“Local businesses are core to our communities, but the impact of COVID-19 has been tough on business owners. Over the past few months, we’ve added tools and features to make it easier for businesses to keep customers informed, including the ability to add dining options and updated hours to Business Profiles.“
‘
Dominique McGowan
Program Manager, Local Small Business Products

Recently we’ve noted that Google is adding new local-oriented features to Business Profiles of verified brick & mortar stores (or, “physical storefront”) restaurants, and other Main Sreet small businesses. Google has also been adding tools and features to make it easier for local businesses to keep local customers informed, including the ability to add changing dining options and updated hours. 

Yesterday (May 11, 2020), Google announced it is adding “support links” to its Business Profiles. With this feature, merchants can provide their customers with donations or gift card links.

To start, Google is partnering with PayPal and GoFundMe for donations. For gift cards, merchants can link directly to the relevant page on their website or to their gift card offerings with one of Google’s eligible partners, which include Square, Toast, Clover and Vagaro.

(While Google is not charging merchants or consumers any fees, there may be partner processing fees associated with campaigns.)

According to McGowan, the feature launch will begin with a subset of businesses “to protect against misuse” with plans to expand to more countries, merchants, and partners in a safe and responsible way. The feature will first be rolled to the following countries:

• United States
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Ireland
• Australia
• New Zealand

Business eligibility

According to Google, participation eligibility criteria includes:

• Businesses must be verified before March 1, 2020.
• Businesses must have a physical storefront.
• Owners and site managers of the Business Profile can use the posts feature to add gift-cards and donation links.
• The feature is available only in select countries.

For more information visit Google My Business help.

The following information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, Source) provides recommendations for the cleaning and disinfection of rooms or similar areas, after an employee, customer or visitor learns they were infected with Covid-19 while in the business. A complete list of these recommendations and similar information can be found on the CDC website.

Things that are known currently about Covid-19

• It is spread from person-to-person and happens most frequently among close contacts (within about 6 feet).
• This type of transmission occurs via respiratory droplets.
• Transmission of coronavirus to persons from contaminated surfaces with the virus has not been documented.
• Transmission of coronavirus in general occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through fomites.
• Current evidence suggests that novel coronavirus may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials.
• Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of Covid-19

These guidelines are focused on businesses. They are not meant  for the cleaning staff in healthcare facilities, households, or for others for whom specific guidance already exists.

Definitions

• Community facilities (e.g., schools, daycares centers, businesses) comprise the most non-healthcare settings that are visited by the general public.
• Cleaning refers to the removal of dirt and impurities, including germs, from surfaces. Cleaning alone does not kill germs. But by removing the germs, it decreases their number and therefore any risk of spreading infection.
• Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs. But killing germs remaining on a surface after cleaning further reduces any risk of spreading infection.

Cleaning and Disinfection After it is Discovered that Someone with Covid-19 Has Been in the Office

Timing and location of cleaning and disinfection of surfaces

• At a business that does not house people overnight:
  • It is recommended to close off areas used by the ill persons and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection to minimize potential for exposure to respiratory droplets. Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area. If possible, wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection.
  • Cleaning staff should clean and disinfect all areas (e.g., offices, bathrooms, and common areas) used by the ill persons, focusing especially on frequently touched surfaces.
• At a facility that houses people overnight:
  • Follow Interim Guidance for US Institutions of Higher Education on working with state and local health officials to isolate ill persons and provide temporary housing as needed.
  • It is recommended to close off areas used by the ill persons and wait as long as practical before beginning cleaning and disinfection to minimize the potential for exposure to respiratory droplets. Open outside doors and windows to increase air circulation in the area. If possible, wait up to 24 hours before beginning cleaning and disinfection.
  • In areas where ill persons are being housed in isolation, follow Interim Guidance for Environmental Cleaning and Disinfection for U.S. Households with Suspected or Confirmed Coronavirus Disease 2019. This includes focusing on cleaning and disinfecting common areas where staff/others providing services may come into contact with ill persons, but reducing cleaning and disinfection of bedrooms/bathrooms used by ill persons to as needed.
  • In areas where ill persons have visited or used, continue routine cleaning and disinfection as in this guidance.

How to Clean and Disinfect

Surfaces

• If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
• For disinfection, diluted household bleach solutions, alcohol solutions with at least 70% alcohol, and most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
  • Diluted household bleach solutions can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for application and proper ventilation. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
• Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
  • 5 tablespoons (1/3^rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
  • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
  • Products with EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claimspdf iconexternal icon are expected to be effective against COVID-19 based on data for harder to kill viruses. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products (e.g., concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).
  • For soft (porous) surfaces such as carpeted floor, rugs, and drapes, remove visible contamination if present and clean with appropriate cleaners indicated for use on these surfaces. After cleaning:
  • If the items can be laundered, launder items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and then dry items completely.
  • Otherwise, use products with the EPA-approved emerging viral pathogens claims (examples at this linkpdf iconexternal icon) that are suitable for porous surfaces

Linens, Clothing, and Other Items That Go in the Laundry

• Do not shake dirty laundry. Shaking the laundry will disperse the virus.
• Wash items in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. If possible, launder items using the warmest appropriate water setting for the items and dry items completely. Dirty laundry that has been in contact with an ill person can be washed with other people’s items.
• Clean and disinfect hampers or other carts for transporting laundry according to guidance above for hard or soft surfaces.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Hand Hygiene:

• Cleaning staff should wear disposable gloves and gowns for all tasks in the cleaning process, including handling trash.
  • Gloves and gowns should be compatible with the disinfectant products being used.
  • Gloves and gowns should be removed carefully to avoid contamination of the wearer and the surrounding area. Be sure to clean hands after removing gloves..
• Cleaning staff and others should clean hands often, including immediately after removing gloves and after contact with an ill person, by washing hands with soap and water for 20 seconds. If soap and water are not available and hands are not visibly dirty, an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains 60%-95% alcohol may be used. However, if hands are visibly dirty, always wash hands with soap and water.
• Follow normal preventive actions while at work and home, including cleaning hands and avoiding touching eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
  • Additional key times to clean hands include:
    • After blowing one’s nose, coughing, or sneezing
    • After using the restroom
    • Before eating or preparing food
    • After contact with animals or pets
    • Before and after providing routine care for another person who needs assistance (e.g., a child)

Additional Considerations for Employers:

• Employers should work with their local and state health departments to ensure appropriate local protocols and guidelines, such as updated/additional guidance for cleaning and disinfection, are followed, including for identification of new potential cases of COVID-19.
• Employers should educate staff and workers performing cleaning, laundry, and trash pick-up activities to recognize the symptoms of Covid-19 and provide instructions on what to do if they develop symptoms within 14 days after their last possible exposure to the virus. At a minimum, any staff should immediately notify their supervisor and the local health department if they develop symptoms of Covid-19. The health department will provide guidance on what actions need to be taken. When working with your local health department check their available hours.
• Employers should develop policies for worker protection and provide training to all cleaning staff on site prior to providing cleaning tasks. Training should include when to use PPE, what PPE is necessary, how to properly don (put on), use, and doff (take off) PPE, and how to properly dispose of PPE.
• Employers must ensure workers are trained on the hazards of the cleaning chemicals used in the workplace in accordance with OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard (29 CFR 1910.1200external icon).
• Employers must comply with OSHA’s standards on Bloodborne Pathogens (29 CFR 1910.1030external icon), including proper disposal of regulated waste, and PPE (29 CFR 1910.132external icon).

Perhaps you recall the old Jerry Seinfeld joke in which he observed, “According to most studies, people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death. Death is number two. Does that seem right? That means to the average person, if you have to go to a funeral, you’re better off in the casket than presenting the eulogy.”

While it is debatable whether public speaking (aka “stage fright”) ranks number one among our fears, a couple of things are certain:

1 |  Public speaking causes a great deal of anxiety, stress and fear for a large percentage of small business owners and managers.

2 | Speaking before groups is part of the job for many of those who own and run small businesses.

If, stage fright is keeping you from doing your best in front of an audience of any size, here are seven tips that can help you overcome your discomfort.

1 | Stop thinking the presentation is about you or your product. The presentation is about the people in your audience, and their needs and fears

Publisher and presenter extraordinaire Kathy Sierra says that the worst thing to do if you are trying to improve as a presenter is to focus on your presentation skills. If you do, you’ll be focusing on YOU, rather than on the only thing that matters: The person you are presenting to.

2 | Start with a question you know the audience wants to ask

Most people will tell you the best part of a presentation is the Q&A session that comes at the end. So why wait? Use questions and answers as the framework of your presentation. If you do this, you don’t have to worry about what questions might be asked–or how the questions might be posed. Chances are, you’ll answer the questions the audience members might have and, if not, the questions will likely be simple follow-ups to the questions you have already answered.

3 | Focus on the challenges that keep the people you’re presenting to awake at night? What can you share that will help them rest easier?

If you are in the audience during a presentation, which of these would you find more compelling and helpful: (1) Charts, graphs and bullet points outlining every detail, no matter how small, of the presenter’s product or service, or (2) A presenter who is describing a dilemma you are experiencing and sharing with you how others have successfully overcome the dilemma. (Note: If you chose #1, you probably shouldn’t be making presentations.)

4 | Look marvelous

(Photo via youtube.com)

You’ll feel more confident if your presentation looks good, and you look good, as well. Remember the words of the caricature impersonation of Fernando Lamas performed by Billy Crystal on Saturday Night Live, “It’s better to look good than to feel good and darling: You. Look. Marvelous.”

5 | Relax beforehand

Don’t be that presenter who waits until the night before to throw something together. You’ll end up foregoing the one thing you need  most before you present: rest. Get your preparation done in time so that you can sleep well and, if at all possible, be able to go for a walk or some other light physical activity before your presentation.

6 | Hydrate

Staying hydrated is necessary. Have you ever noticed a professional deliver a speech? They always carry water. If you aren’t hydrated properly you will have a dry throat that can act like a mute button on your voice. (Note: Drinking lots of water beforehand, along with the stress, may cause you to take several trips to the restroom before a presentation. Don’t worry. That urge will disappear once you start presenting.)

7 | Get experience

(Photo via JohnDiew0107 on Flickr)

Although all of these tips can be helpful, you must do one more thing that is required to improve any skill: practice, practice, practice. But you are not alone. Chances are, there’s a local chapter of Toastmasters nearby. Join it and gain the warm and positive support of others who, like you, are seeking to improve their speaking skills and to gain more confidence in front of an audience.

(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)

]]> https://smallbusiness.com/how-to/how-to-ask-for-help/ Tue, 28 Aug 2018 17:27:26 +0000 https://smallbusiness.com/?p=32575

Small business owners face new challenges every day. Sometimes, it would be great to ask for help from someone. But small business owners are reluctant to reach out for help when they need it. In a recent NYTimes.com article, “How to Ask for Help and Actually Get It,” Smarter Living editor Tim Herrera provided this advice about asking for help: “People want to help you. You just have to ask. All of us need help from time to time, and the ability to ask is a learnable skill…that can have a monumental impact on our goals and lives.”

• A 2008 study from Cornell found that subjects “underestimated by as much as 50 percent the likelihood that others would agree to a direct request for help.”
• Organizational psychologist Adam Grant says that asking for help on specific problems can be better than cultivating a mentor. Likewise, we’ve advised that situational mentors are better than generalists.

Four crucial steps to getting the help you need

According to Heidi Grant (no relation to Adam), a social psychologist and author of the book “Reinforcements: How to Get People to Help You,” here are four crucial steps to getting the help you need.

1. Make sure the person you want to ask realizes you need help

Due to a phenomenon called inattentional blindness, humans are limited in our ability to take in and process information. So we often ignore or misinterpret what others are saying. So when asking for help, be explicit in making sure that’s the message they are receiving.

2. Make clear that the person you want to ask understands your desire for help

A similar phenomenon called audience inhibition (or, “looking foolish in front of other people”) can prevent people from offering help because they doubt their own intuition that you need help. Be explicit in letting them know you are asking for help.

3. Be specific with your request

Make sure your helper knows precisely why you are asking her for help, and not someone else. According to Grant, this will make them feel invested in your success — rather than feeling obligated to help.

4. Make sure the person you’re asking has the time and resources to help

We’re all busy. However, you probably should not ask for help from who is overwhelmed with work or other obligations.

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If your use of Twitter is limited to following tweets from a small group of individuals, you’re merely scratching the surface of the kind of real-time information you may one day need during a local, breaking news event or something happening in your industry. Even more helpful are the many ways you can narrow searches or conduct research on what was being tweeted during a specific time-frame or in a far-away location.

Before we dive into some how-tos, be sure to bookmark the Twitter Help Center page on “How to Use Twitter’s Advanced Search” (or even better, bookmark this page).

The following how-to advice is divided into three parts:

I. Basic Twitter Search | This is How You’re Probably Searching Twitter Now
II . Advanced Twitter Search | How You Should be Searching Twitter Now
III. Very Advanced Search | How to Find Anything on Twitter Using Boolean Operators

I. Basic Search | This is How You’re Probably Searching Twitter Now

1. Type some words into the search box and click (or tap) return.
2. Be perplexed why it doesn’t return what you’re looking for.

II . Advanced Search | How You Should be Searching Twitter Now

1. Repeat Step I until you get to the spot where you don’t know what to do next.
2. At the top of the left-hand column: Search filters > Show
3. Fill in the appropriate fields to refine your search results.
4. Click Search to see your results.

Tip: A more direct way to navigate to the Advanced search page is to use the web address: https://twitter.com/search-advanced.

By combining fields in Advanced search, you can make your searches extremely precise. For example, here is a search for Tweets containing “New Years” but excluding “Resolution” between December 30, 2013 and January 2, 2014.

Here are examples of the various ways you can fill in the appropriate fields (boxes) to refine your search results.

Words

• Tweets containing all words in any position (“Twitter” and “search”)
• Tweets containing exact phrases (“Twitter search”)
• Tweets containing any of the words (“Twitter” or “search”)
• Tweets excluding specific words (“Twitter” but not “search”)
• Tweets with a specific hashtag (#twitter)
• Tweets in a specific language (written in English)

People

• Tweets from a specific account (Tweeted by “@TwitterComms”)
• Tweets sent as replies to a specific account (in reply to “@TwitterComms”)
• Tweets that mention a specific account (Tweet includes “@TwitterComms”)

Places

• Tweets sent from a geographic location, e.g. a specific city, state, country
  • Use the place dropdown to select the geographic location

Dates

• Tweets sent before a specific date, after a specific date or within a date range
  • Use the calendar dropdown to select a “from” date, “to” date or both
• Search for Tweets from any date since the first public Tweet

III. Very Advanced Search | How to Find Anything on Twitter

What you’re about to learn is actually a version of what you learned in III. However, this approach strips away the boxes (or fields) and allows you to type in “operators” that send out your search requests like a heat-seeking missile. It uses something called “Boolean logic,” the secret sauce that helps a user find the needles in haystacks of the web.

Boolean search (named way before the creation of Twitter for the 19th-century British mathematician George Boole) allows a search engine user to combine keywords (also called “operators” or “modifiers”) such as AND, NOT and OR into a string of filters that enable the user to block out everything but the most relevant results being sought.

For example, the Boolean operator AND used in the search “hotel” AND “New York” would limit the search results to only those documents containing both of those two keywords.

Below, in the left column, are Boolean operators you can type into the Twitter search box. In the right column, there’s an explanation of the operator.

Tip: If you want to watch a helpful five-minute overview of Boolean search, we’ve embedded one at the bottom of the page.

Use Negation Filters

Any “filter:type” can also be negated using the “-” symbol.

Example | I want Tweets from @Nasa with all types of media except images

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A Youtube video outlining the basics of Boolean search from the library at the University of Regina in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada.

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It’s one of those cliches that’s attributed to everyone from ancient philosophers to modern-day football coaches. (But isn’t that what makes something a cliche?) My favorite version is attributed to tennis great (and a personal hero) Arthur Ashe: “Success is a journey, not a destination. The doing is often more important than the outcome.” I first heard the quote decades ago and it has often reminded me what business — and life — is all about. Recently on the Evernote blog, “Taking Note,” Jessi Craige explained why big goals are intimidating and why they so often quietly slip away. Instead of seeing a big goal as something that will be realized at some point in the distant future, the journey is all about what you can accomplish right now, starting today. Here’s a roadmap you can follow.

1 | Get specific

With both your overall goal and your roadmap for getting there, it’s important to be specific. It’s not about thinking positively about some abstract goal. It’s about thinking positively but also planning realistically what you want to accomplish and how you’ll go about it.

2 | Break it down and start small

Break big habits down into mini-goals and milestones. For instance, if you want to write a book, maybe start by writing a few articles on the topic or carve out 20 minutes every day for writing. Every day you’ll get incrementally better, learning something new along the way.

3 | Figure out what is distracting you

What distracts you on a day-to-day basis? Brainstorm some ideas for how you can get around your most frequent distractions and triggers. Come up with some tactics to get yourself back on track if you lose your way.

4 | Reflect daily

Break things down each day by asking yourself, “What is one step I can take today to get closer to my goal?” “What did I learn today?”

5 | Carve out time

Set aside time every day. Whether it’s 10 minutes or an hour, don’t neglect it — it’s how you’ll make progress.

6 | Celebrate the progress and enjoy the journey

When you have a big goal, it’s tempting to think you haven’t succeeded until you’ve achieved it. That anything short is a failure. When it’s not all about the goal, you can take it all in. Keep track of what you’ve accomplished with a done list. Seeing your progress boosts motivation, heightens positive emotions, and sustains your productivity.

VIA | Taking Note | 6 tips for focusing on the journey

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It may be hard to believe, but the iPhone has just been around a decade. While cell phones (or mobile phones) had been around for about two decades longer, it was not until 2007 that the glow of iPhone screens began illuminating our faces wherever and whenever we roamed. During this short decade, the iPhone (or, generically speaking, smartphones) have become so powerful, so ubiquitous, and so integrated into everything in our lives, some psychologists are claiming they are “changing our brains” and are worried about the effects of the smartphone on children. Even some major stockholders of Apple have called on the company to study the effects of heavy usage on mental health.

 Are smartphones changing our brains?

How to stop using your smartphone constantly

1 | Don’t interact with your phone while driving

This means stop texting, checking, talking or anything else that keeps you from being distracted while driving. For example, the Apple iOS 11  mobile operating system has a “Do Not Disturb While Driving” setting. You can also enable it by going here:

 Settings > Control Center > Customize Controls

Then, tap the green plus button to make it appear in Control Center. When this feature is active, you won’t receive calls or messages, but you will receive emergency notifications. You can choose to receive calls from selected contacts.

2 | While watching TV or reading, don’t keep your smartphone near you

iOS | To switch your iPhone over to grayscale:

Go to Settings > General > Accessibility > Display Accommodations >
Color Filters > and select Grayscale

Android | The process for enabling grayscale differs for different models of Android phones, but it’s typically accessed via the “Accessibility” menu.

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Are you a hunt-and-peck typist? If you’d like to learn how to “touch type” (the kind of typing that doesn’t involve looking at the keyboard), here’s a browser-based app and course called, simply, How to Type. It’s not the slickest looking app you’ll ever see, but it works…and the price is right: Free!

The free application and course are broken up into three sections.

1 | Lessons
2 | Practice
3 | Tests

how-to-type.com

Here are some tips for faster typing from How to Type

1 | Learn to touch type.

Having the ability to type without looking at the keyboard is the most important factor in achieving a fast typing speed.

2 | Aim for accuracy rather than speed.

Allowing yourself to type incorrectly will actually reinforce your bad habits and common mistakes! Slow your typing pace until you can attain 100% accuracy. If you come across a difficult word, slow down further to type it properly. Develop good habits and speed will be your reward.

3 | Learn the entire keyboard.

Even seasoned typists often don’t know the entire keyboard. They are especially vexed by those key combo shortcuts that most software now includes. Hitting these awkward keys and combos accurately allows you to maintain focus on what you are doing, so make sure you include them in your typing practice.

4 | Practice typing exercises regularly.

Mastering typing takes training and practice. Practice on a regular schedule, 10 minutes to an hour per session, depending on your energy and focus level.

5 | Minimize your physical effort.

The less work your fingers do to press the keys the faster you will be able to move them. Most keyboards require only a light touch to register a keystroke, so there is no need to apply much pressure (unless you plan on typing on a vintage, mechanical typewriter).

HT: Recommendo.com

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Also on SmallBusiness.com

How Dictation and Swipe Typing Turbo-Charged How Fast I Can ‘Type’ on a Smartphone

Here’s a method to get two people who are having a disagreement (or two groups of people) to “soften their views”: Help both sides discover they may not understand what the other side is actually saying. 

Let’s say two office groups are in the midst of a “friendly disagreement” about a proposed change in office policy. The disagreement begins to grow into a major argument. What do you do? Here’s a suggestion shared by Mark Frauenfelder of BoingBoing.

Ask someone from each side of the argument to describe, point-by-point, the policy that the other side of the debate is saying.

What does that do (scientific version)?

According to a 2013 study, when it comes to deciding what we believe on certain issues, we often take “mental shortcuts” that can lead to a misunderstanding of something that’s more about what we think it is, than what it really is. Psychologists have dubbed this the “cognitive miser” theory. Apparently, we normal people are quick to cut out all the research, testing, editing, publishing and reviewing that experts use to develop ideas and theories.

What does that do (version for the rest of us)?

Unlike scientists and other experts who may spend a few hours before deciding where they stand on an issue, the rest of us read a few sentences—or just the headline—and we instantly start pumping what we’re hearing through a filter of previously held beliefs.

Voilà, we suddenly know where we stand on the issue—without all of that busy work associated with actually studying it.

By pausing the debate and making the opposing faction see the issue from the other side’s point of view, they will learn:

1 | There are some gaps in each side’s understanding of the topic
2 | They probably don’t disagree as much as they first thought

(via BoingBoing, BBC)

(Illustration: ThinkStock)

I’ve written before about the array of resources for small businesses that public libraries often provide. I’ve even shared how some libraries are providing online business and professional training courses through special licensing arrangements with Lynda.com. I’m lucky to live in a city, Nashville, that has a library system that’s so innovative it is currently recognized as the U.S. Public Library of the Year. Our library system was quick to realize that new technology and approaches were not threats to the role of a library. Like most major public libraries, our system evolved and expanded into a platform of help and opportunities for members of their communities to gain and share knowledge–from how to play a ukelele to how to start and grow a thriving business. 

In small towns and big cities, you can discover professional librarians who are quick to help a small business owner (or a person who wants to be one) who is in need of knowledge, research or training.

17,000 | Public libraries and branches in operation in U.S.
5,400 | Libraries where patrons can take free technology courses.
300,000 | The number of job seekers who daily use the libraries to get help finding work
2.8 million | Number of business owners who monthly use library resources to support their small businesses.

Here are just a few of the ways that libraries and librarians can help you grow your business

Research and training

If you have a library card, many libraries can provide you access (often by logging into their websites remotely) to databases and instructional tools that would otherwise cost you hundreds of dollars annually.

• Conduct market and demographic research with databases like ReferenceUSA
• Dig deep into professional databases like EBSCO’s Business Source Premier and LexisNexis.
• Look through thousands of business plans available online through the Gale Virtual Reference Library
• Use study tools like Mango Languages, Learning Express Library, and Lynda.com
• Access technical manuals and computer programming books through Safari Books Online

Facilities and access to technology

Your library is no longer just for checking out books. More and more, libraries serve as a community’s knowledge hub and resource center.

• Space to have Event or meetings
• Free wireless internet
• Printers
• Scanners
• Computers
• Maker Spaces

Business assistance

Another area of small business assistance, and maybe one of the most important, is connecting potential business owners with the types of organizations and individuals who can help them turn an idea into a reality. Organizations like SCORE often use library space to connect with individuals who are starting a small business.

Where to learn more

Many of the thousands of public libraries and branches in the U.S. have a page on their website called something like “resource center” that contains information and tools for small businesses. Some sites will simply have links to local resources. On other sites, you can find a detailed a listing of business databases and additional tools and resources you can access.

Directory of U.S. Public Libraries (Lib-Web.org)

Oh, and one more thing…

I forgot to mention another great thing available to you at your public library. They have lots of  books about starting, running and growing a business. You can download and use a audible book at some libraries. And you can even check them out and take them home if you still prefer the paper way.

Also on SmallBusiness.com

Public Libraries are a Big Resource for Small Business

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