Five Things To Know This Week:
1) How Startups Can Fight Inflation
2) Words Matter
3) Twitter’s Actually Getting an Edit Button!
4) Boosting Your Cell’s Signal
5) Resource of the Week: Ready.gov
Hi Small Business Edge Readers,
September is National Preparedness Month. As of today, there are 117 days until the end of the year. What potential calamities and disasters could happen in the next 117 days? More importantly, is your business (and personal life) prepared to withstand them? Hurricanes, hackers, fires, and other adverse events don’t schedule themselves on your calendar; they almost always hit without warning…and usually at the worst possible times.
In a disaster, you will get knocked down. But, creating a plan and being prepared measurably increases the odds of getting back up and running with minimal downtime. Without preparation and planning, you will probably stay down. This is not me jinxing you; this is reality.
Take time TODAY (don’t wait for tomorrow) to play the “What If” game with your key employees and business advisors. Ask critical questions (e.g., What if we get hacked? What if a hurricane hits us or our customers? What if I become disabled?). Then, write down exactly how you will best respond to these situations. This becomes your Emergency Response Plan. Give everyone on your team a copy, so they know exactly what to do when disaster strikes.
Side notes: Have emergency drawers—filled with flashlights, batteries, candles, water, etc.—at your office and home. Also, today is a good day to review your insurance policies to see what you are covered for in the event disaster strikes.
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst
Brian
Brian Moran, CEO
Small Business Edge
Brian Moran & Associates
brian@smallbusinessedge.com
How Startups Can Fight Inflation
While inflation dipped slightly in July, Phillip Kim, an associate professor of entrepreneurship at Babson College, says startups will still face high prices “for the foreseeable future.”
Kim says, “entrepreneurs need to concentrate on creating value for the customer” and stay focused on the basics of their startups.
Learn more about how startups can thrive in challenging economic times.
Words Matter
Most of us know we should avoid jargon when speaking to others, because it often seems like posturing and inauthentic speech. But leadership coach Lolly Daskal says, “there are other phrases that mislead employees and signal poor leadership.”
Some of these phrases surprised me, mostly because I use them (like “I’ll do it myself”) or hear them often (“with all due respect”).
Daskal explains why these phrases undermine your leadership and suggests different ways to express the same thoughts.
Read more about the power of words.
Twitter’s Actually Getting an Edit Button!
Are you one of the millions of Twitter users begging the social media company for an edit button? I am. And it seems the company is about to introduce one—starting in the New Zealand market before unveiling it in Australia, Canada, and the U.S.
One caveat before you start celebrating—at the moment, according to PCMag.com, the “edit function will only be available for a select group of paid users, “everyone will still be able to see if a Tweet has been edited.”
Read more about Twitter’s edit button.
Boosting Your Cell’s Signal
Even the best smartphones can encounter a weak signal, whether due to finding yourself in the middle of nowhere or experiencing dead zones in your home or office. Don’t panic; CNET offers some solutions, ranging from simple to more complex ones.
Here’s one they call “tried-and-true” that I had no idea about. Did you know that “turning on Airplane mode, waiting a few seconds, and then cycling it off can definitely help with reception” most of the time?
Learn more about how to boost your cell signal.
Resource of the Week: Ready.gov (Sept is National Preparedness Month)
Launched in 2004, National Preparedness Month is held every September. The program is designed to help all Americans and businesses prepare for and respond to emergencies, including natural disasters and potential terrorist attacks. National Preparedness Month culminates on September 30th with National Preparedness Day, the national day of action.
Learn more HERE about how to prepare your business for all types of disasters.
Click HERE to listen to the 5 in Five podcast with Kathleen
