is easy to have messages become lost in translation. The lesson – it is important to control some of the messaging during times of uncertainty.
  4. Leaders should identify tools/apps that are useful to help teams stay engaged and stay connected. The tool that was most helpful for me in the beginning and continues to be useful, is Slido.com. It allows me to establish a platform for questions to be asked and I can answer as the moderator. Everyone can see the questions and responses. This limits the constant back and forth emails and provides a place for team members to go for quick questions that need to be answered. It also allows me to create polls that became fun activities. I created word clouds with simple questions like “How would you describe your first week working virtually in ONE word”. It was truly a learning process to gauge how the team was doing that first week in a visual word cloud. I also used a platform called FlipGrid that allowed team members to create quick 2 minute videos and respond with fun and engaging videos. We were able to laugh and connect in ways that were similar to visiting our offices throughout the day. The lesson – people still need to see people and connect beyond meetings and emails.

The quote on my office door says “leadership is a verb”. This is true whether in a building or in this new virtual world of work where many of us currently live.

 

 

Crystal Smith is a lifelong educator who currently serves as an administrator at a community college on the east coast. Crystal is a graduate of both Hampton University and The College of William and Mary, where she received her bachelors and master’s degree in Sociology. Her area of expertise is in the fields of family and gender studies and research and development.

Crystal started her career in human resources and worked with several Fortune 500 companies, including Lockheed Martin and Arthur Anderson Consulting. This work led her to consider education and teaching as a possible career goal. After an amazing career teaching in the K-12 system for five years, she decided to pursue a career in higher education. Crystal has been a higher education professional for over 17 years and this work led her to start her own consulting firm that specializes in leadership development, strategic planning and branding development.

The Secret To Thriving In Your Daily Routine by Meg Rohs of @nine56_studio

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by Meg Rohs

Maybe it was the postpartum hormones or the fact that I was in quarantine while being on maternity leave making me a little crazy, but I was determined to do more than just survive my days working from home. I wanted to thrive in them.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge believer in not trying to do it all or be it all during the postpartum period. After all, the most important thing is to focus on healing your body and taking care of your baby. But for me, creating an intentional daily routine wasn’t about getting more done, it was about showing up as my best to do the things I needed to do well. And more than just hurrying through them to move onto the next thing, actually enjoying them (answering emails, changing diapers, and cleaning the kitchen included).

The secret to thriving in your daily routine isn’t just for postpartum mamas. I built a work-from-home routine that not only allowed me take care of my baby, but also myself, and my business. Here’s how:

Design your day in blocks.

Our days can lose purpose and direction when they don’t have structure but we can also get really discouraged and frustrated when we try to adhere to a strict schedule that we can’t keep up with. Blocking is a technique I use to create both structure and flexibility in my routine.

The technique of blocking consists of dividing your day into blocks of similar amounts of time and filling those blocks of time with activities that work well together. This is a great way to bring both variety and structure to every day. The magic of blocking is that it allows you to easily adapt to different needs the day brings without losing your rhythm.

Here’s an example of how I block my days taking care of a new baby and running a business.

Block one. I’m focused on getting some work done for my business. I love sipping my morning coffee, creating content for my brand, and snuggly my babe next to my chest as he snoozes in his wrap (of course sometimes he’s screaming and I don’t get any work done, but those moments are going to happen too). I write the top three things that I want to get done for my business the night before so I can dive right in and make the most of these morning hours.

Block two. Here’s when we usually go on a walk and I’ll try to get a short exercise in. I also make myself a smoothie during this time (yes, even something as small as making a healthy smoothie for myself is part of my routine because otherwise I don’t take the time to do it). I found I’m much more likely to enjoy exercise after having a slow morning first. I tried to be the gal who jumped out of bed and got her workout in right away but it just didn’t feel productive to me. To block your routine in an effective way, you need to pay attention to which tasks flow best for you in which parts of your day.

Block three. This time I spend on miscellaneous tasks that I want to get done. This can look like bath time, taking photos for Instagram content, cleaning the house, ordering household supplies, anything that needs to get done. It’s important for me to block time for this kind of stuff every day. Otherwise they sit at the bottom of my to-do list and accumulate until I’m really bogged down.

Block four. I’m focused on getting dinner ready, cleaning the kitchen from the day, and getting ready for the next day. After I nurse my baby around 8pm we start our bedtime routine and are sleeping as soon as we can be after that. What I love about building my routine with blocks is that it keeps me focused on my priorities for this season but it’s also designed to evolve. So as my baby gets older and and our priorities change, our rhythm can easily change with them.

 

 

Meg Rohs is a small town mama, loungewear enthusiast, and total homebody who gives women tools to own their worth. She’s the founder of Nine56 Studio, a luxury loungewear brand for work-from-home mamas, dream builders, and homebodies like herself. Sign up for her weekly tips on connecting your clothing to your lifestyle and stories from her simple life in rural Wisconsin.

Working From Home? 3 Easy Ways to Level Up Your Loungewear by Sandra Martinelli of @shopdelicora

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by Sandra Martinelli

Calling all quaran-queens: It’s time to level up your loungewear. We’ve all heard it before… “Dressing up makes you feel better.” I agree. However, if you are one of the millions currently working from home during the shelter in place, you know how difficult it is to get out of your yoga pants. If you haven’t put on a pair of jeans in weeks, I’m here to say “that’s okay!” This is coming from someone who struts into the office in her cheetah print Giuseppe Zanotti stilettos on a random Tuesday. I’ll never knock dressing up, but a happy medium exists!

Here are 3 easy ways to level up your loungewear and become the athleisure boss I know you are.

1. Adopt a long sweater

Find a long sweater to pull together to your everyday top and yoga pants. Not only will the perfect sweater keep you cozy, but playing around with different lengths will add dimension to your whole look. I found my long sweater through a local boutique currently making deliveries.

If you have a favorite local boutique, I’d highly recommend giving them a follow via Instagram or Facebook and supporting them in any way you can. Chances are that they are experiencing challenges due to COVID-19. This is especially true if they don’t have an e-commerce presence, so be sure to reach out if possible! If you’d prefer to shop online, here are some online retailers I absolutely love.
Choosy
Poshmark (I love shopping consignment!)
Vici Dolls
Nordstrom
Lulus
Asos

 

 

2. Keep your jewelry game on point

As a jewelry designer, I simply believe jewelry gives you superpowers. Have you ever felt naked without earrings or your favorite necklace? Have you ever put on your jewelry ensemble and your reflection does a double take? Of course you have! It is time to layer, sister girl. Lay out your collection and start wearing your go to pieces. In the mood to treat yourself? Head to Delicora and find your next favorite piece of jewelry. I founded Delicora to offer fun, unique, lightweight, and high quality jewelry at fair prices. I have incredibly sensitive skin with an aggressive allergic reaction to nickel, so I built a line that is 100% nickel free. You’ll find 14k gold filled, sterling silver, and gold vermeil options throughout the site.

These are the pieces I’m rocking in this leveled up loungewear look.
Laguna Hoops ($48)
Sandra Necklace ($48)
Lanikai Looped Lariat ($98)

Starting June 2019, we began a partnership with the Feeding America non-profit supporting children and families suffering from food scarcity. Every Delicora item sold also contributes 20 meals to Feeding America. During this time of sheltering in place, families will be depending on local food banks more than ever. Consider making a donation to Feeding America and learn about the programs set to help those in need during this time.

3. Bring on the lipstick

Someone once told me, “All a girl ever really needs is a great pair of earrings and her lipstick.” This strikes a chord. I completely agree! Top your entire look off by wearing a little lipstick! Many of you may be giving your skin some breathing time, and I think that is simply fabulous. I believe great skin starts with a discipline routine and going light on your foundation. While you let your skin breathe, add just a touch of lip color to brighten your face. I personally love Nars Cosmetics. I’m wearing the Nars Lipstick in Tolede and the Nars Precision Lip Liner in Vence.

I also love Nars:
Satin Lip Pencils (I have 8 different colors I play around with!)
Afterglow Lip Balm (for the ladies who don’t do lipstick)

I hope you found this helpful, and level up your look without compromising comfort! Just remember, there’s a happy medium out there and you and strike the perfect balance.

 

 

 

Processed with MOLDIV

Sandra Martinelli is the founder and designer of Delicora Jewelry based in Northern California who has been featured in PopSugar, Reader’s Digest, and more. Delicora is dedicated to offering high quality jewelry keeping sensitive skin in mind. ​Sign up​ for Delicora’s VIP list and be the first to find out about new releases and receive special promos

Financial Help for Freelancers, Gig Workers, and Creatives During The Coronavirus Pandemic

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As the COVID-19 pandemic spreads across the world, the United States’ economy is suffering. Businesses big and small are closing their doors, and hardworking people are losing jobs, struggling to put food on the table, and drowning in unexpected healthcare costs.

Thankfully, both the federal government and other groups recognize the need to provide financial assistance to small business owners, entrepreneurs, artists, freelancers and independent contractors. In the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic, unemployment benefits, grants, and funds are helping freelancers, artists, and SMBs survive.

If you’re a boss babe who needs some financial assistance to keep going, check out these funds, grants, and loans to help you make it through COVID.

 

Funds and Grants for Freelancers

Women freelancers are some of the most economically vulnerable workers in America right now. The companies and contracts that used to pay your bills are cutting costs—and that often means fewer jobs for freelancers. Here are some places you can look to for help during these uncertain times:

 

The Freelancers Union has cooperated with companies like Fiverr and Upwork to create a Freelancers Relief Fund that helps freelancers weather this storm. The fund offers “financial assistance of up to $1,000 to freelancers who are experiencing sudden hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, whether as a result of illness, lost work, or caregiving responsibilities.” You can use this money to pay for food, utilities, and more.

Freelancers Union

The Freelance Co-Op, a group established to empower freelancers with the resources they need to run their own businesses, has created a COVID-19 Emergency Fund. These funds can be used for medical bills, utilities, food and even childcare. It’s important to note that there is a stipulation that those who receive funding donate the same amount to a similar charity when they get back on their feet.

Freelance Co-Op

 

Financial Assistance for Small Businesses

Small businesses often run with little to no financial safety net, which means the COVID-19 quarantine is forcing many women-run businesses to permanently close their doors. Luckily, there are funds and grants popping up to help keep SMBs afloat.

 

The federal government and SBA are working with state Governors to offer financial relief as well as business counseling to small businesses who are struggling due to Coronavirus. The SBA is providing SMBs a low-interest loan with a long repayment schedule, if needed. You can use the funds to pay “fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact.”

Small Business Agency Disaster Assistance Loans

Business For All grants. In partnership with Verizon, the digital fundraising and advocacy platform Hello Alice is offering emergency grants of up to $10,000 for companies impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. $10,000 COVID-19 Business for All Grants are awarded on a rolling basis. General Business for All Grant applications are due September 25, 2020 at 12:00 am PT.

Hello Alice Business For All

Google announced an “$800+ million commitment to support small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), health organizations and governments, and health workers on the frontline of this global pandemic.” Though they aren’t offering direct grants to small businesses, they are providing SMBs with active Google Ads accounts $340 million in Google Ads credits. According to Google, “credit notifications will appear in their Google Ads accounts and can be used at any point until the end of 2020 across our advertising platforms.”

Google Funding and Grants

 

Funds and Grants for Creatives, Artists, and Musicians

 

The Creator Fund from the email marketing company ConvertKit is offering financial assistance of up to $500 for artists and small business owners. Supporting Creators in Need.

The Creator Fund

MusiCares is aware of the enormous financial burden to those whose creative practices and incomes are being adversely impacted by COVID-19. In response, The Recording Academy® and its affiliated charitable foundation MusiCares® have established the COVID-19 Relief Fund to help the music community affected by the Coronavirus pandemic.

The Recording Academy / MusicCares COVID-19 Relief Fund

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund provides financial assistance to all types of career musicians and music industry workers who are struggling to make ends meet while facing illness, disability, or age-related problems. In other words, Healing Musicians in Need.

Sweet Relief Musicians Fund

 

Additional Resources:

20 Tips for Working from Home during the COVID-19 Outbreak in 2020 by @DrRKayGreen

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by Dr. R. Kay Green | Featured Contributor

During this unprecedented pandemic, many people are working remote for the first time. For some, this can be very difficult to adjust to, especially since it was so unexpected. But having a productive day from a remote office is possible! Here are twenty tips for working through the COVID-19 pandemic while staying safe and protecting your mental health.

  1. Get dressed in fresh clothes. This does not mean that you have to get fully dressed in the same clothing you would wear into the office. But you should not be wearing the same clothes that you wore into the office, either. At a bare minimum, change into fresh pajamas.
  2. Keep to a regular schedule. It can be tempting to sleep in and make up the lost hours later in the day. But keeping to a routine can help your mental health in these trying times. Do your best to work at the same time you would during a regular work day.
  3. Exercise regularly. Exercise keeps your mind sharp, and your mood stable. This is actually one of the benefits of working from home, because you can take a break to exercise whenever is most convenient for you.
  4. Eat healthy. This is another way to manage stress in these times. Often, we only feel as good as we eat. If you are consuming a lot of junk food, it can lead to lowered mood and motivation to work. Do your best to prepare healthy meals instead.
  5. Schedule your meals in advance. Since you are working from home, you have your whole kitchen to work with. This is exciting, but it can also be overwhelming. You can become paralyzed by choice and wind up falling back on easy but unhealthy options. Planning in advance helps to avoid this.
  6. Try to limit snacking. There is nothing wrong with snacking. But, again, when your whole kitchen is open to you, it pays to be cautious. Mindless snacking can lead to overeating, which causes fatigue and lack of motivation. Just be mindful of how much you are eating.
  7. Connect with co-workers regularly. Isolation is poor for your mental health, and isolation from co-workers specifically can be detrimental to teamwork and progress. Make sure you are regularly connecting with coworkers or employees to keep track of each other.
  8. Keep updated on project status. When everyone is separate, it is easy to lose track of where everyone is on a project. A platform like Asana or Proofhub can help assure that nothing is getting lost in the shuffle.
  9. Use video conferencing. While it can be tempting to just email or call, a video conference adds a more personal touch. It also helps to encourage team members to get dressed and keep up on their hygiene, which can be easy to forget in stressful times.
  10. Invest in good technology. There is nothing more frustrating than technological errors when you are trying to work. So if you are going to be remote for any extended period of time, it is important to invest in the best technology possible for your industry.
  11. Be protective of your work time. Interruptions will want to come up. Chores will need to be done, family will want your attention, and more. While this is not always possible to ignore, try to make work time dedicated to work only.
  12. Reduce distractions with headphones. If you live with roommates or people who are also trying to navigate quarantine, asking for quiet hours is not always possible. Instead, invest in a good pair of noise cancelling headphones. Sites like mynoise offer a range of white noise options.
  13. Have a designated work space. Working from bed is tempting, but is not always the recipe to being as productive as possible. If you have a desk, this is a good time to use it. If not, try working at your kitchen table, using a different seat than the one you eat at. Just do your best to have a separate “work” station to get you in the right mindset.
  14. Move around. When you work remote, you are missing out on a lot of the usual movement, from walking to a neighbor’s desk for questions to moving for lunch. Do your best to get up and stretch for 5 minutes occasionally.
  15. Make lists. These are frightening, overwhelming times, and even people who are good at prioritizing might be struggling right now. Getting what you need to do done in writing helps to prioritize and make sure that nothing is getting forgotten.
  16. Set deadlines when they aren’t available. Sometimes, our response to stress is to procrastinate. And this can be troublesome when a job has no specific deadline. So set one and make sure that you do not just ignore tasks entirely.
  17. Ask for feedback. Because you aren’t just a cubicle away, people may not as readily offer feedback in these times. Make sure you are doing the best job possible by reaching out to ask for it. This also ties back into keeping connected!
  18. Be kind to yourself. Since you have all of this “free time,” you might feel obligated to be “more productive.” But that is not sustainable, especially when you are dealing with fear and stress from a pandemic. Do not worry if you are not being productive every moment of every day.
  19. Do not work after hours. Sometimes, emergencies happen and working after hours is unavoidable. But, in general, try to keep to set work hours. This will keep you from getting burnt out or overworking yourself.
  20. Keep up on education. If you find that your work is dwindling, now could be a good time to revisit classes that you have not had time to take. This will allow you to come back from this pandemic with a new and revitalized vision for your business.

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Dr. R. Kay Green – Marketing Expert from RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. from Atlanta, GA.

Dr. KayDr. R. Kay Green is the CEO/President of RKG Marketing Solutions Inc. With over 190,000+ Twitter followers, 35,000+ Facebook Likes, and the Top 1% LinkedIn profile designation, Dr. Kay, a self-motivated trailblazer, is the Quintessential “New-Age” Professional Woman, and PhD Marketing Pro. She earned a Doctorate of Business Administration in Marketing, and has completed PhD coursework in Leadership and Organization Change. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Marketing and Management, a Bachelor of Business Administration in Marketing, and an Associate of Arts in Marketing Management.

She is affiliated with several prestigious universities and has instructed over 350 courses online. A popular speaker on Marketing and Business topics, Dr. Green is currently featured on Huffington Post, Black Enterprise, Black News, The Network Journal, Business Review USA, Digital Journal, 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.

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