In The News: Resources for Small Businesses in Troubling Times

The news of COVID-19 is all-encompassing, but the impact it is having on unemployment is unprecedented in recent history.

For small businesses, it is even more distressing which is why it is critically important to find the right resources. This week’s roundup covers the different challenges small businesses are facing caused by the pandemic as well as other topics.

When it comes to resources, there are many public and private organizations offering small businesses help. And the appropriately titled,” COVID-19 Info Small Business Owners Might Not Know They Need” gives you information on everyone from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce to the Department of Labor, CDC, IRS, Mayo Clinic and others.

And if you are one of the tens of millions of Americans working from home, make sure to protect yourself from Zoom-bombing. Uninvited guests in meetings and personal conversations are committing truly ugly behavior at a difficult time. This article shows you how to protect you and the guests on your video chat.

Take a look at the rest of this week’s roundup for more on the pandemic and all things small business.

Finance

How High-tech Marketplaces Deliver Relief Funds Faster and Easier. It’s no secret that times are tough for small businesses. Revenues have taken a nosedive, if not flat-lined. Unemployment has skyrocketed as restaurants, salons, gyms and other businesses have had to shut their doors. And possibly most disconcerting of all, is the uncertainty of when it will end. The good news, however, is that help and relief are on the way.

Small Business News

COVID-19 Info Small Business Owners Might Not Know They Need. As a small business owner, you’re probably simultaneously reeling from the effects of the coronavirus on your business and the economy and already strategizing your recovery plan. Here are over 25 resources to help you stay informed and get sound advice to keep your business going. Help from the Government World Health Organization (WHO).

Etsy Connecting Makers with Suppliers for Facemasks. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recommends wearing of cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. As a result, the Etsy marketplace announced a concerted effort to put sellers on the fast-track to meet demand for fabric, non-medical face masks.

Tax Compliance Costs Generally Higher for Small Businesses. Small businesses pay higher costs when it comes to regulations and compliances compared to their larger counterparts. How much more do they pay? When it comes to taxes, a new infographic from SCORE says tax compliance costs are 67% higher for small businesses than for big businesses.

Technology Trends

How to Protect Your Online Meetings from Zoom Bombing. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) recently sent a warning about video-teleconferencing (VTC) hijacking, also called Zoom bombing. The FBI said it received reports of conferences being disrupted by threatening language as well as pornographic and/or hate images.

OneDine Makes a Free Offer to Keep Restaurants Going. The impact of the coronavirus on the restaurant industry has been devastating. This has mobilized individuals and companies in and out of the industry to come up with innovative solutions to keep restaurants going. And innovate is what OneDine has done with its platform. OneDine is going to allow restaurants to turn their parking lots into a touch-free order, pay and pick-up venue.

The History of Backup and Computer Storage. Storing just 3.75 megabytes, yes megabytes, took a hard drive that weighed over a ton and was 16 feet tall. Today you can hold terabytes of data in the palm of your hands, which makes them extremely vulnerable to theft or just losing them.

Employment

OK Boomer: Survey Says 39% Plan to Leave their Jobs Soon. More than a third or 39% of baby boomers say they plan to leave their job within the next six months. The number is exactly at a third or 33% for millennials. The data comes from the Olivet 2020 Employee Survey, which looked to find out just how these two demographics feel about each other. And of course, this is in part brought on by the catchphrase ‘OK Boomer.

5 Great Video Recruiting Examples for Getting Top Employees. Are you missing out on one of the easiest, most effective ways to get top employees? Employers are using video recruiting to attract top candidates. Video recruiting introduces your company, and its open position or positions, in a manner more friendly, informative and engaging than any word-filled advertisement. If you’re thinking that making a video is too expensive, think again.

Management

Employee Retention Strategies That Work for Small Businesses. Whether you are the boss of one or many, each employee is important to your small business. Would you rather work on retention, or retraining? According to statistics, more than 3 million people quit their jobs every month, with one-third of those quitting during the first month of employment.

Marketing Tips

Influencers More Engaged Than Ever During Coronavirus Pandemic. If you are thinking about roping in influencers to stay afloat in the coronavirus pandemic, you should go ahead with your plan. Influencers During the Coronavirus Pandemic According to the latest survey from Influence Central, influencers are seeing a surge in social media impressions and engagement across platforms during the coronavirus pandemic.

Research

How Epidemics Spur Innovation. Innovation comes from environments where ideas can connect. So, what kind of environment does an epidemic create when it comes to spurring innovation. This is the very question a new infographic from Top Masters in Public Health Degrees developed by NowSourcing looks to answer.

Startup

61 Persistence Quotes for Entrepreneurs. Persistence is key to succeeding, entrepreneurs often say. Whether you just need a little boost, or feel the weight of the world on your shoulders, persistence quotes can provide the spark to get your mojo back. Everyone experiences setbacks, delays and obstacles. But many famous entrepreneurs point to one thing that made a difference in their careers. They kept going.

10 Tips for Avoiding Small Business Missteps or Recovering from Them. Mistakes are a natural part of running a small business. But if you can avoid the obvious missteps, your business should be better positioned to make it through tough times that are unavoidable. Below, read tips from members of the online small business community for avoiding or managing some common entrepreneurial missteps.