Business

Last week I led a crisis training for a nonprofit leadership team. It’s my favorite activity in public relations.

Can we believe we are saying 2019 already? As Q4 is ending, communication specialists are preparing to implement their 2019 strategies – these must include the use of video on social media.

As businesses continue to see the importance of connecting with their customers through social media, the photography used on those platforms takes on even greater significance.

Most business owners don’t think about crisis until they experience one. Planning for a crisis will keep you ahead of the curve. Start here:

Whether you’d like to admit it or not, social media is the driving force in digital marketing today. The generation you used to poke fun at for their Instagram addictions are now laughing all the way to the bank, as paid influencers or directors of social media for massive companies.

According to Time.com, bringing your dog to the workplace can be great for everyone – which is why I take full advantage of bringing my dog Lucy to Goodwin HQ any chance I get.

Planning and executing a live event — whether a fundraiser, grand opening, trade show or open house – requires lots of effort.

As a nutritionist and overall wellness aficionado, I’m usually running around the office talking about the latest mung bean pasta or plant-based protein powder. However, wellness at the office goes far beyond healthy eating – probably because you likely spend much of your time there!

If you had told me my first coffee run as an intern would be 36 Boxes O’ Joe for 400 people, I would’ve never believed you. Luckily, for me, my out-of-class learning experience was not your average internship.

Heading into 2019, compare the type of work you’re trying to accomplish with the space in which you spend your time doing it. Is your environment conducive to your daily tasks?

Goodwin PR has been named the winner of a Gold Stevie Award in the best women-run workplace (10 or fewer employees) category, in the 15th Annual Stevie Awards for Women in Business. More than 1,500 entries were submitted this year for consideration in more than 90 categories, and award winners were determined by the average scores of more than 200 business professionals around the world.

You’re at the age where you start thinking more realistically when it comes to answering the “what do you want for Christmas?” question. Instead of saying “I don’t know,” say you’re looking to read more in 2019, and provide a list of titles that you’ve been eyeing for months. Whether you prefer reading a hardback, e-version or audiobook, adding reading to your daily routine is a great habit to form in 2019.

Procrastination: we’ve all dealt with it at some point. But did you know it goes deeper than just putting off a task? In our minds, each task falls into one of four categories: expectancy, value, time or impulsivity. Or in layman’s terms, we don’t care, we’re not getting the wanted results, our time is too valuable, or we’re just downright impulsive.

It’s the perfect time of year to evaluate your finances to see how you can improve in 2019. Tips we share with our customers include:

Emotional support animals can bring calm to people who need them – and legal confusion to employers.

A midday gym session can be the best way to boost your energy levels during the workday. But the thought of redoing your hair or taking that second shower can be daunting.

Up to 40 percent of food grown, processed and transported in the United States is never eaten, yet 1 in 8 Americans – or 40 million people – suffers food insecurity. The average four-person family wastes $1,500 a year on food.

It started with passion. Then the idea. Now you even have the whole business plan with all the details addressed. What you likely do not have is the money. A business pitch competition could possibly be just the thing to get your startup truly started.

Many business owners and marketers recognize the importance of social media but don’t realize that their social media practices might be affecting their website’s Google rankings. Here are a few quick tips to boost your SEO while continuing to grow your following:

Brand ambassador programs are catching on. However, rather than selecting a few influencers with high followings to promote their product or service, brands are taking another approach: building brand ambassador armies.

Most of us spend lots of time with our co-workers. What could you do differently to be a better one? Sources from human resource blogs to Reader’s Digest offer tips on how to be a better co-worker.

Cyber security threats are out there every day for businesses, regardless of their size. That’s why business owners should lead by example and teach employees how to protect confidential information, like company finances.

Job seekers are enticed by work-from-home options according to research from staffing firm Robert Half. More than three quarters of surveyed professionals (77 percent) said they are more likely to accept a job offer if there is an option for telecommuting. Those in San Francisco and Los Angeles are most likely to seek this perk, citing long commute times.

Ideal circumstances for productivity don’t always present themselves while traveling. It’s all about finding your zone amidst chaos. Stay focused with a few tips:

Are you tired of stocks, bonds and mutual funds? Incorporate alternative investments into your financial strategy. Alternative investments can increase returns and build a stronger retirement. They are not just limited to hedge funds but can include private investments such as equity, credit and real estate and also real assets such as commodities, precious metals, MLPs and REITs.

Many companies are looking at different ways to market their business, product or service. In the past, hiring a marketer or communicator was sufficient. Today, considering how people consume information and make purchasing decisions, those positions have morphed into something new, with titles and skills to match.

There are plenty of things people love to hate about meetings: They’re too long and too frequent; certain people dominate the conversation and other people don’t pay attention; and nothing gets done. Take charge of your next meeting by following these steps:

How many times have you clicked or read an email just to get that unread number to zero? You just wasted a microdecision on opening an email, reading it, and not doing anything with it.

Now more than ever, digital marketing is changing the way we communicate. Social media helps brands connect with target audiences with the click of a button.