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Running a small business is no easy feat. That’s why we’ve created a forum for small business ideas, insider tips, and the industry knowledge you need to help your small business grow.

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Emerging Small Business Resources for Coronavirus Relief
Because the unexpected can in fact be expected, companies and governments have become far better at being able to help in these times. As such, if you need financial help getting through this crisis, here are some of your resources.
7 Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for Small Businesses During Coronavirus
Regardless of your industry, what you do, and where you live, when a crisis hits, it’s bound to impact you and your business. Here are my 7 tips for your social media channels during a crisis, as the whole world addresses the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic.
Delivery Options to Tap During Coronavirus Stay at Home Rules
With “stay-at-home” policies widely implemented across the nation to slow the coronavirus (Covid-19) spread, delivery services are quickly becoming part of the new normal. So, if consumers can’t come to you, are you prepared to bring your products to them? Here’s how:

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cagdasyildiz in General Business1 day ago (Show more Show less)

Paycheck Protection Program

Hello, Does anyone know how to apply for Paycheck Protection program for small businesses that was signed by the Federal government within the $2T Covid-19 stimlulus package last week? Thanks

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nuxe.tech in Introduce Yourself20 hours ago (Show more Show less)

NUXE Tech LLC

Hi All, Hope you guys are staying safe. We are a small software startup looking for new projects based in Texas. We are thinking about starting with small projects and prove ourselves and then… (Show more Show less)

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SBC Team in General Business23 hours ago (Show more Show less)

Coronavirus Resources for Small Business

Coronavirus Resources: What You Need to Know For Your Small Business. As countless small business owners confront unprecedented financial challenges due to the coronavirus (Covid-19), we are… (Show more Show less)

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Oliver in Introduce Yourself2 weeks ago (Show more Show less)

Hello all and how to publish articles in the community blog?

Hello all, My name is Oliver and I'm a new member to the community. I would like to publish an article in the sales and marketing blog. Can I do that? how can I do that? Thanks and great to… (Show more Show less)

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george441 (to Oliver) 4 days ago (Show more Show less)

Hi Oliver It's my pleasure to meet you. And welcome to our community.

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Steve Strauss in General Business2 weeks ago (Show more Show less)

Emerging Small Business Resources for Coronavirus Relief

Yes, we are in seemingly uncharted territory with COVID-19, but the good news is that the operative word here is “seemingly.” While the coronavirus outbreak is a disaster unlike any of us have seen,… (Show more Show less)

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george441 (to SBC Team) 4 days ago (Show more Show less)

I lost my all-local customer. It's badly affected on my business.

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truacaldwell in Introduce Yourself2 weeks ago (Show more Show less)

New here

Hello, I'm just getting used to it... I wanted to greet you and wish you good health in this season of the virus

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george441 (to truacaldwell) 4 days ago (Show more Show less)

Nice to meet with you truacaldwell.

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Rieva Lesonsky in General Business4 days ago (Show more Show less)

The Small Business Delivery Options to Tap During Coronavirus Stay at Home Rules

With “stay-at-home” policies widely implemented across the nation to slow the coronavirus (Covid-19) spread, delivery services are quickly becoming part of the new normal. So, if consumers can’t… (Show more Show less)

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cagdasyildiz in General Business 3 hours ago

Paycheck Protection Program

Hello, Does anyone know how to apply for Paycheck Protection program for small businesses that was signed by the Federal government within the $2T Covid-19 stimlulus package last week? Thanks

Paycheck Protection Program

Hello,

Does anyone know how to apply for Paycheck Protection program for small businesses that was signed by the Federal government within the $2T Covid-19 stimlulus package last week?

Thanks

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roxana linda in Business Startups 7 hours ago

Why rental agreement is important?

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SBC Team in Credit & Lending 5 days ago

Coronavirus Relief and Resources for Small Businesses

As small businesses struggle with the impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19), the Small Business Community will continue to provide updates on grants, special loans and other financial relief to help your business survive. Please use this thread...

Coronavirus Relief and Resources for Small Businesses

As small businesses struggle with the impact of Coronavirus (Covid-19), the Small Business Community will continue to provide updates on grants, special loans and other financial relief to help your business survive.

Please use this thread to share knowledge and resources or to pose questions.

We’re kicking things off by sharing all of the resources we’ve gathered so far and encourage you to share ones you’ve heard about as well.

Financial Grants and Loans

The Small Business Administration:
SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: According to the SBA, “The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.” Click here to apply for a Disaster Loan at SBA.gov/disaster

Some states may be eligible for additional funds resulting from natural disasters. Click here to see what programs are available for your state, and to apply directly for available programs.

The 7(a) Loan Program: The SBA’s 7(a) loan is its primary program for assisting small businesses. It offers loans from $25k to $5 million and repayment of up to 25 years (if you utilize an SBA Preferred Lender). Note that Bank of America is a member of the SBA Preferred Lender Program and may provide additional benefits such as fee waivers, discounts for veterans, and 24-hour approvals.

Additional Funding Resources

CDFIs: also known as local loan centers – provide capital, mentoring and financial advice supporting small businesses. Through these innovative partnerships, Bank of America is making more loans available for people and communities, and helping address important economic and social issues. We created a searchable directory to connect small business owners to more capital. Click here to search the directory to find a CDFI that fits your needs.

Kiva: Kiva.org is a unique non-profit. Starting out as a lender making microloans to impoverished people around the globe, it has grown into a crowdfunding platform that has expanded into the U.S. Presently, Kiva is making 0% loans of up to $15,000 to qualified U.S. businesses.

Facebook: Facebook just announced that it is making $100 million available in small cash grants to 30,000 eligible businesses.

Fee Waivers and Payment Deferrals

Bank of America: (see full press release) Working on a case-by-case basis, as we’ve done in many other situations including the government shutdown and natural disasters, Bank of America’s additional assistance for small business clients impacted by the coronavirus includes:

Consumer and Small Business deposit accounts: clients can request refunds including overdraft fees, non-sufficient funds fees, and monthly maintenance fees.
Consumer and Small Business credit cards: clients can request to defer payments, refunds on late fees.
Small business loans: clients can request to defer payments, refunds on late fees.
Auto loans: clients can request to defer payments, with payments added to the end of the loan.
Mortgages and home equity: clients can request to defer payments, with payments added to the end of the loan.
In all of these instances, there will be no negative credit bureau reporting for up-to-date clients.
We have also paused foreclosure sales, evictions and repossessions.

All Bank of America teammates who work with clients are trained to identify and assist impacted clients and provide the right support to address their unique needs. Clients facing financial hardships related to the coronavirus are encouraged to visit the company’s Client Resources website and contact the client services team for assistance.

IRS Payments: If you owe a tax payment to the IRS, you can defer payments of up to $1 million as an individual, and $10 million as a corporation, interest-free and penalty-free for 90 days, according to Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin

Student Loans: The government says it will waive interest on federal student loans amid the pandemic. How can you use this to your advantage? Well, if you qualify for a 90-day student loan payment forbearance, those 90 days of the deferral could be interest free. This presents an opportunity to divert funds you’d typically pay toward student loan payments to other expenses.

Help for Restaurant Delivery

DoorDash waiving commission fees for independent restaurants

Through the end of April, independent restaurants in the United States can sign up for free with DoorDash and Caviar and pay zero commissions for 30 days
For all existing DoorDash and Caviar partners, restaurants will pay no commission fees on pickup orders. They are also providing additional commission reductions for eligible merchants that are already on DoorDash.
This is not a deferral of fees, nor will merchants be asked to pay anything back.

GrubHub will temporarily defer $100 million in commissions for independent restaurants through March 29 (or earlier, at their discretion). However, there are strings attached to the offer, including that commissions are not being waived, but deferred. Grubhub currently expects restaurants to pay back the commissions beginning in mid-April. Read the full details of their program here.

State and Local Benefits

Check out these benefits that might be available to residents of specific states, counties, or cities.

California: San Francisco is giving emergency grants of up to $10,000 to affected microbusinesses.
Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a statewide loan program, the Florida Small Business Emergency Loan Program. He is earmarking $50 million to the loan program to assist businesses that have between two and 100 employees and which belong to industries most affected by coronavirus. The loans are for one year and do not come with interest payments or pre-payment penalties.
Massachusetts: With its “Small Business Recovery Fund,” the state of Massachusetts will offer emergency loans of up to $75,000 to small businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
New York state is waiving the 7-day waiting period for unemployment benefits for people laid off because of the outbreak, and New York City is making zero-interest loans and cash grants available to affected small businesses.
North Carolina lifts restrictions on unemployment benefits to those losing their jobs due to coronavirus-related closings in the state.
In Washington State, Governor Jay Inslee's office is preparing to roll out: favorable credit terms for businesses that encounter cash-flow problems; debt and late penalty forgiveness for workers; and deferred bills, waived fees, and no-interest loans
- Seattle is going to offer grants of up to $10K to small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

We’ll keep updating the list above as new programs become available. If you know of a program or resource that is not listed, please click the “Reply” button in the lower right and tell us about it! Note that you’ll need to be a member of the community first, but signup is easy and only takes a few minutes.

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lisamelody in Business Startups 2 weeks ago

If you are looking for someone to help with your website or app, ask me. I had these built and the people who did it are awesome. I'm happy to refer their services to anyone interested. They were extremely cost effective and delivered on quality.

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LUCKIEST in Business Startups 2 weeks ago

The Whole World is Changing

How you doing?? It’s time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Good things will happen in the midst of the chaos. Last but not least, know this: there is a place for you during this time. We’ll get...

The Whole World is Changing

How you doing??

It’s time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Good things will happen in the midst of the chaos.

Last but not least, know this: there is a place for you during this time.

We’ll get through it together.

Be aware, but don’t be afraid.

Be careful and stay safe.

LUCKIEST

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Oliver in Running Your Business 2 weeks ago

How do small businesses survive in these troubled times?

These are really hard times for small business owners and I was wondering if there are any tips on how to survive these hard times,

How do small businesses survive in these troubled times?

These are really hard times for small business owners and I was wondering if there are any tips on how to survive these hard times,

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fazl in General Business 4 weeks ago

What is the most inexpensive way to build a website?

I would like to know if there is somebody who can help me build a website and social media presence for my business. What is the best way to go about doing this?

What is the most inexpensive way to build a website?

I would like to know if there is somebody who can help me build a website and social media presence for my business. What is the best way to go about doing this?

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yaschuk in Running Your Business 4 weeks ago

How to Build an e-Commerce Platform?

A shopping platform doesn’t seem like a big deal until you consider the technical complexity of developing an online store. Agree?

How to Build an e-Commerce Platform?

A shopping platform doesn’t seem like a big deal until you consider the technical complexity of developing an online store.

Agree?

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nikhil0610 in General Business 4 weeks ago

amazon seller issue

I am amazon seller but i don't know how to increase my profit?

amazon seller issue

I am amazon seller but i don't know how to increase my profit?

in General Business Like Show 0 Like (0) • Share

lakshmireddy in Business Startups 4 weeks ago

How to start Indian restaurants in new jersey?

I want to start Indian food stall in new jersey. what are the licence needed.

How to start Indian restaurants in new jersey?

I want to start Indian food stall in new jersey. what are the licence needed.

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SBC Team in General Business 10 hours ago

Coronavirus Resources for Small Business

Coronavirus Resources: What You Need to Know For Your Small Business.

As countless small business owners confront unprecedented financial challenges due to the coronavirus (Covid-19), we are developing articles designed specifically to help your business navigate these anxious times. Our team of expert small business writers will provide guidance on remote workforce management, social media sales tactics, how to host a virtual seminar and much more advice to help your business. Make sure to check out this page frequently for updates.

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Steve Strauss in General Business 11 hours ago

Emerging Small Business Resources for Coronavirus Relief

Because the unexpected can in fact be expected, companies and governments have become far better at being able to help in these times. As such, if you need financial help getting through this crisis, here are your resources:

The Small Business Administration

By far, your best bet right now is emergency relief from the Small Business Administration. In the first of what is expected to be several relief bills signed into law, the SBA announced a Coronavirus emergency relief fund of $7 billion.

SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans: According to the SBA, “The SBA will work directly with state Governors to provide targeted, low-interest loans to small businesses and non-profits that have been severely impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19). The SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program provides small businesses with working capital loans of up to $2 million that can provide vital economic support to small businesses to help overcome the temporary loss of revenue they are experiencing.” Click here to apply for a Disaster Loan at SBA.gov/disaster

Some states may be eligible for additional funds resulting from natural disasters. Click here to see what programs are available for your state, and to apply directly for available programs.

Additional Funding Resources

CDFIs: also known as local loan centers – provide capital, mentoring and financial advice supporting small businesses. Through these innovative partnerships, Bank of America is making more loans available for people and communities, and helping address important economic and social issues. We created a searchable directory to connect small business owners to more capital. Click here to search the directory to find a CDFI that fits your needs.

Facebook: Facebook just announced that it is making $100 million available in small cash grants to 30,000 eligible businesses.

State and Local Resources

Check out these benefits that might be available to residents of specific states, counties, or cities.

California: San Francisco is giving emergency grants of up to $10,000 to affected microbusinesses.
Florida: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a statewide loan program, the Florida Small Business Emergency Loan Program.  He is earmarking $50 million to the loan program to assist businesses that have between two and 100 employees and which belong to industries most affected by coronavirus. The loans are for one year and do not come with interest payments or pre-payment penalties.
Massachusetts: With its “Small Business Recovery Fund,” the state of Massachusetts will offer emergency loans of up to $75,000 to small businesses affected by the coronavirus outbreak.
New York state is waiving the 7-day waiting period for unemployment benefits for people laid off because of the outbreak, and New York City is making zero-interest loans and cash grants available to affected small businesses.
North Carolina lifts restrictions on unemployment benefits to those losing their jobs due to coronavirus-related closings in the state.
In Washington State, Governor Jay Inslee's office is preparing to roll out: favorable credit terms for businesses that encounter cash-flow problems; debt and late penalty forgiveness for workers; and deferred bills, waived fees, and no-interest loans
- Seattle is going to offer grants of up to $10K to small businesses impacted by COVID-19.

Check with your city and state to see what may be available in your area.

in General Business Like Show 1 Like (1) • Share

Chris Brogan in General Business 1 day ago

How to Help Your Employees Focus as They Work from Home

To the untrained eye, working remotely looks a lot like doing nothing. We stare at our computers, sometimes typing, sometimes video conferencing with people, sometimes taking a minute to watch YouTube. But, I get much more done at home...

How to Help Your Employees Focus as They Work from Home

To the untrained eye, working remotely looks a lot like doing nothing.

We stare at our computers, sometimes typing, sometimes video conferencing with people, sometimes taking a minute to watch YouTube. But, I get much more done at home than I ever accomplished in an office with dozens of coworkers.

Having worked remotely for years, I’ve developed processes for getting things done. Now, because of the coronavirus pandemic, we’re almost all working from home.

Only these newly minted remote workers don’t have processes in place to keep them focused. Most don’t have a dedicated workspace at home, either, because they’re used to leaving home for the office.

This alone represents a sudden upheaval of people’s routines. Add the emotional turmoil of a global pandemic and that many people have their kids home from school and you have a less than ideal pilot program for remote work.

Here are tips for helping your team succeed while working from home.

Talk with your employees

To help your people thrive in a new, remote environment, schedule calls with each to see how they’re doing overall (everyone is stressed and anxious right now), then talk about some of the successes and challenges they’ve experienced so far in their career.

Combine what you learn from these conversations with your experience working with people in the office and look for patterns:

Does this person need a lot of hand-holding, or can he work with minimal supervision?
Does she define work in hours or by project?
Does he crave the daily social interaction of a physical office, or does he secretly prefer working during off-hours to minimize distractions?

Learn what each person needs to be productive, then provide it. Take a more active role managing people who need reassurance. Exchange regular virtual messages with more social employees to make sure they feel connected to the team. Allow a few minutes at the start of any virtual meetings to ask how everyone’s doing.

Once you know what people need from a management standpoint, make sure they have the tools to collaborate effectively.

Give Your Team the Right Tools

Many remote workers experience loneliness and isolation, and research shows many view remote work as an obstacle to forming friendships with teammates. Give your employees the means and opportunity to connect.

Here are some tools that can help:

Slack
Zoom
If you’re not already using project management software, start. The options are limitless. Here are just a few: Trello, Basecamp, LiquidPlanner, Monday.com.

If you’re already using these kinds of tools, make sure your licenses cover the right number of employees and that your technology can handle the increased use.

Get Flexible

Your newly remote team is going to need a little flexibility in the well-worn “9 to 5” work structure.

Many people have children at home with them who’d otherwise be in school or at daycare. For them, the transition to remote work is happening under the most challenging of circumstances (and with no prep time).

Offer employees the flexibility to work when they’re most productive. A little leeway will help reduce stress and increase productivity.

Now, let’s talk about you.

Ask yourself whether working from home feels liberating to you, or if you feel a bit unmoored without the structure an office environment provides.

If you need more structure, schedule blocks of time on your calendar to check in on projects or do deep strategy work. If you’re a “work until the project’s finished” type, you’ll need to set boundaries. Establish your work hours, then abide by them.

If you can, set up a physical space just for work, then leave it when your day is over. You might also want to try an approach like the Pomodoro technique to keep you from burning out.

One thing to remember: almost everyone around the world right now is in the same stressful situation. Take into account the emotional strain employees are experiencing, and be sure to cut yourself some slack, too.

About Chris Brogan

Chris Brogan is an author, keynote speaker and business advisor who helps companies update organizational interfaces to better support modern humans. The age of factory-sized interactions is over. We all come one to a pack. And it’s time to accept that we are all a little bit dented. Chris advises leadership teams to empower team members by sharing actionable insights on talent development. He also works with marketing and communications teams to more effectively reach people who want to be seen and understood before they buy what a company sells.

Web: https://chrisbrogan.com Twitter: @ChrisBrogan

DO

Pause and breathe: I know it’s not specifically for social media, but the first thing we all need to do in a crisis is to take a moment to evaluate everything from an emotionally calm state, if possible.

Review all scheduled posts. Whether or not the crisis directly impacts you, you may want to stop your scheduled posts. Inspirational posts after the initial impact may be appropriate, but overly upbeat or overly positive posts may not be appropriate for your entire audience.

For instance, if you are dealing with a natural or unnatural disaster that affects a section of the country or a certain industry - and your business is not impacted at all - stay out of the conversation. In the case of devastating tragedy, that means halting all posts. Give the crisis and the casualties the respect they deserve, and cautiously return to your regular schedule when it makes sense.

Right now with the coronavirus pandemic, thoroughly review your social media content and see if it makes sense to pivot or edit your tone.

Communicate. Use your social media platforms to stay in touch with your employees, as well as prospects, clients, and your community at large. Post news, announcements, and changes to how your business is functioning during the crisis.

Along with using your primary social media channels to communicate with your community, you may want to add new ones. For instance, start a new Facebook Group, Slack channel, or create virtual events for conversations specific to the crisis. A town-hall type interactive video may be just what your community needs, to share their feelings and know they are not alone.

Become a resource. Beyond being a conduit for information, your business can create new content for your audience that educates, informs, provides a source of relief and more. Explore new platforms and features, such as Instagram Stories, video, and live streams.

Not sure when and what to post? Take a cue from others in your industry or location. Watch how similar companies react to crises, and adopt strategies that make sense for your business.

Check out how these 15 businesses are communicating in the Coronavirus era.

DON’T

Panic. Your business may be going through a rough time and you are not alone. Hold off on posting on social media until you know what to say and how to say it. There’s an opportunity in a crisis to step up to the plate and be a powerful leader in your community, industry and beyond.

Ignore what’s happening. When a crisis strikes, your company will want to address it head-on, although it may make sense to stay offline until the dust settles. Still, you don’t want to ignore or downplay a crisis, even if it doesn’t directly impact you. Approach your response via social media messaging with compassion. Keep a light yet respectful and informative tone, while being true to your brand.

If the crisis directly impacts your business, make sure you are accessible to your prospects and clients. Set “office hours” on Twitter, or live chats in your Facebook group, so people can ask you questions, knowing they will also get a response. You can set up a private group for similar conversations with your employees, resources, and partners.

Make things worse. Remember people’s emotions are running very high and you’ll need to be ultrasensitive and compassionate. Social media allows you to directly communicate with your community, especially when you can’t be together in person. But you want to remain professional and compassionate at all times.

When posting about or responding to a crisis, never:

Make fun of it
Profit from it
Cause more problems

The best fail-safe is to set guidelines for what you will post on social media during times of crisis. Have someone on your team double-check every post before publishing on your channels. Also, be aware that the people who engage with your posts may not be in the best mood.

If tempers flare, be ready to act quickly, take the conversation offline, and find necessary solutions.

When a crisis strikes, you may be able to make things better. And you definitely don’t want to make things worse. Take your time with your messaging, and be available to share news and information. Strive to be a voice of calm, integrity, courage and hope.

Ultimately, when things hopefully calm down and get back to some semblance of normalcy (even if it’s the ‘new normal’), your prospects, partners, and clients will remember how gracefully you got through the crisis.

About Mari Smith

Often referred to as “the Queen of Facebook,” Mari Smith is considered one of the world’s foremost experts on Facebook marketing and social media. She is a Forbes’ Top Social Media Power Influencer, author of The New Relationship Marketing and coauthor of Facebook Marketing: An Hour A Day. Forbes recently described Mari as, “… the preeminent Facebook expert. Even Facebook asks for her help.” She is a recognized Facebook Partner; Facebook headhunted and hired Mari to lead the Boost Your Business series of live events across the US. Mari is an in-demand speaker and travels the world to keynote and train at major events.

Her digital marketing agency provides professional speaking, training and consulting services on Facebook and Instagram marketing best practices for Fortune 500 companies, brands, SMBs and direct sales organizations. Mari is also an expert webinar and live video broadcast host, and she serves as Brand Ambassador for numerous leading global companies.

Web: Mari Smith or Twitter: @MariSmith

Bank of America, N.A. engages with Mari Smith to provide materials for informational purposes only, and is not responsible for, and does not guarantee or endorse any of the third-party products or services mentioned. All third-party logos and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and are used under license from Mari Smith.

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

Bank of America, N.A. is providing these third-party websites and/or other sources only as a convenience, and does not monitor or maintain the information available on the external websites mentioned, nor represent or guarantee that such websites are accurate or complete, and they should not be relied upon as such. Bank of America provides informational reading materials for your discussion or review purposes only. Neither Bank of America, its affiliates, nor their employees provide legal, accounting and tax advice.

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marismith in General Business 6 days ago

A Guide to Translating Live Events to Digital Platforms

If you were already hosting live events, given the global pandemic and resulting lockdowns, you’re now faced with the new reality that you cannot gather your audience together in person. At least for the foreseeable future. So, how...

A Guide to Translating Live Events to Digital Platforms

So, how can you recreate a very similar experience in the online world? With the incredible breadth and depth of technology available today, it’s perfectly feasible to simulate an experience almost as good as in person.

There is no amount of sophisticated technology that will ever take the place of live, in-person meetings. We can look into someone’s eyes, read their body language, get a sense of their ‘vibe.’ The next best thing is video. And, especially live video.

If the idea of doing more videos is scary to you, you’re not alone! Most people really don’t care to be on camera. But it really does just take practice, practice, practice. Now is the time to push through those modest fears and go for it. We’re all in this together.

I’ve been doing video trainings and live streaming for 15 years and I absolutely love it. I feel very connected to my audience. But it wasn’t always that way. I was super shy as a child.

How to Plan

Consider creating a series of online streaming events/webinars. Take the body of work you would’ve been sharing at the live event and chunk down into lessons. If you were having guest speakers at your live event, you can still invite them to be a part of the virtual event.

Start with the end in mind. What do you want to accomplish? Is this a one-off webinar for the public? Or, a private training for your top clients? Will you be on camera? Is it a free or paid session? Answers to these questions and more will determine your set up.

The Tech you Need

Decide on the tech you’ll use. (See my list of resources below.)

If this is new territory for you, aim to keep things super simple at first -- maybe simply doing a Facebook Live with your phone into a private Facebook Group. Or, perhaps you’re familiar with Zoom, which is a great choice.

To go more high tech, use your webcam or a DSLR camera hooked up to your computer and stream via a third party app (details below). I have a whole list of recommended video gear available here.

The Approach for Promotion

Create a registration page on your website. And/or a Facebook Event on your Page.

Or, just drive people to register on a Zoom Webinar. Or, you could use Eventbrite for registrations.

Send out emails to your list to join the webinar/live stream. Publish invitations to register on your social media posts. And, paid media is totally fine now, too. The key element is if your webinar/live stream is relevant and helpful to your audience right now. Depending on the content, it may make sense to wait a month or so if it’s not vital right now.

Be very organized and clearly communicate with your audience -- emotions are running high around the world just now, and the more you can present a nice, clear path forward for your audience to learn from you, the more successful your online event will be.

How to Reach your Community

This will be one of the most important aspects of your webinar or live streaming video. People will be craving connection more than ever during this time of isolation.

Perhaps this is a good time to start a Facebook Group, if you don’t have one already connected to your Page. I particularly enjoy using groups on Facebook to build connection and add extra value. I run separate, private Facebook groups for all participants of my online courses. And, I run a larger group open to the public to provide value and make periodic offers.

Don’t Forget: Follow up

Again, keep that nice flow of communication going. Send out the replay by email. Connect with your audience in the Facebook Group. Encourage peer support. Be sure to answer all questions. Consider doing a follow up to address FAQs. Conduct a post-webinar survey and invite candid feedback. Run a poll in your group and find out what else your audience would like to learn from you.

Resources for Conducting an Online Event

Virtual Meeting Tools

Zoom

BlueJeans

Zoho Meeting

Join.me

ezTalks

Skype

Google Hangouts

Live Streaming Tools for Facebook (and other Social Platforms)

Streamyard

Zoom

BlueJeans

Ecamm Live for Macs

Be.Live

vMix

Wirecast

Video Tools

InVideo.io— special 50% offer for friends of Mari (Full disclosure: Mari Smith is a paid brand ambassador for InVideo.io)

Free video templates for all coronavirus communications—by InVideo.io. Specially for schools, hospitals, municipalities and small businesses dealing with Coronavirus

Video Presentations: The Complete Guide For 2020 (+Underused Secrets) — by InVideo.io

Helpful Articles

How to Host an Online Event or Webinar That Live Event Attendees Will Love— article by Eventbrite

Resources for Event Creators— Information, articles, and suggestions for managing your event during unprecedented times by Eventbrite

Going virtual: 20 resources for presenters and speakers — by Speaker Hub

About Mari Smith

Day. Forbes recently described Mari as, “… the preeminent Facebook expert. Even Facebook asks for her help.” She is a recognized Facebook Partner; Facebook headhunted and hired Mari to lead the Boost Your Business series of live events across the US. Mari is an in-demand speaker, and travels the world to keynote and train at major events.

Web: Mari Smith or Twitter: @MariSmith

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

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marismith in General Business 6 days ago

How to Succeed on Facebook in a New Era of Privacy

As Facebook continues to prioritize privacy, small- and medium-sized businesses can look at it as an opportunity to deepen relationships with prospects and customers. In January, Mark Zuckerberg solidified his vow to create safe, digital...

How to Succeed on Facebook in a New Era of Privacy

As Facebook continues to prioritize privacy, small- and medium-sized businesses can look at it as an opportunity to deepen relationships with prospects and customers.

In January, Mark Zuckerberg solidified his vow to create safe, digital experiences for Facebook users in his annual vision post.

“Being part of such a large community… makes us crave intimacy,” Zuckerberg wrote on Facebook. “When I grew up in a small town, it was easy to have a niche and sense of purpose. But with billions of people, it’s harder to find your unique role.

“For the next decade, some of the most important social infrastructure will help us reconstruct all kinds of smaller communities to give us that sense of intimacy again.”

Over the next few years, Facebook plans to rebuild more of their services around the following principles: private interactions, encryption, reducing permanence, safety, interoperability, and secure data storage.

The 3 Keys to Small Business Success on Privacy-Focused Facebook

There are three specific areas of the Facebook family of apps that already thrive on privacy … and are at the focal point of this initiative. As small business owner, these are where you want to double-down.

1. Private Messaging

Privacy on Facebook’s three messaging platforms - Messenger, WhatsApp and Instagram Direct - is high priority. Facebook Messenger is the No. 1 messaging app inside the U.S., and WhatsApp is the #1 messaging app outside the U.S.

Small Business Strategy: Integrate Messenger Automation with Chatbot Marketing

Since people in the U.S. are using Facebook Messenger as their primary point of individual and small group conversations, this is the first area SMB’s should dive into.

The recipe is simple: Use Messaging and Messenger automation via chatbots and integrate email and SMS! Chatbots can be used for lead generation, pre- and post-sales communication, improved customer service, and so much more.

Messages from Messenger can get open rates as high as 80 to 90 percent. Plus, their click-through rates are significantly higher than email. To get an even better return on your investment, combine chatbots with email and potentially text messaging, too.

Currently, chatbot platforms such as ManyChat and MobileMonkey, integrate with Facebook Messenger, email, and texting.

Watch for both Instagram Direct and WhatsApp opening their respective APIs for chatbot integration at some point. Facebook is bound to roll this out for all its messaging apps sooner or later.

If the future is private, messaging apps are an extremely powerful and effective channel for B2C or B2B communication.

2. Stories

Zuckerberg has stated on numerous occasions that, “Stories are the future.”

Stories engagement has never been public, and that in part likely inspired the hidden like-counts and engagement on Instagram and Facebook. Since engagement on Stories are private, and they disappear after 24 hours, people are more likely to engage with them. In fact, there are currently over 500 million daily active users on Instagram Stories, and the same number using Facebook and Messenger Stories combined.

Small Business Strategy: Create More Stories

If you’re not already doing so, publish Stories on Instagram and Facebook regularly. If you’re not sharing organic Stories daily, at least consider making use of the Stories product via ads. If you use automatic placements in Facebook Ads Manager, you’re likely already doing Stories ads. Now take it a step further and create native Stories ads with the full, immersive 9:16 videos.

To increase engagement on your Stories, make good use of the poll, quiz, questions or group chat feature. People love to touch their phones!

Another strategy is to encourage DM replies. This helps develop and sustain relationships with your audience. And with Instagram DMs accessible inside your FB Page Inbox - and Instagram DMs coming to desktop - it’s easier than ever to start and continue those private conversations.

If your clients and prospects feel more comfortable communicating in private ways, such as engagement and replies in Stories, give them ample opportunity to do so.

3. Facebook Groups

Facebook has placed major emphasis on the groups product for the past couple of years. Perhaps Facebook’s biggest display of commitment is its Super Bowl ad featuring groups. Groups are instrumental in developing community among devoted fans, prospects and customers. While you can create public groups, private groups provide your community with a safer, more inclusive level.

Small Business Strategy: Create Private Groups

Develop one or more groups, linked to your Facebook page, and be sure to have a strategic purpose. For instance, you can create groups for niches within your specialty, groups for training, etc.

Use groups to go deeper with topics you present on your business page. For example, do a Facebook Live on your business page. Then, at a later date, host a Watch Party in your group for an active Q&A. This will also allow you to reach parts of your audience that may have missed the original stream.

Use your group to add value, supplement your page’s information, and create deeper connections. Other things you can do in your group include:

Do Live video broadcasts just for group members every week or even once a month

Conduct polls

Make offers periodically for building leads

Crowdsource user generated content

Do an ask me anything

Create a think tank or focus group to provide feedback on new products/services

About Mari Smith

Web: Mari Smith or Twitter: @MariSmith

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

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Rieva Lesonsky in General Business 1 week ago

Help Your Small Business Stay Healthy with a Coronavirus Crisis Communications Plan

For businesses of all sizes, but especially for small businesses without large cash cushions, the impact of coronavirus (COVID-19) will be enormous, affecting cash flow, sales, jobs and business survival rates. As a small business owner,...

Help Your Small Business Stay Healthy with a Coronavirus Crisis Communications Plan

As a small business owner, I know how, where and when I communicate with my clients during this crisis will greatly influence how my business will fare during the crisis and when it is over.

Take a moment to go over this small business crisis communications checklist to help your business remain healthy.

1. We are here! We are here!

In the words of Dr. Seuss in Horton Hears a Who, you need to let your customers know you are still running your business and making every effort to keep your services/products available any way you can. You can’t assume your customers know you’re still operating (even in a diminished capacity), so make sure you tell them right away what you’re currently offering and that you’re working on a longer-term game plan.

Emailing your customer list is likely the quickest and easiest option. If you send out a regular e-newsletter, include your message in there as well.

2. Going on hiatus?

What if your business is closing—temporarily? Some businesses will have no choice but to close their doors. I’ve gotten a lot of emails from retailers announcing they’re closing for several weeks. All have mentioned their websites are still operating and many have eliminated or reduced shipping fees. If you’re in retail, now’s the time to ramp up your e-commerce business, and email marketing, again, seems like the fastest way to spread the word. Also consider social commerce, selling via your social media channels.

3. What should be on your website?

Where are your clients going to check first for information about your business? If you said your website, you are right and so you should have already posted information about any changes to the business such as new store hours, delayed deliveries and the best way to reach you. It’s also a good idea to acknowledge the crisis, offer advice and words of comfort. To be really helpful, post links to resources for more information on the crisis.

4. Email to stay in touch

After your initial outreach to your customers, it is imperative you keep the lines of communication open. If you’ve been communicating primarily by email, continue to use that channel. If you’re open for business, whether you’re selling products online, meeting with clients via telecommunication tools (Skype, Zoom, etc.), or selling food via takeout or delivery, consider emailing your customers and clients weekly. Customers will be bargain-minded, so offer incentives and promotions to persuade them to buy.

Many people are encouraging consumers to help out local businesses by buying gift cards now, for use later. This gives the businesses an influx of cash. So make sure you offer gift cards and visibly promote them.

Think about what your customers want to hear from you, in addition to discounts and other promotions. Can you offer information to help get them through the next few weeks or months? My hairdresser already texted me instructions on the right way to trim my own bangs. Depending on the type of business you operate, consider offering relevant tips, such as how to be productive working from home, tech tools, ways to entertain the kids while you work, best music or movies to help pass the time, favorite recipes, exercises, etc.

Consumers are stressed right now and would welcome hearing from a familiar business owner once or twice a month.

And make sure you let your customers know when you might be open for business again. When my dentist called to cancel my upcoming appointment, they rebooked me for a month from now, but added they’d be in touch with regular updates.

5. Start a dialogue on social media

Isolated consumers will be turning to social media for news and to make social connections. Start with the social platforms you usually use to engage you’re your clients and customers. But explore other social channels to find out where the conversations are. Ask open-ended questions to get a conversation going and make sure you answer questions customers have for you.

What you do not want to do is act the expert on the coronavirus. Refer people to the CDC website for the latest information.

6. Get creative

Now may be a good time to try communication channels you haven’t used before. Consider live streaming to show customers how to use your products, starting a podcast, or beefing up your YouTube channel.

What about holding virtual meetings with your clients over video chat, especially if your customers want face-to-face interactions, or you need to show charts or other visuals? Consider hosting webinars so you can interact with many of your clients at one time.

How are you planning on keeping communication going with customers during this global pandemic? We’d love to hear from you in the comments below.

About Rieva Lesonsky

Web: www.growbizmedia.com or Twitter: @Rieva

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SBC Team in Credit & Lending 2 weeks ago

Facebook Pledges $100M in Small Business Grants and Credits

As small businesses face considerable financial pressure during the COVID-19 crisis, Facebook is taking steps to provide financial support for business owners. Facebook said it will provide $100 million in grants and ad credits to up to...

Facebook Pledges $100M in Small Business Grants and Credits

As small businesses face considerable financial pressure during the COVID-19 crisis, Facebook is taking steps to provide financial support for business owners.

Facebook said it will provide $100 million in grants and ad credits to up to 30,000 small businesses located in over 30 countries aimed at the following goals:

Keeping workforces going strong
Help with rent
Helping to connect with more customers
Cover operational costs

Applications to participate in the program will be open in the “coming weeks,” according to Facebook’s website. Small businesses can sign up to receive updates on the program and be among the first to verify their eligibility and apply for the grants and credits.

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Steve Strauss in General Business 3 weeks ago

Targeted, Digital Marketing Is a Must for Small Businesses

Advertising and marketing are so much better today than even a decade ago, and woe to the small business that is not taking advantage. Example: I know a chiropractor who used to offer free “pain relief seminars.” He would run...

Targeted, Digital Marketing Is a Must for Small Businesses

Advertising and marketing are so much better today than even a decade ago, and woe to the small business that is not taking advantage.

Example: I know a chiropractor who used to offer free “pain relief seminars.” He would run expensive advertisements on radio, TV, and in the newspaper, get people to the local Holiday Inn to hear his schpiel, and then hopefully convert some into paying clients. The whole thing would run him about $5,000 to host and he might make $10,000.

Last month, he did the same thing, but he advertised on Facebook using pay-per-click ads. The entire campaign cost him a tad over $1,000 and he still made more than $10,000.

The difference: he now advertises to a specific audience as opposed to a mass market. These days, he only pays for clicks from the people most likely to respond to his ads, as opposed to hundreds of thousands of TV viewers who have zero interest in pain relief.

The secret is micro-targeting.

On Facebook or Google, and actually, on any other similar digital medium, you can now specifically and narrowly locate, target, and reach people who are most likely to appreciate your ad, click on it, and move into your sales funnel.

For small businesses, the days of mass selling to mass audiences are (or should be) over.

Back in the day, my chiropractor friend would have no choice but to blanket the market with his ads, hoping that a few of the right people would see, read or hear it. Now, he advertises only on Facebook with an ad seen only by people in his zip code, who were upper income, who were older, and who had an interest in alternative healing.

See how that campaign had a far greater likelihood of success?

Fewer eyeballs, yes, but these were the people most likely to be interested in his seminar. That is the value of specific audience messaging vs. broad marketing.

Here is how you can join the online advertising party:

1. Choose the right outlet: While there are a lot of options, your best is either Google or Facebook as that is where the traffic and results are.

2. Set a budget: Advertising and marketing is an ongoing process. If this is your first foray into pay per click advertising, start slow and small. Test ads, budgets, calls to actions, audiences. Both Facebook and Google make creating an ad and a budget super easy.

When you go to create your ad campaign on the platform(s) of your choice, there will be a place to set your budget. Like I said, start small, say even $100 for a week or two to start. See if it is getting clicks and what the cost per click is.

3. Figure out the ad: The different platforms have different options.

Facebook will ask you what your goals are – to get clicks, Likes, sales, conversions, or what? Do you want to use an existing post or make a new one?
- Resource: Small Business Case Studies from Facebook

Resource: Small Business Resources from Google

4. Target your audience: This is the best part in my opinion. Your audience can be as large or small as you want, and as specific as you prefer. But remember – the greater the reach, the more you will pay. You want the audience who sees your advertisement to mirror your ideal customers; that is, the people most likely to buy from you.

This is where the magic of pay-per-click comes in.

5. Test the ad: This is key. It is unwise to simply create an ad, check out, and come back two weeks later to see what happened. Test, review, tweak, and see what works.

6. Roll it out: Once you know you have a successful ad, go for it. Spend more and run it often. It can become your cash cow.

Steven D. Strauss is one of the world's leading experts on small business and is a lawyer, writer, and speaker. The senior small business columnist for USA Today, his Ask an Expert column is one of the most highly-syndicated business columns in the country. He is the best-selling author of 17 books, including his latest, The Small Business Bible, now out in a completely updated third edition. You can also listen to his weekly podcast, Small Business Success.© Steven D. Strauss./servlet/JiveServlet/downloadImage/38-3359-412423/steve+strauss+headshot.png

Web: www.theselfemployed.com or Twitter: @SteveStrauss

Bank of America, N.A. engages with Steve Strauss to provide materials for informational purposes only, and is not responsible for, and does not guarantee or endorse any of the third-party products or services mentioned. All third-party logos and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners and are used under license from Steve Strauss.

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Rieva Lesonsky is a columnist for The Small Business Community covering employment, retail trends and women in business. Before co-founding GrowBiz Media, Lesonsky was Editorial Director of Entrepreneur Magazine. A nationally known speaker and authority on entrepreneurship, Rieva has been covering America’s entrepreneurs for more than 26 years.

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