5 Things Small Business Owners Need To Know This Week

Five Things To Know This?Week:

1) How Your “5-to-9” Habits impact your “9-to-5” Productivity

2) The Value of Ctrl+Shift+T

3) Small Business Holiday Report

4) Rolling Through Airports

5) Resource of the Week: Free Webinar on Cash Flow 101

1. How Your “5-to-9” Habits impact your “9-to-5” Productivity

An article in Fast Company reports that the cognitive resources we need to get through the workday deplete as the day wears on. Russell E. Johnson, a professor of management at Michigan State University’s Broad College of Business, told the magazine that we need those cognitive resources “to focus attention, block out distractions, work through problems, and regulate emotions and stress.”

The article points out that how we act after work affects how effectively we retain our cognitive abilities and shares the 4 “5-to-9” that may “be sabotaging your brain power.”

I admit I don’t practice all these tips. In fact, I violate one—create a bedtime routine—the time. After reading this article, I’m going to add this to my list of New Year’s resolutions.

Read more about all four after-work habits that may negatively impact your business .

2. The Value of Ctrl+Shift+T

I love tech tips, especially ones that save time. Have you ever accidentally closed a tab? Of course, you have—that’s something that’s happened to all of us. Instead of hunting back into your history to find the closed tab to reopen it, CNET shares this keyboard shortcut—just hit control, shift, and the letter t (on a Mac, use command instead of control) in Google Chrome.

This automatically opens the last tab closed. If you want to open the last two tabs you closed, just do it twice. What could be simpler?

Learn three more ways to quickly reopen closed tabs and other Chrome tips .

3. Small Business Holiday Report

The inaugural?Small Business Holiday Report from Kabbage from American Express ?highlights some small business trends. The report shows that small business owners are prioritizing holiday cash flow, strategizing ways to promote employee and customer retention, anticipating economic hurdles, and prioritizing sales through social media.?

One key trend is social selling—47% of those surveyed anticipate that 10%-20% of their holiday sales will come from their social media channels. According to the Small Business Holiday Report, 53% of business owners say Facebook is the top social media platform for selling, followed by Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Twitter, and TikTok.

This result aligns with the latest Kabbage from American Express?Small Business Recovery Report , which shows that small businesses are increasingly capitalizing on social media advertising. In fact, 47% of small businesses say social media ads have the greatest impact on customer acquisition. And again, Facebook was the top platform for advertising.

Learn more about all the holiday sales trends for small businesses.

4. Rolling Through Airports

Whether you’re planning to travel for the holidays or have conferences already booked for 2023, travel is easier when you have a smoothly rolling suitcase that will last. (Airlines can be tough on luggage.)

There are so many rollers to choose from that it’s hard to know which one to buy. Luckily New York magazine’s “Strategist” column did the hard work for travelers and shares the?“very best pieces of rolling luggage” in 10 different categories.

Read more about the luggage that can help ease the burden of business travel.

5. Resource of the Week: FREE Webinar on Cash Flow 101 for Business Owners - Wednesday December 8th at 2:00 pm ET

The SBE Marketplace is a new community designed to help business owners get answers to the most challenging questions they face starting and running a company. On December 8th, I am conducting a FREE webinar on cash flow for business owners. Join me to learn how you can maintain positive cash flow in 2023 by following simple rules. The webinar is free, and it might help you avoid stressful moments in business next year.

Click HERE ?to learn more about the webinar and to register.

Podcast Quote of the Week:

It’s not too late to decide on a 2022 retirement plan if you don’t have one. You can set up and fund a retirement plan up to the extended due date of your return (potentially October 2023). But, if you choose a plan like a 401k that requires employee contributions, you will need to give them a notice period. If you don’t currently have a retirement plan, set one up. If at least one person in the plan isn’t an owner, you can get a tax credit for up to three years. – Barbara Weltman, Author of?J.K. Lasser’s Small Business Taxes 2023