With small businesses reopening and needing to adjust their operations amid COVID-19 restrictions and economic challenges, University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering three different online programs this week to help small businesses with specific challenges. The events are part of a series of town halls and webinars for small businesses, “Coping With COVID-19,” being offered each week, some in English, some in Spanish. The town halls begin with a short presentation on a given topic, and then participants network with one another and drive the discussion. The webinars provide information on specific topics to help businesses plan strategically, adapt and succeed.
This week’s sessions include:
- The town hall, “HR and Employee Relations After COVID-19,” is Wednesday, June 24, 9 a.m. for English speakers, and at 2 p.m. for Spanish speakers.
Topics include:- bringing employees back to work safely
- the essentials of HR
- compensation and benefits
- recruiting and hiring best practices
- onboarding, training and development
Panelists include:
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- Niki Lomibao, Prestamos business advisor
- Saul Ramos, Small Business Administration deputy director
- Reyna Mendez, Extension business development instructor
- Juan Salas, Extension business development instructor
- Mike Bindrup, Extension research associate
- One webinar, “Effective Social Media Strategies,” will be held Tuesday, June 23, 5:30 p.m., at the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce, offered in English only. Mendez, Salas and Bindrup will discuss:
- Transitioning a business from face-to-face to online during the crisis and in the long-term
- Creating social media content
- Branding and frequency guidelines for social media
- Using different social media platforms for different purposes, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.
- The second webinar, “Facebook Para Negocios” (Facebook Business Basics) will be held Friday, June 26, 11:30 a.m., offered in Spanish only. Mendez, Salas and Bindrup will discuss:
- Facebook history and statistics
- Creating a Facebook business page
- Exploring Facebook business basic settings
- Using insight analysis
- Using the Facebook Ad Center – advantages and disadvantages
- Strategic tips to grow a Fan Page community
“This can be a very tricky time for small-business owners, in terms of HR,” said Buddy Borden, economic development specialist with Extension’s Business Development Program. “They may have staffing issues, and they want to make sure to keep their employees safe, and follow all COVID-19 rules and regulations. Our Town Hall will focus on these types of issues, while the webinars will provide information to help businesses take advantage of online marketing opportunities.”
For more information, go to the Extension Business Development Program. There are also other resources at the website to assist businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. For more information, email Borden.
