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5 Ways Small Businesses Can Safeguard Employee Well-Being During a Crisis

Posted: 01 Jun 2020 03:08 PM PDT

The COVID-19 epidemic continues to ravage economies around world. In the wake of the epidemic, small and medium businesses have been hit hard, with many forced to scale down operations, restructure their business models, or even cease operations altogether – even with help from their respective governments.

For the average small company, the ability to weather the current epidemic lies in its resilience and capacity to adapt – impossible feats without contribution from its workforce.

Employees play many crucial roles within a successful business. They embody the culture of the organization, influence customer relationships, and are critical in the overall success of your business. And because of the central role they play within an organization, they are often the most affected during difficult times like the current COVID-19 epidemic. In addition to the mental stress associated with isolation, employees working remotely have to deal with the physical challenges of working from bedrooms, kitchen tables, and other unorthodox workspaces while dealing with home-schooling and other childcare-related responsibilities.

So, while a crisis can be tough on every facet of your business, ensuring the physical and mental well-being of your employees is critical for the survival of your business. The current crisis offers businesses a good opportunity to boost employee engagement and commitment while deepening trust. As a plus, any goodwill you gain from employees during this period can be carried over to the post-crisis period, making your business more competitive than it was before the crisis.

Here are a few tips to help you safeguard your employees' well-being while sowing those seeds of goodwill. 

Improve communication.

Times of crisis often bring about tons of uncertainty for employees. Most will be anxious about the future of the company, their jobs and personal issues, like the health of their families and colleagues. As a leader, it is imperative that you practice clear, honest and regular communication to help provide reassurance and alleviate some of the anxiety and uncertainty among your employees.

Ensure employees understand elements of the company that are changing, why said changes are necessary and how the changes will affect individual employees. Communication must be unambiguous and thoroughly thought through; you need to be as transparent as possible with information, even if the information isn't positive. By avoiding misinformation and half-truths, you'll help build up and maintain trust and morale within your workforce long after the crisis is over.

It's also important to instill elements of logic and empathy within the content of your communication. This will help your employees process information with measured emotional responses and create a psychological safety net for those that will have to deal with any negative news.

Above all, be available for questions and queries from your employees. Create an environment where your staff can communicate freely, allowing for candid discussions about challenges and strengths that will help push the organization forward.

Empower employees with the right tools.

Working remotely isn't a new concept. According to data from Gallup, about 43% of employees had been working remotely in some capacity before the epidemic. However, working away from the office presents its set of challenges, especially for those employees who find themselves thrust into this new work environment during the current crisis. 

One survey, for instance, found that among 70% of respondents that currently use video conferencing software, about 65% were using the software more often after the outbreak, with many of them using such software for the first time. And for many of these employees, this new work environment comes with a baggage of potential stressors, including inaccessibility of office equipment, failing software and hardware, unreliable internet access and other tech-related issues.

To that end, businesses must make the right investments in technology to make it easier for employees to stay productive while working remotely. The best technology should always have elements of flexibility, mobility, inclusivity and collaboration. As such, make sure every piece of tech they use accommodates varied work requirements and isn't restricted to physical spaces – this can go a long way in helping to boost productivity.

Plus, don't sacrifice long-term employee productivity for short-term cost savings when bringing in tech for your employees. Whenever you can, always go for hardware and software vendors that show strong support while complementing your efforts to improve the employee experience.  

Promote access to mental health resources.

Mental health in the workforce has been a topic of discussion for businesses long before the COVID-19 outbreak. Last year, close to 60% of employees in the U.S experienced some form of mental health symptom, with only 2 in 10 workers seeking help for their symptoms. And with social distancing, stressful remote working environments, and the ever-present risk of contracting the new coronavirus, the current outbreak will have adverse effects on employee performance for businesses that sideline the mental health of their employees.

Employees working from home for significant portions of a workweek are especially vulnerable to destructive behaviors, including excessive drinking, gambling, and binge eating, which, according to this analysis, could lead to mental health problems that arise from addiction. As such, it is important for businesses to provide support and resources to help employees cope, even when they're not physically in the office.

There are tons of ways your business could help employees cope with the mental stress that comes with this crisis, whether they're working from home or physically in the office. Organizations such as the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, the American Psychiatric Association and Mental Health America offer an assortment of resources that employees can access with your help. 

This is also the best time to utilize employee assistance programs that may be at your disposal, courtesy of your health insurance provider. EAPs, though traditionally underutilized, are usually very effective at helping employees cope with many personal and work-related issues, including financial problems, stress, substance abuse, and traumatic events – all of which could arise as a result of the coronavirus.   

Become a transformational leader.

In many ways, crises like the COVID-19 epidemic offer leaders good opportunities to hone their leadership styles and come into their own. Transformational leadership, one of those leadership styles, has been shown to be particularly effective at enhancing employee well-being during times of crisis. One study in Germany found that employees who perceived high levels of transformational leadership from their employers were more likely to experience well-being at work, which greatly improves performance during times of crisis.

Transformational leadership encompasses various traits of forward-thinking leaders. Transformational leaders are personally involved in the well-being of their employees, are always working to convey trust, and impart a sense of meaningfulness for employees, ultimately resulting in employee development. They also lead by example, are quick to give positive feedback when due, and go out of their way to make employees feel like they are working towards the same goals and objectives.

Transformational leaders also provide intellectual stimulation for their employees, which can go a long way in changing negative mindsets during the current crisis. Because of the extra time that comes with working from home, the remote working environment is a perfect breeding ground for negative behaviors, which could give rise to negative self-amplifying feedback loops, stagnated personal growth and poor outcomes for individuals.

Offer training and relevant resources to managers.

It is also important to ensure you and your managers are reading from the same script when it comes to employee well-being. One of the best ways to guarantee this connection is by providing opportunities for training to middle and top-level managers with the intention of making these managers more attuned to the physical and mental well-being of subordinate staff.

Everyone with a leadership role within your business must understand that each employee is different with regard to how they feel, think and react to different situations. While some may be quite resilient and require little or no support at all, others may be extremely needy and may require significant support during the crisis. As such, managers must be able to identify these unique elements among different employees and come up with strategies for handling individual employees.

Traditionally, employers would have been able to organize workshops, seminars and onsite training for managers. But with social distancing and active lockdowns across states, online training programs and remote consultants are among the few effective ways to get the necessary training for managers.

Remote training also helps businesses cut training costs during difficult times. According to an analysis by Consulting Centrale, for instance, small businesses can save thousands of dollars annually in training and consulting costs via smart and AI-powered consulting without significant effects on the quality of services provided. These cost savings can be quite beneficial for businesses that are looking to empower managers without significantly affecting their bottom lines.

Finally, remember that the ability to weather the current crisis lies in your ability to keep your employees interested, happy and fully engaged as the crisis rages on. Employees with significant dysfunction to their well-being will deal significant blows to your company culture, customer service, product quality and other important facets of your business.

Need Help From Your Creditors? Ask for It

Posted: 01 Jun 2020 09:00 AM PDT

  • It's possible for small businesses to negotiate new terms on monthly payments and past-due amounts, but not without coming right out and asking for them.
  • Planning what you will ask for and how you will ask for it are key to getting what you need.
  • Renegotiating terms involves the same sales skills you use to promote your business and sell your products and services.

Fewer-than-usual sales and lower-than-optimum profits do not, unfortunately, come with an automatic break on your monthly rent or loan payments. But many vendors are offering flexibility in the form of deferred payments or maintenance payments.

Still, in most cases, you have to ask for those breaks.             

It may be an anxiety-provoking thought. So think about the interaction as a sale, and go about it the same way you would if you were selling your company's products or services.

This prolonged era of stilted sales, halted incomes, and lost jobs is the perfect time to learn a key principle of successful selling: You need to come right out and ask for what you want.

What's true during business-as-usual is just as true when business is tanking: Almost universally, you won't get what you need unless you ask for it.

Of course, not every supplier, lender, or landlord will lower your payments or defer them, even if you ask. But if you don't ask, the answer is automatically no. If you do ask, you've at least got a shot.

And many of those who hold the purse strings are being extra accommodating during this pandemic. They understand that small business owners have to pay the mortgage on their homes, feed their families and possibly even keep their employees afloat, even though they're not allowed to operate at full tilt.

To successfully negotiate flexible terms with your creditors and vendors, start by making a plan for how you will approach them.

Start by making a list of each of your banks, suppliers, insurance companies, landlords and lenders. Find the name and contact information for each local decision-maker, as a request to a person who does not have the authority to grant it will waste your time. Make an appointment to visit or telephone that person. Ask what's possible.

Having a plan will make it more likely you will get this unpleasant task done, and less likely that you will forget to contact any of your vendors or creditors.

Then comes the hardest part of the process: asking for an accommodation. Here are 10 tips for asking the right way and increasing your chances of hearing a "yes."

1. Know exactly what you want and need

This is part of your planning process. Collect the details about all of your balances, monthly payment requirements and past-due amounts. Have your account numbers handy. Determine how much, if anything, you can afford to pay, starting now.

The more prepared you are to answer questions, supply details and present your case, the better your chances for getting the relief you need.

The better prepared you are and the more confident you are of your own details, capabilities, and assurances, the better a creditor will feel about making a deal with you. Inspire trust by showing you are serious, well-prepared and committed.

In addition to planning your approach, plan your response in case the creditor says "no" or offers an alternative arrangement that falls short of giving you everything you need. Negotiation is a two-way street; that is, if the lender makes a counteroffer, you can add new information or make a slightly different request yourself.

Anticipate every possible scenario and have a plan to respond to each one.

2. Look for opportunities to make your request

Instead of cold calling your creditors and suppliers with your request, first, send an email to each one asking for an appointment to chat. It might help to schedule a video call so you can look each other in the eye.

Observe whether one time might be better than another for your "ask." If your local bank branch has just announced that it will be closing, for example, find a way to speak to someone at the corporate level instead. If a vendor has called to beg you for business because it is sinking, you might want to put off your request for another day.

3. Prepare your pitch

Know what you're going to say before you pick up the phone. Don't write a word-for-word script – that can make you sound insincere. But do make a list of details you want to share so you don't forget any of them.

4. Start with small talk

Even though your request is all business, the person on the other end of the phone might appreciate you for asking how she's doing. Acknowledge any problem she might share with you, but don't press for personal details. It's just an icebreaker to let the other person know you understand you are dealing with an actual human being.

5. Make your request in the form of a question

"Would it be possible for you to defer my monthly payment until my business can reopen?" will get you a more positive response than "I need you to do it" or "You have to do it."

When you ask for a favor or an accommodation, you're making a request. Be sure you're asking so you don't appear to be making a demand.

5. Ask for precisely what you want

Don't be vague. Don't beat around the bush. Ask the individual, "Would you be willing to lower my monthly payment to $125?" That's better than the less-specific, "I'm having a hard time keeping up with my payments. Can you help me?"

6. Ask for more than you think is possible

Ask your creditors if they will waive some of the payments altogether. Ask if they will forgive your late fees. Ask if they can permanently lower your monthly minimum. Ask if they can lend you more money to tide you over.

Even if you hear a "yes" in response to your request, ask for more. Ask, "What else can you do for me?" or "Can you go any lower?"

7. Offer something in return

What you're doing, in essence, is "selling" your creditors on helping you out of a bind. Why should they? What will they get out of it?

The best and easiest sales are the ones that create a win-win for both you and the creditor.

Sometimes, the other party is happy to help you because you have been a reliable and long-time customer. Sometimes, it's because the two of you have developed a friendly relationship over the years. Sometimes it's because you are willing to do your part.

You can offer to pay for something rather than nothing. You can offer to pay this creditor back first once you get back on your financial feet. You can show good faith by explaining that you have sold your boat or rented out your vacation home.

Point out your good intentions, your stellar repayment record to date and your loyalty to the creditor. It could work in your favor.

8. Share your story

Often, authorities – who are human, even if you only hear their voice over the phone – will help you because they understand why you need help and they empathize with you. Saying you're having a hard time keeping up with your payments might not be as compelling to the creditor as explaining that you used your family home to guarantee your business and that you have no other place where your children can live.

Don't embellish or dramatize your situation, but don't keep your struggles to yourself either. Your creditor wants to know why you need special consideration. This is no time to let your pride get in the way of your company's survival.

9. Be honest

A straightforward explanation of your circumstances, your financial situation, and your expectations are more effective than vague answers whose details, if you're not being entirely honest, are likely to change during the conversation. Don't say you already contacted the local business development organization to ask for help if you haven't. Don't insist that you have never missed a payment if you have.

Likewise, be realistic about how much you can pay if the creditor agrees to work out new terms with you. If you can reasonably pay nothing until your business reopens, don't commit to $200 a month. Overcommitting when your income is in flux is not a smart business move, and it could result in a broken relationship with your creditor. It could also land you in greater financial trouble that you already are.

10. Be grateful

If your vendor says "yes" to your request, take two important actions: One, thank the creditor, both at the moment and in writing afterward; two, keep your end of the deal. If you agreed to pay $200 a month, pay it. If you promised to apply for a Small Business Administration loan, apply for it.

Even if the answer is no or only partially yes, keep your cool. You might need to come back to this creditor again in the future, either to try another renegotiation or to borrow more money when the economy improves and you want to expand your business. Keep the meeting friendly and the relationship solid.

Many of the vendors you're negotiating with are struggling financially, too. Some of the companies you owe money to are small and medium-size businesses like yours. If you find one who is sympathetic to your situation and who is willing to work with you to lighten your load, show your gratitude, even if you didn't get exactly what you wanted.

Negotiating your way into a more manageable financial situation might be the most important sale you make during the pandemic.

18 Places to Find Talented Freelancers

Posted: 01 Jun 2020 08:00 AM PDT

Businesses have changed their approach to hiring in recent years. More and more companies are relying on freelance talent as opposed to in-house contracts. It's not surprising that the paradigm has shifted in this way: Freelancers can be less of a drain on company resources and more cost-effective than in-house hires. Before hiring them, though, businesses need to find freelance sites that offer talented individuals, accessible search functions and escrow services in some cases. All of these factors contribute to a long-lasting business relationship with a freelancer.

The rise of freelancing has caused different sources to open up around the internet that offer businesses a chance to interact with professionals for hire. Because there are so many freelance sites to sort through, finding the right fit for your needs may take some trial and error. Businesses need to be careful about sourcing their freelancers to avoid hiring someone who is not a good fit for the project or may have unprofessional behavior. So how does a company narrow down the best places to find a freelancer online?

We consulted 18 entrepreneurs from YEC about the best places to source freelance talent online. Here's what they told us.

1. Upwork

"If you need someone quickly, Upwork is the place to find them. We've recently taken on the task of changing our project management platform, and we were able to find someone who specializes in the software we're transitioning to within a day of our initial post. The site has talented freelancers that can fit your budget." – Brian David Crane, Caller Smart Inc.

2. Indeed

"Indeed works well because it offers a wide range of freelance talent and allows an employer to list a comprehensive job description. It makes it easy to track talent that applies or to search through the existing talent without creating a job description." – Peter Daisyme, Hostt

3. Fiverr

"Fiverr is a great marketplace to find talent that can get you fast, very cost-effective results. It tends to lean toward cheap and fast rather than expensive and good, but sometimes that's exactly what you need." – Ryan D. Matzner, Fueled

4. iFreelanced

"A great option would be iFreelanced.com. I like it because of the diversity of freelancers available and how easy it is to navigate and find the right freelancer for your project." – Serenity Gibbons, NAACP

5. We Work Remotely

"We Work Remotely is an excellent job board where we often post jobs. It's full of amazing talent from all over the world that you can hire remotely." – Jared Brown, Hubstaff Talent

6. Reddit

"Reddit, believe it or not, has many dedicated subgroups focused on connecting talent with opportunities. I first discovered a freelance writing group there a few years ago that was filled with active opportunities. Naturally, this option does not provide an escrow or proxy like other similar job portals, so it is important to be diligent and transparent with your rates and scope." – Jared Polites, LaunchTeam

7. ProBlogger

"We look on ProBlogger for content creators for our brands. They have a system to ensure that only highly qualified candidates apply for our job listing through their premium features. We have hired plenty of employees on ProBlogger who ended up working with us for years." – John Turner, SeedProd LLC 

8. Twitter

"It's no secret that social media has some great job opportunities, but Twitter threads in particular host a goldmine of them. What's great about these Twitter threads is that they're usually posted by the recruiter themselves, so you're in direct contact with them when you apply." – Jared Atchison, WPForms

9. LinkedIn Sales Navigator

"Linkedin is a very professional tool for scouting out the talents and getting more clients. If you're a premium profile holder, use an extension called Sales Navigator to filter out the relevant profiles and message them. And the best part? It allows you to send direct messages to profiles, even if you're not connected. And the open rate of those messages is comparatively higher than traditional emails." – Kelly Richardson, Infobrandz

10. Toptal

"Toptal is a great freelance network for finding business professionals who specialize in software development, design, finance and project management. Their experienced talent pool is tested and vetted before they can join the network, so you know you are only working with quality freelancers with either a certification or industry experience. It's an excellent place to find qualified talent." – Shaun Conrad, My Accounting Course

11. Fairygodboss

"Fairygodboss is a LinkedIn-style platform that is centered around females in the workforce. There are a handful of freelance groups and contacts available on this site to work with for a variety of projects. If you find a freelancer, you can send them a message directly to connect and request an interview." – Matthew Podolsky, Florida Law Advisers P.A.

12. Textbroker

"Textbroker is great if you need a freelance writer to create content for your e-commerce pages. You can easily create assignments with detailed descriptions of what kind of content you would like and assign it to a writer. You can also create open orders if you do not know any dependable writers." – Riccardo Conte, Virtus Flow

13. Smashing Magazine's job board

"Smashing Magazine's job board is a great resource for designers and developers anywhere in the world. Since we're a 100% remote company, we can hire from anywhere, so it's easier when the site already does that for us. Plus, Smashing Magazine has already narrowed down the candidate pool through their awesome online content. Designers and developers know this is the place to go for info and jobs." – Thomas Griffin, OptinMonster

14. Craigslist

"Craigslist is another way we can find freelance talent. It is one of the most popular websites, with over 50 billion page views per month, with the average user viewing more than 20 pages per visit. With those kinds of statistics, you can rest assured that your job opening will be viewed with a targeted location of where you want to hire and a minimal fee to keep it posted for a long enough period of time." – Daisy Jing, Banish

15. Codeable

"If you're looking for great WordPress developers and consultants, then Codeable is a great place to check out. Developers are vetted and screened, and you're pretty much assured that hiring someone from Codeable is risk-free." – Syed Balkhi, WPBeginner

16. FlexJobs

"FlexJobs is a helpful job board when looking for freelance talent. It has a healthy user base, and I think the subscription fee for freelancers helps yield better results when looking for talent. It's not prohibitive, but it is something that narrows down the talent pool to serious freelancers wanting to do serious work." – Jordan Conrad, Writing Explained

17. Websites of great companies or products

"The idea is simple: Think of or look for a great product, service or company, and chances are their employees are the experts you are looking for. Sites like LinkedIn and Facebook make it easy to look them up, but sometimes you will have to dig a bit (e.g., look up their repository on GitHub for developers). If you don't know where to look, sites like Product Hunt are a great start." – Joey Bertschler, Bitgrit

18. Your network

"There is no better place to find talent than through your own personal network. Referrals from people that you know and who are willing to vouch for that particular candidate are a great way to find freelance talent that you can trust. Always go to your network first for hires and then branch out if you need to." – Dave Nevogt, Hubstaff

3 Email Security Risks That Endanger Your Business

Posted: 01 Jun 2020 07:00 AM PDT

Email is one of the most important modes of communication in any business. However, as more and more sensitive or business-critical information is sent via email, it becomes a vital target for cybercriminals on the lookout for information they can put to ill use.

Because email can both send and receive sensitive information, cybercriminals have multiple angles of attack, and these require the appropriate defensive measures. They can both target outgoing messages across unsecured networks and deceive unsuspecting employees with manipulative phishing emails.

This article will explain some of the most common email security risks and the approaches businesses and online stores can take to improve their security when using email.

Ensuring all employee devices are secure 

Allowing employees to use their own devices at work can greatly enhance their ability to enjoy flexible and remote working arrangements. This can, in turn, increase employee output and job satisfaction. However, ensuring that each of these devices is secure can be challenging.

As more and more employees decide to use their own devices at the workplace, and with 4.7 million Americans now working remotely, it is incredibly difficult to control how (and when) devices are used outside the office, and how well email security is implemented. Employee devices are almost always unprotected, which is concerning, because these same devices are used to access corporate files. 

This means that while it may be better for employees to allow them to use their own devices, it is simultaneously difficult to do so and remain secure and compliant with data protection. 

This is especially true when your business is using an email hosting service with poor security. You need to be very selective when choosing an email host for your business because while there are many great email hosts as well as web hosts on the market, most are consumer-oriented and not the best fit for professional use. The best email hosting services for businesses always have a security-first approach, and at the bare minimum, should offer spam protection, DDoS protection and regular backups. 

Despite all of this, if you allow your employees to work remotely or flexibly, there are key steps you can take to ensure your data is protected. Training employees on the risks of unsecured devices is one of the most important steps you can take, because when an employee understands just how vulnerable their device is, what kind of threats are looking to target those vulnerabilities, and what the cost would be the business, they are far more incentivized to make the necessary changes. 

Such changes could be advising them to use VPNs to hide their activity and IP address, educating them on using password managers and strong passwords (that aren't the same as their personal ones), and using two-factor authentication. 

Doing so doesn't just protect your device, but your entire business network. This is particularly important if you are using cloud-based or SaaS platforms, because while these models come with many benefits, they also can be more susceptible to breaches.

Devices are also regularly lost each year, so ensuring that they are adequately protected, such as screen locked and password-protected, is essential in case they fall into the hands of a bad agent.

Likewise, ensure all devices have adequate antivirus and firewall software, as well as the most recent operating system patches, helps ensure there aren't any gaping security holes. If this is a case where it is someone's personal device, it is a good idea to offer this software at a cost to the company, to ensure security and compliance.

Watch out for spam

An easy way to put your company at risk is to fail to appreciate the dangers of the spam folder. Over 50 billion spam emails are sent out every single day, and all it takes is one for your company to be put at risk of a serious data breach.

Spam emails carry a number of different threats. One way they can attack is by attaching infected files that once opened release malware onto your company's system. Another way is by spamming emails that cause a server crash, leading to downtime and a loss of business productivity. Similarly, an influx of spam can cause employees to delete with reckless abandon which can lead to valuable emails being lost.

By using intelligent filters for email inboxes, you can reduce some of this risk. Suspicious emails or even those with attachments can be sent to specific quarantine folders where they can be reviewed during a set, focused time, where malicious emails are less likely to slip through the cracks.

Educating employees on the risks of replying to, or even opening spam emails is also critical. Making sure they understand how easy it is for malware attachments to infect one device (or all of the business devices through the cloud) is key.

Companywide email signatures

There is one less-obvious email security risk that needs to be addressed: signatures.

Company email signatures have become part and parcel with brand identity. This is because a branded email helps to increase your level of brand awareness while also deeming your correspondence to be more trustworthy from the imagery alone.

But using branded email signatures irresponsibly can come with enormous costs. For example, one company was placed into the legally binding contract because it's correspondence contained a poorly-thought-out automated signature.

Every business's email signatures need to be managed responsibly and should reflect the needs of the company. After all, what company wants to be tied to a contract they can't leave?

However, if you can ensure that your employees are using the same signature block for every piece of correspondence – both internal and external – you can be sure that bad agents are using your employees' poor signature practices to their advantage. 

One of the most important ways to give yourself peace of mind when it comes to email security practices is to include disclaimers that protect you from being held responsible for every piece of correspondence that is sent. For example, you should include information that reflects how any views expressed in the email are those of the original sender.

Likewise, you should be careful to restrict the amount of personal information included in employee signatures. If they are the victim of data theft, the perpetrator can use this additional information to forge a more compelling "profile" of them.

In that regard, make sure to always use a service provider that actually makes your privacy a priority using quality encryption. Most major email platforms (Google and Yahoo) allow U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor communication and store user information on their servers, so it's vitally important that you go with an email service provider that will keep your emails private from the government, marketers and advertisers. 

Emails are one of the most effective forms of communication a business can use. But they are not without their risks. By failing to appreciate how unsecured devices can harm your business, you can expose yourself to the risks of a data breach. Likewise, educating employees on the risks of spam and email signatures will go a long way to keeping your business secure.

 

How to Establish Customer Trust

Posted: 01 Jun 2020 06:00 AM PDT

Everything is more complicated these days. Even being a customer.

Sure, technological advancements have made it faster and easier than ever to complete a transaction, but this simplicity is confounded by the constantly increasing complexity of choosing what to buy. After all, there is so much stuff to choose from. And everything your heart desires is available from different brands in slight variations.

Further complicating matters are security concerns, as all of that modern technology isn't quite foolproof – nor crime proof. To capture customer's attention (and purchases) it is more important than ever to build a trusted brand.

Building a trusted brand is a tricky business. It requires a deep investment of time, capital, and man-hours spent going the extra mile to ensure your customers are satisfied with your business and have faith that you can provide consistent results.

Let's take a more detailed look into customer trust – the cornerstone of any successful brand.

What is customer trust?

When a customer makes a purchase, they are implicitly deciding to put their trust in the person on the other end of the transaction.

According to numbers published in Forbes, trust issues cost brands in the United States upwards of $750 billion every year. If the customer has any doubt that the content, service, or product they are purchasing will fail to meet their expectations, that the business is questionable, or that the transaction (and ergo their personal data) is insecure, they are unlikely to invest their hard-earned money.

However, if a customer finds a brand they like which provides consistent quality results, they will begin to build trust in the product, the service, and the brand behind it. You can see these effects when your customers return to your business, refer you to others, and leave positive reviews.

Despite all of our modern marketing techniques, there are few tactics more effective than word of mouth.

Building a trusting relationship with your customers will not only have them returning to you but will also have them working in your favor to establish a lasting reputation of quality.

How to build trust?

The simple truth is that if you want people to trust your business, you need to run a quality business. This means saying what you'll do and doing what you say. As an overall philosophy, this is the only strategy that will establish a truly trustworthy brand.

While there are few shortcuts, there are some steps that honest and trustworthy business people can take to signal to their customers that they have a reliable and consistent brand worthy of a customer's loyalty. 

Activity and presence

Establishing a respectable reputation requires you to first have a presence in spaces where your customers are paying attention. In the internet age, this means social media.

Social media is an amazing outlet for building your brand's image and reputation. It allows you to offer a more personal insight into your brand, giving your customers material that can help them create a real connection with your brand.

Not only does it provide customers with a window into your business, but it also lets businesses connect directly with their customer base through posts, comments, contests, and other techniques.

Profiles on social networks also offer a lot of flexibility. They allow you to engage both current and new audiences, post images and behind-the-scenes videos, and update them on the status of your latest product.

High-level security

Security is a cornerstone of any businesses' relationship with its customers. Without security, your customers won't feel safe making a purchase, and there won't be any purchase at all.

In this regard, your website matters, even if you don't use it for selling e-commerce. The design and the sense of security it represents can have a powerful influence on the perception of your brand.

Modern web designs are sleek, responsive, and direct attention right where it needs to be. Create a properly secured and easy to navigate website to help reassure your customers that you are keeping their security in mind.

Realistic promises

You should assume that the modern customer is a skeptic. Gone are the days of a customer blindly trusting the claims in a brand's brochure copy. 

Now they have access to thousands of reviews, comparisons, break downs, and review videos right from their phone.

Subpar brands making low-quality products have forced customers to tread cautiously in making new purchases. Unfortunately, the actions of a few bad apples have spoiled the goodwill of the entire customer base.

Any time a person is left feeling as if they have been deceived or manipulated after making a purchase will surely stop buying from the brand that caused those feelings. For that reason, you never promise anything that your business isn't ready to deliver.

In fact, the most cautious way to do business is to underpromise and overdeliver. If it normally takes a week to get a product to a customer, advertise that it takes two weeks on your website.  Now you have a buffer against most unforeseen circumstances. When the package arrives in a week as it normally does, your customer will be excited it came early. 

But if something goes awry on your end, you have a whole week to get things in order before disappointing a customer.

Customer support

The biggest fear of any new manufacturer is that the customers will experience an issue with their product. The truth is that things will, sooner or later, go awry. But rather than a catastrophe, this can be a chance to shine.

When they reach out to you after that problem, respond with attentive, helpful, and pleasant customer support service. The right customer service can turn even the most negative experience into a positive one.

If you made a mistake, you should live up to it. Devote yourself to customer support and you can even make a failed product helpful to your image.

After all, nobody expects perfection. For most people, recognizing a real desire for improvement is enough to earn their respect.

Make it personal

The truth is that most brands are anything but unique. If something is worth making, there will be multiple brands churning them out.

To stand out, you need to make a brand personal. You need to make something that customers can connect with on a personal and emotional level. Data from Adweek suggested that as much as 44% of global customers are more likely to make purchases from businesses that personalize the experience.

Businesses employ many different strategies in their efforts to create a personal connection to their customers. Some do it through storytelling in advertising. Others rely on their attentive customer support and sales staff to build human relationships. 

What is most important is understanding your customer's desires. If you can put yourself in their shoes, you'll quickly see the direction in which to walk that extra mile.

Be honest and available

Communication is everything. You should be as available to your customers as possible. You should be completely upfront with them and honest about every detail, challenge, risk, and expectation.

To make the most of your business, you should be open and upfront with everyone you work with about what you want to achieve and how you plan on doing that.  Whenever you make a mistake, own it. This is your business.

Make it as simple as possible for your customers to get in contact with you. Have your contact details readily available on your website, advertising materials, packaging, and anywhere else a customer might look to contact you.

How to seem trustworthy?

The first contact most people will have with your brand is through your marketing materials. This could be your website, your social media, a physical advertisement, product packaging, or even some form of digital content like reviews.

The way you present yourself speaks volumes and your customers will read into every detail. You want to create a stable, respectable, and attractive brand that carries consistently throughout every facet of the business which a customer might interact with.

Finding the right blend of professionalism and pizazz can be difficult for some brands, but for most, it is better to err on the side of professionalism. Here are some basic guidelines for any marketing material which can create a trustworthy image:

  • Make your contact information clear and easy to find.
  • Choose a professional and recognizable design that directs the customer's attention where you want it.
  • Advertise your social media platforms, testimonials and customer reviews to build social proof.
  • Be careful of spelling, grammar and vocabulary. Always write professionally and edit twice.
  • Avoid obnoxious advertisements such as auto-playing videos, spam email or physical mail or gaudy advertisements.
  • Make sure your terms and conditions and any other relevant documents are easily accessible and up to date.

What do these tips have in mind? They are all based on creating a transparent and simple brand image. Something your customers won't see as suspicious at first glance and can come to recognize and rely on as they build an ongoing relationship with your brand.

Building customer trust isn't quick. And it's anything but easy. There will always be some that have a problem with the way your business operates, no matter how hard you try. However, by following the tips from above, you will set yourself up for success, at least in 99% of cases.

Consistency is your best friend as you build a brand. The longer you can keep up with these best practices, the more trustworthy your brand's reputation will become.

 

Showing Employee Appreciation During Extreme Circumstances

Posted: 01 Jun 2020 05:06 AM PDT

Whether it's offering a special day off to help your team relax or going the extra mile to send care packages to your employees' homes, there are many ways you can show your workers how much you appreciate their dedication to your business. To highlight some ways you can boost employee morale during extreme circumstances – the pandemic, natural disasters or other calamities – we spoke with employers, business owners and other professionals to see how they've showered their workers with recognition, flexibility, or other bonuses to boost morale and convey their appreciation.

1. Reach out to each employee and thank them.

As webcams and Zoom meeting rooms take the place of the face-to-face meetings, it's easy for interactions with your employees to feel impersonal. Nearly every employer we spoke to said they made an effort to schedule virtual one-on-one meetings with the express intent of gauging employee happiness, job satisfaction and morale while also making sure workers feel heard.

For MyCorporation CEO and business.com community member Deborah Sweeney, the concept of suddenly going fully remote is not new. Her company office in Calabasas, California, had to be evacuated during the Woolsey wildfire in 2018. Unsure that there would be an office to return to, the entire company sprang into action, adopting full remote measures to keep the business running.

Though the company ultimately returned to the office, which was unscathed in the blaze, Sweeney said each employee immediately picked up on the importance of leadership remaining "calm and understanding of each specific employee's situation."

"Reach out and connect with each staff member on a regular basis to see how they are doing," she said. "The simplest way to show your appreciation for your team is also in your messaging. Say 'thank you' often. Tell your team members that they are awesome in emails sent directly to that specific team member and publicly in companywide messages."

Such an action shouldn't be a one-time occurrence. Rather, it's a way for you to continually buoy morale by expressing gratitude and recognizing employee efforts.

Your check-ins with individual team members should also go beyond their work responsibilities. If you're comfortable doing so, you should inquire about their lives outside of work. For example, ask how they're holding up in dealing with work and family responsibilities at the same time. Since the lines between personal and professional lives have blurred, helping employees come up with strategies to juggle the two could take a major weight off their shoulders.

"It might sound cliche, but small courtesies like asking how [my employees] are doing and how they are holding up shows them that I care about their well-being," said Lisa Chu, owner of Black N Bianco. "During this pandemic, I've spent a lot of time talking to my employees on a personal level. I wanted them to know that their jobs were secure. ... My employees are the backbone to my business, and without their contribution I would not have success. Showing I genuinely care is the least I can do in these troubling times." [Read related article: Leadership Tips for Managing a (New) Remote Team]

2. Provide flexibility with employee schedules and time off.

Even in the best of times, people need a break every once in a while. Thanks to the pandemic, your staff is likely sharing their working space with loved ones, whether that's with a loving partner who may also be working from home or with children who haven't been in school since mid-March. This is a lot to handle and can take an emotional toll on your employees.

One idea that you can use to show your appreciation to employees is to give them some flexibility with their schedules when necessary. Giving them time to step away from work to handle their pressing matters could go a long way in helping them handle the crisis. This may be a tall order for your company, but your team will recognize that and be thankful for the chance to catch their breath.

"A way I show appreciation in these extreme times is to just be there for my employees and be understanding," said Ethan Taub, CEO and founder of Loanry. "I will offer them time away if they need it, or make sure they can reschedule a team meeting if something comes up."

Granting some time off and calling it your Employee Appreciation Day, for example, can also show you care about your employees' well-being. Ryan Roller, founder of Bead the Change, said he has offered a day off from time to time at his company to help his team "feel valued."

"Let your employees know that their hard work has not gone unnoticed in these less-than-ideal circumstances, and that they deserve a break for all they have contributed," he said. "In a time when things can be incredibly stressful for your employees, a day off can give them the space they need to collect themselves and find peace in all this chaos."

While it may be hard to take a potential hit in productivity during a time when revenues may already be down across the board, being more lenient with mental health days can pay dividends to your company's efficiency as well as your workers' stress levels. Fewer stressed employees means better retention rates and employee engagement.

"If someone needs a short break from work or some assistance with a project, or even some support to improve their mental health, provide it for them," said Chane Steiner, CEO of Crediful. "Think of it this way: Great businesses and teams get through extreme and uncertain times stronger and more unified, not fractured and disjointed. Accommodating your workers' needs during these times goes a long way in keeping your team happy, cooperative and productive." [Read related article: Remote Work Trends and the Coronavirus: What Changes Are Coming?]

3. Encourage camaraderie and remember to have fun.

If your team already uses video conferencing services for meetings, there's no reason not to use the same technology for office social gatherings. It's important to try to keep the gathering relevant to your company culture if you want to maintain employee engagement. 

For instance, you may not be able to have a catered lunch together, but you can hold a daily lunch meeting over the internet. Perhaps you could host an employee appreciation event like trivia night, play a Jackbox game together over the internet, or open a special room in Slack to share the best memes your staff can find on social media. You could also consider scheduling an online meeting to chat over drinks at the end of each week.

"Taking the time to come together and chat about anything unrelated to work can help your team feel connected despite the distance," said Margie Silha, senior director of program management at Motorola. "The hardworking engineers at Motorola have a long-standing happy hour on Thursday afternoons to unwind and connect on things unrelated to work. The team has continued this tradition virtually and requires that everyone turn their camera on for the gathering. This has helped bring a sense of that culture these employees have grown to know and love into their now-virtual work environments."

4. Continue your employee recognition program.

Everyone likes to receive a reward for their great work. Even though you're no longer face to face with your employees, you can still show gratitude and share in their successes. 

Heather Rudes, senior director of HR at The Bonadio Group, says employers and supervisors should try to instill some sense of normalcy by keeping employee recognition programs in place. At her company, for example, employees regularly give each other kudos through a peer recognition program.

"Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, The Bonadio Group has continued to reward employees via The Promise Connection, a points system where employees earn points for recognizing their colleagues and being recognized," she said.

Another way to show your appreciation is to continue supporting your employees through existing performance review schedules. Letting your employees know where they stand in the company, while also giving them a way to air any concerns they have, could be a huge step in boosting their job satisfaction. If possible, you should continue providing incentives like bonuses for good work.

David Vranicar, managing partner and founder of FBS Fortified & Ballistic Security, said online communications measures like Slack and Zoom should play a role in helping employees recognize each other's good work.

"You [could] have a 'wins' channel in Slack, or simply send teamwide emails showcasing particularly exemplary work and give others the chance to chime in and offer their congratulations and support," he said. "Words of reassurance and encouragement go a long way in boosting employee morale during a time where we're apart from each other and miss the connection."

5. Give your employees a gift or bonus.

Giving your employees a physical token of appreciation may be a little difficult to pull off right now, but it can be a much-appreciated way to express your thanks for your employees' efforts. Gifts and notes of gratitude not only boost employee morale, but can make their lives at home easier as well.

Casey Hill, head of growth at Bonjoro, said his company thanked its employees by giving them some binge-worthy entertainment.

"One thing we did as a company to show appreciation was to provide a paid subscription to any streaming platform of their choice, like Calm, Disney+ or Netflix," he said. "We know these are stressful times, and we want to show our team that we value their mental health and relaxation time outside of work too."

Sean Nguyen, director of InternetAdvisor, urges bosses to offer employees additional compensation for their extra time and work.

"Nothing says 'we appreciate you' like money," he said. "We'd all like to think that a pat on the back and our sincere appreciation suffices, but while it's a nice sentiment, I've always found that I need to put my money where my mouth is. When I appreciate an employee, when their work is exceptional, when they've gone above and beyond – they deserve to be rewarded."

6. Be transparent with your employees about how your business is doing.

If your business has had to scale back or temporarily close during the pandemic, your employees are probably anxious that they may not have jobs to return to once everything reopens. It's important to open up to your employees and let them know the truth of the situation. Keeping your staff in the loop is best practice even when things are normal, and crucial when tensions are high.

It's only natural for a company to shift business strategies, enter different markets or restructure staffing at some point. Making these changes with transparency is a simple yet effective way to prove how much you respect and appreciate your employees.

"Vulnerability is key here," said Joel Patterson, founder of The Vested Group. "Be honest. Your people don't expect you to have all the answers, but they definitely expect you're going to do everything possible to find them."

7 Strategies to Motivate Your Remote Team

Posted: 01 Jun 2020 05:00 AM PDT

  • Nearly all respondents in a 2020 Buffer survey wanted to work from home at least some of the time and 19% wanted to telecommute more frequently.
  • But working remotely isn't always easy, especially with the isolation, loneliness, and communication challenges associated with coronavirus shelter-in-place measures.
  • The challenges of telecommuting don't mean that productivity and innovation needs to suffer: Research on Hurricane Harvey survivors found that employees returned to pre-disturbance efficiency levels between days 30 and 60 of remote work.
  • These seven tips will help make remote work easier and help you build the team's build engagement and innovative thinking.

The novel coronavirus hasn't disappeared, but the novelty of working from home has. Over the course of a few days, organizations across the globe abandoned their comfort zones and moved to all-remote operations. To their credit, most companies rallied to figure out how to stay open for business. In some cases, the result was a sense of togetherness that temporarily buoyed spirits and united departments.

Yet after the initial shock and newness wore off, the tough reality of telecommuting set in. Remote work isn't necessarily instinctive, even though a majority of American workers have clamored for the opportunity to do the "carpet commute." Be careful what you wish for.

Buffer's 2020 State of Remote Work survey revealed that an extraordinary 98% of respondents wanted to work from home at least some of the time. Nineteen percent of those participants said they wanted to telecommute more often, ostensibly because of advantages like being able to work from anywhere and spending more time with family members.

With statistics like those, you might presume that the vast majority of employees pushed into telework because of COVID-19 quarantine regulations would feel completely at ease. However, that isn't the case. Sure, for the right introverted personalities who thrive on remote work, turning an extra bedroom into a workstation has been a blessing. Nonetheless, extroverts who feed off constant interaction with peers or prefer classic workplace arrangements may find it more difficult.

Let's face it: Working at home isn't always easy or ideal in the best of circumstances. It can lead to feelings of isolation and loneliness, not to mention a nagging sense of being out of the loop. Under coronavirus shelter-in-place measures, employees can't run to the nearest Starbucks to log on or indulge in a little traveling while staying virtually tethered to headquarters. They're stuck at home, worried about job security, and maybe experiencing physical discomfort from using ergonomically incorrect furniture for desks and chairs.

Some workers live alone and may feel isolated; others may have children and a partner/spouse and feel overwhelmed or they may be responsible for taking care of an elderly family member. No matter the situation, remote work isn't as fun as many expected it to be.

After Hurricane Harvey devastated parts of the South, researchers from Texas A&M University evaluated the effects of remote work on team productivity. Their findings showed that between days 30 and 60 of telecommuting, employees returned to their pre-disturbance efficiency levels. In other words, employees proved resilient in the face of a sudden upheaval.

Employers are now within that 30- to 60-day window or beyond, which means leaders can boost spirits and maybe reach previously unrealized levels of creative thinking and teamwork with the right strategies. As Nicholas Bloom noted during his TEDx Stanford talk, a two-year study of working-at-home productivity showed a 13% increase among people who telecommuted. If companies can master remote work, they might just wind up poised to disrupt by the time the coronavirus chaos calms down.

My company is among countless businesses trying to keep morale, efficiency, innovation, and hope high amid unanswered questions and major workplace dynamic shifts. By facing the challenges and realities head-on, I've discovered how critical camaraderie is for partially or completely remote teams. Beyond everything else, workers must feel safe and engaged. Otherwise, they'll find it difficult to perform their jobs from home.

Our executives and managers have experimented with several techniques to make remote working easier across the board. Try these tips to weather the current storm and be in a position to bounce back stronger than before.

1. Communicate your expectations, making updates as needed

Employees won't necessarily fall seamlessly into working from home without guidance. Maybe they're not sure how often to check in with supervisors, or perhaps they're reluctant to get in touch with IT out of fear they'll look foolish.

Create and publish a comprehensive work-from-home guide. Give workers real-time access to the document, and notify them when you make updates or clarify sections. For instance, you may have originally asked that employees be at their computers by 8:30 a.m., only to realize that a later start time seems to better suit team members' morning responsibilities.

In addition to providing guidance, communicate often with everyone. Hold a regular Zoom meeting, or start an "Ask Me Anything" live chat. Be authentic and transparent, especially about what you still don't know. By being "exceedingly human" (as the author, business management expert, and consultant Patrick Lencioni says), you'll show empathy and understanding at a time when your crew needs to hear it most.

2. Set working parameters

Employees deserve a healthy balance between the time they spend at work and the time they spend for themselves and their families. However, the coronavirus pandemic has effectively removed home-office barriers. This means people may work practically around the clock, which can inevitably lead to mental exhaustion.

It only makes sense: Many workers feel grateful to have employment at a time when the Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment estimates hover near the 15% mark. Therefore, they work themselves nonstop. What they deserve to hear is that it's critical for them to block off some downtime.

You may appreciate being able to contact employees at midnight and receive instant responses. Nevertheless, resist the urge to push employees to their limits. According to a Harvard Business Review piece, leaders must rethink what "high performance" means in telecommuting situations and explain to workers that it's OK to relax. Everyone is running on fumes emotionally, and insisting they sacrifice their well-being to complete a task won't help engagement.

3. Initiate surveys to gauge morale

Instead of guessing whether employees feel comfortable or content, issue surveys from week to week. Using a simple Likert Scale of 1-10 will help evaluate whether the overall mood of your remote workforce is improving, declining, or holding steady.

You don't have to pay for heavy-duty surveying software, either. Google Forms offers great tools for conducting basic surveys. Consider asking employees to rate anything from how they're feeling generally to their perceived productivity levels. After the first couple of surveys, you'll have a baseline understanding of where your people are.

A survey can also be the right place to ask employees if they need anything special such as a printer, second monitor, lighting, or desk. As the employer, you want your team to have access to proper equipment. Now isn't the time to be stingy about ordering someone a comfortable chair or upgraded laptop to be used for remote purposes or presenting key personnel with stipends to buy home office essentials.

4. Encourage everyone to develop a dedicated workspace

The ambiance of a person's working space impacts the quality of their work. Someone who regularly moves from the couch to the bed to the patio may be unable to remain focused on tasks. Carving out a dedicated work area can be tough, particularly for someone who lives with several family members or whose home offers limited unused space. Still, it's important to have a quiet place that's dedicated to working.

Help your employees actively find a place they can call their own by getting to know your performers' working styles and asking whether they feel they're able to do their best now. If you notice that a direct report's performance seems unnaturally low, find out if the workspace could be part of the problem.

If workers aren't confident because of inadequate surroundings, do what you can in terms of recommendations. At the same time, be aware that some residential layouts aren't exactly conducive to ideal setups. Urge everyone to get innovative, even if that means turning a walk-in closet or well-lit basement corner into a cozy work area.

5. Discover, test and implement new technologies together

When your team worked in an office setting, you probably only scratched the surface of the technologies you used (e.g., Microsoft Excel or Google Docs). Most people utilize software in limited capacities. Now is the perfect time to explore ways to make life simpler by digging deeper into the platforms you regularly use.

Begin this process by Googling the "tips and tricks" of all the technology you currently rely upon — from Slack to Salesforce — and encourage employees to follow suit. That way, you can divide and conquer, uncovering ways to become more efficient with familiar tools. Next, ask some team members to explore other technologies. You may even want to invest in free or low-cost trials when possible.

Does your team host regular online meetings? Take a test run with a competitor of the virtual meeting interface you traditionally use, such as trying GoToMeeting instead of Skype. Compare the advantages and downsides of each platform. Who knows? You may find some great technology out there that you wouldn't have uncovered without the quarantine.

6. Take time for check-ins and chats

Employees don't run into colleagues throughout the day when they're at home. That means they can't let off steam at the watercooler, which can cause a buildup of anxiety and frustration. Is it any wonder, then, that burnout and remote work tend to go hand in hand? As Gallup research noted, isolation under normal circumstances — and these are hardly normal times — can cause effectiveness to drop 21%. Who knows what the percentage is amid a pandemic shut-in?

One way to combat confinement-related stress is via one-to-one check-ins that have nothing to do with assignments, clients, or operations. No time to meet with everyone in your company? No problem: Make time for your direct reports.

Additionally, encourage chitchat by setting up casual Slack channels or allowing time before videoconferencing sessions to encourage idle conversation. You might even want to start "office tour" video sessions where people can show off their virtual stations for co-workers to see. Employees won't necessarily reach out on their own, so give them the green light to stay in touch. Be certain to include yourself in the banter, too. And if your furry friend photo-bombs your Microsoft Teams call, all the better. Life happens.

7. Reward employees

You're over-communicating and staying in touch with everyone. That's a good start, but you'll want to go the extra mile with occasional surprises. I recently sent my team members coffee mugs as a throwback to our company culture. I miss mingling with people at the coffee station.

Whether you send e-gift cards to people who have gone above and beyond, or you have boxes of healthy snacks delivered to everyone's doors, you'll buoy your staffers' spirits. A million Slack "I appreciate you" messages won't have the same uplifting effects as receiving a little surprise in the mail — or even a little bonus in the paycheck.

The goal is for your culture to retain a sense of uniqueness and strength throughout the ups and downs of sheltering in place. Brainstorm with fellow executives around ways to say thanks, then deploy your ideas.

The past few months have thrown many companies for a loop. Instead of taking a "let's wait this out" approach to heading up a remote team, use the time wisely to build morale, engagement, and innovative thinking. Leaders who view COVID-19 as a chance to learn and differentiate will set up their workforces for present and future success.
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