7 Things Business Owners Can Spring Clean Without Picking Up a Mop

Each year, 78% of Americans tackle spring cleaning in their homes. If you’re one of them, chances are you enjoy rolling up your sleeves and using a little elbow grease to freshen up your abode. Not only can the results of this annual ritual leave you feeling less stressed, more at peace and more focused, but it can also give you a big sense of accomplishment.

Did you know that you can do the same thing for your small business – without the mop, bucket and rubber gloves?

Here are seven things you can do as a small business owner to refresh your workplace this spring (or any time of year) without breaking too much of a sweat.

1. Your marketing plan. When was the last time you took a hard look at how you’re promoting your business – and the products or services that you offer? It’s important to evaluate what’s working, what isn’t and ask yourself what else you could be doing. Maybe you’re ready to do more on social media to grow your business or it’s time to update your website. Perhaps you’re interested in revising your customer service strategy, running promotions throughout the year or establishing a customer loyalty program. Gather your ideas, make a plan (or update an existing one) and turn those ideas into action.

2. Your inbox. If the number of messages in your inbox includes a comma, make it your mission to bring that figure down and get organized. While it may feel overwhelming to start, Fast Company offers a roadmap that can help you clean out your inbox in about an hour:

• Take 10 minutes to clear out the junk. This includes social media notifications, delivery confirmations (for packages you’ve already received), already-perused newsletters and more. Do this en masse if you can.
• Take 20 minutes to create folders and labels. After you purge the junk, you need to organize the messages that you’ve already read – and don’t need to do anything about – but that you want or need to keep. Go with a folder naming system that makes sense to you – and know that you can update this down the road to customize it even more to suit your preferences.
• Take 20 minutes to address those emails that need action. After getting rid of the junk and saving the emails you may need to reference later, it’s time to move on to the messages that you need to act on. Try to follow the two-minute rule: if you can complete the action needed for the email in less than two minutes, go ahead and do it. If you can’t, add it to your to-do list to take care of it later.
• Take 10 minutes to update your settings. Consider creating filters that will sort your incoming messages for you.

3. Equipment. Are you saving an old printer because you “might” need it one day? Is there an old broom in the corner clinging to life thanks to a little bit of hope and a whole lot of duct tape? Do you have a drawer of unused – or barely used – USB drives? How many old computer monitors or hard drives are shoved into your storage closet? Clear out any unused, outdated or broken pieces of equipment. If you’re getting rid of items that could potentially contain sensitive information (like said USB drives or hard drives), just make sure that everything is scrubbed and cleared before you purge.

4. Digital files and paperwork. Maybe it’s a pile of manila folders sitting in the corner of your office, the filing cabinet you haven’t touched in months or documents on a shared drive in your cloud-based storage platform. Make a commitment to go through all your stacks, folders, cabinets and more. But before you purge, make sure you know which records you are required by law to keep – and for how long.

   When you determine which items you can get rid of, make sure you dispose of them properly – especially anything that contains personal information. For any paper documents, the Federal Trade Commission recommends that you either shred, burn or pulverize them. (But don’t get rid of papers that can help you track your small business expenses too quickly!)

5. Data security protocols. When was the last time you backed up your data? Do you have established best practices for passwords? As a business owner in an increasingly digital world, you maintain a delicate balance of staying on top of ever-changing tech trends and keeping important business data safe. And it’s more than guarding against user error or equipment failure. It’s also about reducing your risk of data breaches that can occur when personal information like customers’ credit card numbers or employee tax information is compromised. Read 6 Things You Can Do Right Now to Protect Your Business Data to put the right practices in place to keep your business information safe.

6. Your business plan. According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), your business plan should be the foundation of your business and guide you through structuring, operating and growing your organization. But how often do you review it? Quarterly? Annually? Why not make spring the time you examine this “roadmap” and determine what comes next. Maybe you’re considering things like opening a new location or adapting to changing customer expectations resulting from the pandemic. They all should be part of your plan. If you don’t have one, now is as good of a time as any to create one. The SBA has templates you can use to craft your own.

7. Your business insurance. If you don’t have adequate protection from a business insurance policy, an accident of any kind could be detrimental to the health and well-being of the business you’ve worked so hard to build. So schedule a meeting with your insurance agent to review your policy. Together, you can make sure you have the proper coverage that fits your company’s needs and covers any risks associated with your operations. Find out more about Why You Shouldn’t Cut Corners on Business Insurance.

How to Tackle Your Small-Business Spring Cleaning Projects with Confidence

If you want to take on these projects (or more) but feel overwhelmed, we get it. As a small business owner, the idea of adding several more tasks onto an already overloaded to-do list may seem daunting. But there’s help! Psychology Today offers 10 tips you can follow to tackle your next big project.

1. Make a plan. Set your goals, get organized and be extremely specific about how, when and where you will complete your project.

2. Commit. You set your goal in your plan. Let others know what you’re trying to achieve, as well. Having some accountability can be a powerful driving force in your work.

3. Split it up. Divide your large plan into smaller chunks. This can make it feel less overwhelming and give you the time to complete each task the right way. Plus, achieving small goals can help keep you motivated.

4. Make it a habit. Schedule your project tasks in advance so that they become part of your daily – or weekly – routine.

5. Start off in your head. By imagining the work you’re going to do via a process called mental simulation, you can get over the procrastination hump and prepare for what lies ahead.

6. Make it easy. Rather than finishing one leg of your project because you have to tackle a more challenging task next, try to set yourself up for success by starting your next work session with an easy task. That way, you can ease yourself back into your work – then move on the harder work.

7. Stay positive. Staying upbeat can help you be even more productive, which brings you closer and closer to reaching your goals. So celebrate all your wins, even the small ones.

8. Reward yourself. A reward for reaching a project milestone can be a great means of positive reinforcement. Bonus points if you can tie your reward back to your work.

9. Let others know how you’re doing. Sharing your progress with others can keep you on track to reaching your project goals.

10. Give yourself a break if you need it. If you’re feeling stuck, find another unrelated task to do. Switch gears to another project. Take a short walk. It can be re-energizing and even provide some inspiration for when you do come back to it.

Gone are the days when phishing attempts were easy to identify and limited to only emails. While malicious messages are nothing new, they’re becoming more sophisticated and harder to pick out from legitimate business communications.  They are also coming at us through texts, social media chats and even phone calls.

A few simple actions with one of these messages can develop into a problem that spreads quickly across digital channels and devices, but there are things that you can do to defend against phishing attacks and resources that can help.

Vice President, Corporate Information Security Officer Jamie Neumaier knows a lot about tackling security threats. Jamie manages an information security team that works to ensure the people and systems at Erie Insurance stay as safe as possible. He answered questions about phishing scams targeting businesses and offered some useful security tips.

What is Phishing?

Phishing is malicious activity in which criminals try to gain access to user’s information, data, or devices. The goal is to get you to act without taking a moment to think, and when you do, the phishers may:

• Gain access to data and information, which they can exploit.
• Install malware on your system.
• Prompt you to reveal your personal financial information for purposes of stealing money or your identity.
• Access your email and send other malicious messages to your contacts, to exploit others.

Are Businesses Especially Vulnerable to Phishing Scams?

Yes. With more work being conducted digitally, businesses of all sizes are susceptible to attacks. Attackers also assume that small businesses do not spend a lot of money or effort on their security measures making them a potentially easier target.

Phishers can easily find your contact information online and be reasonably confident that any message they send you will be at the very least opened because you’re in a business of being responsive. The phishing messages have also grown in sophistication, so it’s easy to be convinced to visit a malicious website or download an infected file that comes in a message that looks legitimate.  If they happen to be the type of phisher to give you a call, they can be very convincing in having you follow their detailed instructions in providing them your valuable information or installing their malware.

How do You Spot a Phishing Attack?

Phishing messages that are poorly written, offer you large amounts of money or ask you for financial assistance have been common for a long time. Most of us know not to open, click or respond to these messages. As mentioned above, phishing attempts aren’t limited to emails either. Hackers now use phone numbers like your mobile number to call you and attempt to have you reveal sensitive information. They may send you text messages as well.

More recently, phishing messages are being designed to look like other emails that you might receive. They may appear to be from someone you trust like a bank, friend, software provider, retailer or vendor, but usually, the timing of the messages is unexpected.

For instance, one common technique is for a hacker to gain access to an email account through a phishing attempt, then access the account and reply to a real email conversation with a malicious link. So, when the recipient receives this email, it looks like a continuation of an earlier conversation, but it asks the recipient to download a document or enter their credentials.

How Can Phishing Attacks be Prevented?

In the course of day-to-day business between you, your employees, customers, and other consumers in general, know what you’re working on. If you receive a message, phone call or email that is unexpected or seems even just a little bit off, verify the validity of the message before taking action. Call the person who appears to have the message and ask if he or she sent it. If the answer is no, it’s a malicious message.

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic led to the widespread closure of offices and workplaces across the world. Many employees learned something during this unprecedented time – that it was possible for their work to be done remotely from home.

Of course, telework is not an option for every job or every company. According to a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 62% of workers with at least a bachelor’s degree education say their work can be fully done from home, yet only 20% worked from home before the pandemic.

During the pandemic, though, employers took advantage of work-from-home options to keep productivity up. Six months into the pandemic 71% were still working from home.

After months of enjoying the benefits of remote work – such as a more flexible schedule, better work-life balance and less time spent commuting – the Pew survey found 54% didn’t want to return to the office full time.

Is Full-Time Remote the Answer?

While some employees still desire fully remote options, working from home isn’t always a perfect solution. As we’ve learned, video conferencing and instant messaging isn’t a substitution for real face-to-face interaction. Some tasks can be difficult to complete remotely. And the same study found 57% of employees who work from home all or most of the time say they feel less connected to their coworkers.

To balance these concerns and maintain a positive workplace culture, many employers are adopting a new hybrid work model – one that combines working from home and the office. Below, we’ll explain the benefits of hybrid work, as well as some potential risks you may want to consider as a business owner.

What is a Hybrid Work Model?

A hybrid work model is one where employees split their time between working from home and working onsite at a company-owned location. How an employee’s schedule is structured will vary from business to business. Some companies opt for a set schedule of remote work and in-office days. Others may let the employee work from home at their discretion, giving them the freedom and flexibility to set their own schedule.

What are the Benefits of Hybrid Work?

As a business owner, the hybrid work model has its share of benefits:

• More productivity. For a long time, managers have struggled with the idea of employees working from home because they assumed productivity would suffer. But multiple studies have found the opposite to be true. Free from the distractions of a traditional work environment, and given the flexibility to work how and when they want, remote employees are often found to be more productive at home.
• Lower costs. In a hybrid work model, you no longer need a dedicated workspace for every employee. Instead, you can have flexible desk spaces that anyone can use when they’re in the office. In the long term, this means you’ll need less space (think lower rent or lease payments). Plus, there’s the money you’ll save on things like office furniture, utility bills and office supplies.
• Higher employee satisfaction. With more and more of the workforce wanting to work remotely, a hybrid work model can help you attract and retain employees. And since employees will still come to work at least part of the time, you may also reduce the feelings of loneliness and isolation that sometimes accompany full-time remote work.

What are the Insurance Risks of a Hybrid Work Model?

In many ways, moving to a hybrid work model may seem like the best of both worlds for some business owners. But when it comes to your business insurance, it may open you up to twice the risk, too. Here are some potential insurance risks for the hybrid workplace.

• Workplace injuries: You probably take steps to reduce the risk of workplace injuries at your physical office or facility. Whether that’s ensuring walkways are clear, or setting up your workstations to be ergonomically friendly, most employers do their best to keep everyone safe. But when your employees are working from home, their work environment is no longer in your control.

  To reduce this risk, talk to your employees about the importance of work-from-home ergonomics, and encourage them to work from a dedicated space – not the couch or kitchen table.

• Cyber security: Each year, the number of data breaches are on the rise. As an employer, you take steps to protect your network within the walls of your physical office. But what happens when your employees access sensitive data from a home or public network? If they’re not careful, it could leave you vulnerable to a cyber attack.

  To help prevent hackers from accessing your data, talk to your employees about the importance of cyber security. Require an encrypted connection when remotely accessing any sensitive files, and make sure your staff keeps their software and operating systems up to date.

  Want actionable items you can check off the list now? Read 6 Quick Tips to Protect Your Business Data.

• Property damage: If your employees are taking company equipment back-and-forth between work and home, you should make sure that equipment is covered – under your business insurance or the employee’s homeowners policy. While many insurers are adapting their policies based on the growing popularity of remote work, every policy is different. And if your assets aren’t covered, you could find yourself out of luck in the event of an accident.

What Insurance Coverages Should I Consider for a Hybrid Work Model?

If you’re thinking of adapting your business model to accommodate hybrid workers, it’s a great time to check in with your local Erie Insurance agent. Your agent can give you specific advice on the risks and coverages unique to your business. But here are some coverages you’ll want to ask about.

• Business insurance: If employees will be working from home, ask your agent if your business insurance policy will cover property damage at a home office. If your current policy doesn’t include this coverage, it may be available for purchase.
• Workers’ compensation: Did you know that if an employee hurts themselves while working at home, your workers’ compensation could kick in? “Each state has its own laws, but if an injury happens during the course and scope of their work, it could easily be a workers’ comp claim,” explains Al Medofer, ERIE’s director of risk control. Your agent can help you understand the ins and outs of your coverage, and ensure you’re protected no matter what.Read this article for more information on what to know about workers’ compensation and working from home.
• Data breach coverage. All businesses are vulnerable to cyber attacks and data breaches. Enter ERIE’s Cyber Suite¹, which offers both first- and third-party coverages for things like data breach response expenses, cyber extortion and privacy incident liability.
• Business umbrella insurance: No matter how careful you or your employees are, mistakes and accidents unfortunately do happen. That’s why many business owners make the smart decision to protect themselves with extra business liability insurance. Known as Business Umbrella Liability, this additional layer of coverage gives you extra protection and peace of mind above and beyond your commercial general liability, professional liability, business auto liability and employers liability insurance.

Imagine this hypothetical scenario: you’re a small business owner who needs to fill an open position at your company. After sorting through resumes and interviewing four candidates, you hire the one you think will be the right fit for the job. Your new employee joins your team, and business continues as usual.

Three weeks later, you’re notified that one of the candidates you didn’t choose is suing you for discrimination. After reading this, you may think, “How is that even possible?”

Whether you are hiring your first employee or are looking to fill an existing position, there are certain things you should never ask a job candidate — even if the questions seem like innocent “small talk.”

To help protect you and your business during your next interview, we’re breaking down the questions you should steer clear of, courtesy of the experts at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The information below gives you a good launching point to reexamine your HR hiring practices and ensure you’re asking the right interview questions that won’t put you and your company at risk.

Just keep in mind that hiring rules and regulations can be complicated. They also can vary by situation. If you have specific questions or need professional input on what you can or cannot ask, it’s always best to consult a lawyer for legal advice tailored to your business or situation.

QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD NEVER ASK IN A JOB INTERVIEW

Anything that has to do with a disability:

The Americans with Disabilities Act provides civil rights protections to individuals with disabilities and guarantees them equal opportunity across a spectrum of areas, including employment. So you legally cannot ask questions about an apparent disability, or ask questions fishing for one.

This includes questions like:

• Why do you need to use a wheelchair?
• How did you lose your vision?
• What medications do you take?
• Have you previously filed any workers’ compensation claims?

The exception to this rule has to do with accommodations. The EEOC states that you can ask questions about any accommodations that the candidate may need if the disability is apparent or if he or she already disclosed it to you, such as:

• If they need help with the application process, or if you need to make any adjustments to the process for them.
• If they will need a change to the work environment or to the way work is typically done for their job.

Anything concerning a job candidate’s genetic information:

It sounds a bit highbrow, but stay with us. The EEOC defines genetic information as “information about an individual’s genetic tests and the genetic tests of an individual’s family members, as well as information about the manifestation of a disease or disorder in an individual’s family members.”

This includes details such as family medical history or tests the candidate has undergone to identify risks for diseases like cancer. Asking these types of questions is considered genetic information discrimination.

The EEOC gives a few examples of what these could look like:

• Does anyone in your family have a history of mental illness?
• Has anyone in your family been diagnosed with a heart condition?

Anything related to the personal attributes of a job candidate:

You might think that you’re trying to get to know someone better, but characteristics like race, color, religion, sex and national origin are legally protected by the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

You should avoid talking about these topics entirely. This includes questions like:

• Where do you go to church?
• Are you pregnant? Or are you planning on starting a family any time soon?
• How old are you? (Note: the only scenario in which you can ask this question is if you’re confirming that the candidate is legally old enough to do the job.)
• Your name is unusual. Where are you from?
• What kind of religious holidays do you observe?
• What language (or languages) do you speak at home?
• Are you biracial?

The bottom line is, if you’re on the fence about whether a question is appropriate, it’s probably best to avoid it. Instead, keep your questions focused on the requirements of the position for which you’re hiring.

Each new year brings its own unique set of opportunities and challenges for small business owners.

And 2022 is no exception.

From shifting consumer shopping habits and government regulations to emerging technologies and the continued effects of the pandemic, it’s enough to make any small business owner take a moment to seriously consider what’s coming their way in the next 12 months ‒ and how it will affect their life’s work.

While there’s no way we can predict the future (if only), we’re taking a look at four business trends that could potentially impact businesses in 2022.

4 BUSINESS TRENDS TO WATCH IN 2022

1. An e-commerce uptick

$1 trillion (yes, trillion with a “t”). That’s the amount that Americans are projected to spend online in 2022, according to a report by Adobe. Has your business taken steps to fully leverage this shift? With the increasing number of online shoppers, the U.S. Small Business Administration says that now is the time to ensure that your e-commerce platform is easy to use ‒ especially on mobile devices. If you don’t currently sell any products or services online, it may be time to assess your operations and see if e-commerce is a smart or feasible option for your business.

See also: 11 Curbside Pickup Tips for Your Business

2. Contactless payments and additional oversight on cash app business transactions

The pandemic saw a huge increase in people paying for goods and services using online payments or mobile cash apps like Venmo, PayPal and Zelle. It’s a trend that many believe will continue. So if your small business doesn’t currently offer this feature, it’s time to start investigating your options.

And whether you’re new to using cash apps or are a seasoned pro, you should be aware of a regulatory change on the horizon. On Jan. 1, the IRS will begin keeping a close eye on all business transactions of $600 or more made on cash apps. This differs from earlier statutes, where the IRS only received notification when business transactions made on these platforms reached the $20,000 threshold. While it’s not a new tax, it will be more important than ever to keep accurate financial records.

See also: 6 Tips to Track Your Small Business Expenses

3. Remote work

The pandemic forced many employers to make the transition from on-site to remote work. Now, it’s projected to become a longstanding expectation of many workers. This could be a challenge for many employers given the current competition for skilled workers. So what can you do if remote work is an option for your business? The U.S. Small Business Administration recommends that you invest in the right technologies and software systems your employees need to work remotely in the long term. Make sure your business insurance policies are up-to-date, including your workers’ compensation coverage as your employees working from home. You also should look for new ways to stay connected with your remote workforce to strengthen their commitment to your company ‒ and to keep them.

See also: 8 Tips for Working from Home (from ERIE Employees Who Do it All the Time)

4. 5G wireless technology

5G (short for “fifth generation”) is the next iteration of mobile communication network technology that’s poised to fully replace 4G in the coming years. 5G will enable wireless internet access at much higher speeds, and it’s particularly designed to support data transfer for complex networks like homes and internet-enabled appliances ‒ to name a few. According to Rogers Communications, 5G will help benefit businesses with:

• Lower latency: Latency is a fancy word for response times between sending and receiving something electronically. Right now, 4G latency is about 50 milliseconds. 5G will whittle that time down to one millisecond, which is 400 times faster than blinking an eye (seriously technology, you never cease to amaze us). So imagine the potential this holds for businesses who need things to “respond” quickly, like self-driving vehicles and augmented and virtual reality. On a potentially smaller scale, you will be able to almost instantly stream high-res audio, videos and more. A win for customers and employees working remotely.
• More connectivity: Extra network capacity means more machines and devices will be able to talk with each other in our age of the Internet of Things (IoT). This is the networking capability that allows information to be sent and received from objects and devices (such as fixtures and kitchen appliances) using the internet. The potential is huge for businesses. Warehouses equipped with smart shelves can monitor when product inventory decreases and “trigger an action,” bolstering supply chain efficiency. And delivery companies with fleets of vehicles can give real-time delivery information to recipients.
• More bandwidth: 5G networks will add new channels to logged and bottlenecked 4G networks. So say buh-bye to crazy long download times (we all loathe that spinning wheel). On the practical side, that means large presentations or video files can be downloaded a lot faster.

The rollout of 5G is still in the early stages, so it could take several years for all the benefits to come to fruition. But Verizon recommends that small-business owners should start preparing now by doing things like moving management tools and other systems to the cloud, digitizing business processes, becoming familiar with new technologies like augmented reality, and securing and protecting your business data.