Business Resource Center
Small Business Crisis Resources
During this unprecedented crisis, we will adapt as necessary to deliver classes and support virtually through webinars and our online databases. We have compiled a list of COVID-19 resources that are available to you free through Linkedin Learning. These online resources are available in the library or from your home computer using your library card to log in. Linkedin Learning requires your full library card number and PIN to access. To access Linkedin Learning, click on Job Seekers at the top of this webpage and scroll to Continuing Education.
Worried about your Wi-Fi connection? Download courses and content for offline viewing. For additional information, please contact the library or ask any staff member.
Virtual Course Offerings
Keep your small business afloat during times of crisis. Learn how to manage your mindset, your finances, and your team while identifying resources that can help your business survive. In this course Kim Kaupe explains how small businesses can manage during times of change and uncertainty—including the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Discover how to adjust your mindset to handle the challenges ahead in a calm, confident, and organized manner. Learn how to manage your internal and external finances and decide what needs your attention and where you need to enlist others for help. Find out how to communicate with banks to find financial support, and apply marketing and communication tactics to stay in touch with customers and fellow business owners.
The COVID-19 pandemic poses an existential threat to small and medium-sized businesses. Lockdown orders prevent customers from engaging with small businesses as they have in the past, presenting business owners with an unprecedented challenge: how do you keep your doors open when your business is largely shut off from the general public? There are, however, steps that small businesses and their employees can take to improve their chances of survival. In this course, our LinkedIn Learning staff instructors share concrete ideas and tools for finding the right path forward. Get practical solutions to common problems, from supporting remote employees to leveraging social media to reach new customers. Upon wrapping up this course, you'll be equipped with strategies that can help you craft your own unique plan for weathering this storm.
As a crisis unfolds, marketers and brands face a new reality: their strategies must change. The marketing approaches that were already in motion will no longer work, and new plans must be drafted from the ground up. In this course, learn how to reposition your brand during a crisis, what marketing steps to take immediately, how to reevaluate the landscape, and approaches to understand the new consumer mindset.
Every organization needs to plan how to communicate internally and externally in the event of a crisis. In this course, business communication expert Laura Bergells walks you through the process of preparing your organization to communicate with employees, customers, suppliers, media, and the public at large. She'll cover identifying audiences, assembling a crisis response team, crafting an initial statement, and evaluating your response once the crisis has passed.
Recessions thrust a number of unfair challenges upon small businesses. While business owners can't fix the larger problems that sparked the economic downturn, they can still take action to push their organizations forward. In this course, instructor Jay Clouse shows how to do just that, sharing strategies that can help you quickly adapt to changing customer demands during a recession. Get tips for identifying new moneymaking opportunities for your retail, food and beverage, or service-based business. Learn how to leverage existing customers and advocates to find new customers, partner with other businesses on unique collaborations, and quickly move your business online. Plus, Jay gives you tips for crafting a marketing strategy focused on guiding and supporting your customers in tough times.
Recessions often hit small businesses hard. Unlike large corporations, small companies, local shops, and other small organizations may not have large cash reserves and will need to make tough choices. But even when times are tough, business owners with the right tactics can still keep their doors open and may find new opportunities for growth. In this course, economist and consultant Jason Schenker shows you how, sharing practical strategies for making your small business recession proof. Discover how to cut costs across your organization without cutting labor first, including how to analyze and prioritize your spending and renegotiate with vendors. Get best practices for making tough decisions about staffing and operations. Plus, learn how to limit the downside risks of a recession for your business, as well as what you can do to create opportunities to help your organization thrive in a downturn.