Ways Business Owners can Deal with Personal Crisis

Social media is part of our day-to-day lives. Even individuals who don’t have active social media profiles are still impacted by these various digital networks, in one way or another. And, the matter is all-the-more complicated when business practices are brought into the mix. The fact of the matter is, social media marketing is a must in this day and age. But, social media can easily steal time, money, and even reputation from your company. Tips for Creating an Effective Employee Social Media Policy Let’s face it, we all have unprofessional habits; and, some social media habits can be the worst among them. But, you need this medium to reach new customers and build a relationship with others. It’s also an invaluable tool for customer relations, as well as customer trust. Social media can effectively define a brand. The problem is, that image can easily be a negative one. Just one false move or faux pas is all it takes to unleash unwanted fallout. Facebook’s users spend an aggregate of 10.5 billion minutes per day on the platform (excluding mobile). And engagement — based on the number of monthly users who visit the site daily — is even higher today. Assuming that users spend about the same amount of time today, that means people all over the world have spent a collective 55 million years on Facebook since the beginning of 2009. Twenty minutes a day is a lot of time — well more than a year over the course of the average life span. If users spent just that time working for minimum wage instead of liking and poking each other, each would pull in about $880 a year. That’s almost $900 billion in aggregate hypothetical labor year. —NBC News So, like other things in life, this requires balance. You want productivity to remain high and efficient. But, you also do not want to limit freedom in the workplace. This creates a conundrum, although it doesn’t have to be paralyzing. To get the most out of social media for marketing and to keep employees content with the workplace, you need a policy. The good news is it doesn’t need to be complicated. In fact, being specific reduces confusion about what is and what isn’t acceptable. Here are some helpful tips for creating an effective employee social media policy for your business: Don’t step on their protected legal rights. Did you know there are federal laws which protect your employees relating to social media? The National Labor Relation Act states that companies are prohibited from interfering with employees posting or holding conversations through social media in regard to wages and working conditions. Clearly state which behaviors are not acceptable. Although there are some limits to what you as a business can and can’t do, it’s good to know certain behaviors do not have legal protections. So, you can prohibit use of defamatory, abusive, offensive, demeaning content, and the like. (This also includes personal complaints.) Require all employees include a profile disclaimer. You’ve probably seen the phrase, “Tweets are my own.” This disclaimer is necessary, particularly for team members who do not have express permission to speak for you company. A disclaimer also helps to reduce confusion between official company word and personal opinion. Learn your state’s laws before creating a social media policy. There are not only federal laws about social media, but your state likely has laws as well. Take the time to learn what your state’s laws are in relation to social media for your own protection. Be prepared to periodically (re)educate and enforce the rules. No social media policy is effective if it isn’t clearly understood and readily accessible. You need to periodically go over your policy and be ready to enforce it, when necessary. How do you use social media in your business? Do you allow employees to use social media for promoting your company? What do you think are the most effective ways to leverage social media through your employees? Please share your thoughts and experiences by commenting! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group. [shareaholic app=”follow_buttons” id=”26833294″]

Tax season can feel like a looming shadow for small business owners. Imagine pouring your heart and soul into your business, only to face the stress of tax returns.

Anxiety, stress, fear, and even anger. All these emotions result from a lack of control in a state of uncertainty. And, little else can describe the current state of events. It’s a time filled with unknowns and that’s not good for the human condition. After all, no one really relishes living in an environment of uncertainty. What Causes Fear and Anxiety This is precisely what triggers feelings of fear and anxiety — uncertainly. Having little to no idea of what to expect next or, being without any sense of control. It’s a combination of these two elements which cause anxiety, stress, fear, anger, and more negative emotions. For many people, the uncertainty surrounding coronavirus is the hardest thing to handle. We don’t know how exactly we’ll be impacted or how bad things might get. And that makes it all too easy to catastrophize and spiral out into overwhelming dread and panic. But there are many things you can do—even in the face of this unique crisis—to manage your anxiety and fears. —Help Guide International The good news is, even during the most uncertain and stressful times, you can do something to deal with such negative emotions. Better yet, once you begin to establish even a small sense of control, you’ll start to feel empowered and that by itself is a huge relief. 5 Ways to Cope with Fear and Anxiety To deal with anxiety and fear, you have to first accept your current set of circumstances. Fighting reality simply won’t work, because it can’t be changed. However, you can change how you respond to fear and anxiety by doing the following: Contextualize. Your first step toward conquering or at least coping with fear and anxiety is to contextualize. Here’s an example. Money is tight and bills are due. But, it’s only a temporary circumstance. It’s not an end-of-life situation. You will get through it and putting things in context is a big help. Take small steps. Next, you’ll need to take small steps in order to feel a sense of control. Sticking with the example above, you can reach out to vendors and ask what can be done. Just by communicating and better understanding the what’s actually going on will give you a sigh of relief. Limit news consumption. You’ve probably already heard this advice several times. So, take it to heart. Limit your exposure to news media, including social media, and other outlets. You only need to keep tabs on key developments but not bombard yourself with big doses. Revisit and revisit your goals. Now is a great time to revisit and revise your goals. This will help you to see and feel better about the future. And, it will also provide you with a sense of new possibilities, which is very empowering. Visualize and start to execute. It’s also a good time to visualize and execute. Although you may not be able to take things fully to fruition, you can at least start and that too, will help to give you a sense of control, accomplishment, and hope. What other suggestions do you have to combat feelings of anxiety and fear? Please comment and share your thoughts and experiences! Interested in learning more about business? Then just visit Waters Business Consulting Group.