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Solo's blog provides the resources that microbusinesses, solopreneurs, freelancers, and other super-small businesses need to start, operate, and grow.

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\nUpwork’s Freelance Forward Report\n found that 59 million Americans freelanced in 2020. That’s a lot of people who can potentially help your business grow in areas that are beyond your expertise. For example, you may have decided that hiring a web developer is a lot cheaper than spending the extra time and money to \ndo it yourself\n.\nFinding the right person is its own job. There are also many types of workers to choose from, like freelancers and contractors. You’re probably wondering—what’s the difference between freelance vs. contract work?\nFor starters, both work temporarily for your company and can help you complete a variety of projects. For tax and employment purposes, they’re also considered one and the same. However, there’s a handful of differences between these two workers that you’ll need to understand before hiring them.\nWe’ll go over the differences of freelance vs. contract work, along with other types of workers, so you can understand key distinctions that impact your business.\nWhat is a freelance worker?\nA freelance worker is a self-employed person who works on many projects from a variety of companies. This worker has complete control over their rates, their work space, how they work, and the clients they work with.\nFreelancers typically take on short-term projects and work alone. You’ll pay these workers with a \n1099\n and they’re responsible for reporting taxes on that payment. Freelance workers are great if you have small one-off tasks and projects you need covered.\nWhat is an independent contractor?\nAn independent contractor is a worker who typically works with one company at a time and is traditionally placed with a company by another agency. Contractors normally take on long-term projects and can work on site with your other staff. An agency can also assign multiple contractors to a project.\nHowever, independent contractors can work for themselves and take on multiple projects at one time. This is why the terms “freelancer,” “independent contractor,” and “contractor” are often used interchangeably.  \nAn independent contractor’s employment status makes a big difference when it comes to pay, taxes, and benefits. We break down major differences below.\nEmployed through a third-party agency: \nIf the contractor works with you through an agency, ask the agency if the contractor is their W-2 employee. If so, then you don’t need to provide any benefits or report on their taxes.\nEmployed directly as a contractor: \nIf you work directly with the contractor and agree that they are independent from your company, then this person is paid with a 1099. You are not obligated to provide benefits and you do not need to report their taxes.\nEmployed as a temporary employee\n: If you agree on taking an agency’s worker or direct contractor as a temporary employee, then you will probably pay them with a \nW-2\n. This area gets a little gray since laws differ by state. To stay on the safe side, look up your local laws and solidify employment terms in writing with the contractor or agency. \nYou can also set up a \ncontract to hire position\n. This is a position that starts employees out as contractors with the opportunity for them to come on as full-fledged employees. This is a great route if you want to test the waters for a role before hiring someone full time.\nWorking with a contractor may be your best option if you’re looking for someone long-term who can give your project more time and attention. \nfreelance worker vs contract worker comparison image\n\nWhat are the main differences between freelancers and contractors?\nThe main differences between freelancers and contractors are found in how they are hired, paid, how long they work with your business, and how they work with your staff. We’ll go over each of those factors below. \nHiring\nContractors are traditionally hired through an external agency. This can save you some time if you aren’t interested in individually vetting freelancers. You’ll work with the agency when negotiating rates, timelines, and deliverables.\nContractors working with agencies don’t have as much freedom picking clients as freelancers. However, some contractors work independently and work similarly to freelancers.\nYou’ll work directly with a freelancer to negotiate rates, timelines, and deliverables. Freelancers can work with multiple clients at once and have complete control over the clients they accept. \nPay\nYou can expect to pay independent contractors and freelancers hourly or by the project. Unless you’re taking on either of these workers as a temporary employee, you don’t need to worry about paying benefits. However, they may negotiate coverage for necessary expenses like travel or specific tools.\nContractor pay varies based on the terms of your contract and how you define employment. Most of the time, you will pay a contractor through their contracting agency. You’ll pay that bill periodically and the agency takes care of the contractor’s pay, taxes, and benefits.\nYou’ll pay freelancers directly on the amount agreed upon. They will send you their invoice when the project is complete. Like we’ve mentioned, they handle their own taxes and you are not required to provide any benefits.\nWork period\nFreelancers and contractors work for companies temporarily. Contractors typically work on longer-term projects with defined timelines. On the other hand, freelancers work on short-term projects, but also have defined timelines. \nDay-to-day schedule\nSince contractors work on long-term projects, they’ll typically work specific times of the day. This makes them more available for your team. Some contractors work on their own time like freelancers.\nAll freelancers set their own day-to-day schedule and work on their own time. An unpredictable schedule makes it difficult to get updates, but shouldn’t be a big issue if they’re working on small deliverables. You can get around this by agreeing on periodic project updates in your contract.\nYou can negotiate work schedules with both workers if needed. For example, you may hire a contractor to deep clean your store. You’ll probably need them to work after hours when the store is empty.\nquestions to ask when considering freelancers or contractors\n\nWhat about gig workers and those who are self-employed?\nGig workers\n are independent contractors who typically work on short-term tasks. App-based gig workers like Uber drivers and Postmates delivery are commonly associated with the gig economy. However, gig workers can include any freelancer or independent contractor. \nWhen employing a gig worker through an app or a marketplace, you’ll work with them similarly to how you’d work with a contractor. Instead of going through an agency, you’ll probably use sites like Upwork or TaskRabbit to search for workers to help with your project.\nFreelancers and contractors fall under the self-employed umbrella. Self-employed workers also include small business owners and others who work with a team. When working with self-employed workers with teams, the process will be similar to how you’d work with a contractor.\nYou’ll negotiate the terms of your contract with someone who may or may not be the person working on the project. Then, you can expect to pay an invoice upon completion of work. \ngig worker vs self-employed worker image\n\nWhat are the main differences between employees, freelancers, contractors, and gig workers?\nFull-time, part-time, and temporary workers receive benefits, get paid regularly, and have their work and schedule dedicated by their employer.\nFreelancers, contractors, gig workers, and others who are self-employed don’t normally receive benefits from the companies they work for since they are their own company. Pay is irregular and dependent on how many clients and projects they take on.\nDifferentiating employees from these various self-employment titles is important for tax and legal purposes. \nWrongly classifying workers\n gets you into legal trouble. You may be denying benefits that employees are entitled to get. \nThe \nIRS defines independent contractors\n as follows: “…if the payer has the right to control or direct only the result of the work and not what will be done and how it will be done.” To avoid confusion, agree on their classification before work begins and get it in writing. That way, everyone is treated and paid fairly.\nyou must accurately classify workers so they get the pay and benefits they're entitled to by the law\n\nWhat employees should know\nEmployees must also understand the differences between all these terms. You should go with the title that best fits the way you want to structure your day and the way you best work. Ask yourself these questions to see what role you may like the best.\nDo you want to manage many clients or work with one at a time?\nDo you want to work directly with clients or through an agency?\nDo you want to have your own employees?\nDo you want to eventually work for a company?\nDo you want to find work mainly through gig apps and marketplaces?\nDo you want to work with an agency to get clients?\nDo you want to have benefits provided by your client or an agency?\nDo you want to work directly with clients or through an agency?\nYou’re not stuck with whatever title you choose. You can start as a freelancer and work your way over to more long-term contract work. These titles also start to get a little loose when you start looking for clients and job postings. \nCompanies may not understand the differences between these terms. Many companies use “freelancer,” and “contractor” interchangeably. Read the fine print to see what category the job most likely falls under.\nIf this is a long-term project that requires you to work certain hours, it’s probably a contract job. If it’s a short-term assignment that only has a few milestones or deadlines to follow, it’s likely a freelance job. You can also ask the employer for more information if the job description isn’t clear.\nIt’s most important to understand how your client or employer is classifying you. This impacts things like taxes and benefits. Get on the same page with them before you begin work to avoid legal headaches later.\nFinal thoughts on working with freelancers and contractors\nAlthough they’re similar, there are several important differentiators when considering freelance vs. contract work as a small business owner. Pick a worker that fits the projects and the budgets you have lined up. If you have a mix of freelance and regular work, it can get tough to keep track of everyone’s pay on top of other needs for your business.

Freelance vs. contract: what all business owners should know


In this how-to article we’ll cover the main reasons to change your business name on Facebook (now technically "Meta," but who are we kidding... everyone still just says "Facebook"), how to change your business name on Facebook (instructions for desktop), quick instructions to change your Facebook business name on Android and iPhone, some easons you might not be able to change your business name on Facebook, and what happens if Facebook/Meta doesn’t approve your name change. Let’s get started!\nSocial media marketing is an essential part of marketing any business, even super-small one-person LLCs, contractors, solopreneurs, and microbusinesses. If you’re not doing it right, you could be missing out on valuable opportunities. Part of marketing yourself correctly on social media means getting your business name right across all of your online platforms, including your Facebook page. \nIf your business name isn’t accurate on Facebook/Meta, it may be difficult for your customers to find and connect with you online. In this article we’ll walk you through a few quick and easy steps to change your Facebook business name and provide some helpful tips along the way. \nReasons to change your business name on Facebook / Meta\nYou may be wondering what need you could possibly have to change your business name on Facebook. Afterall, you or your marketing team are likely the ones who set up your page so your name should be good to go barring any branding changes down the road. \nThere are several viable reasons to change your Facebook business page’s name, some of which you may never have thought of or known about. \nThere’s a typo in your business name. Now, we hope this isn’t the case for you, but it can happen. Maybe you were setting your page up late at night and made a small mistake. Rest assured that you can change that.\nIt’s difficult for customers to find you on Facebook. Do you have a business name on Facebook that is different from your business name on your website, business cards, or Google listing? You’ll want to make it as easy as possible for customers to find you online. So make sure your Facebook business page has your most well-known business name and not some unknown variation of it. \nIt isn’t consistent with your other online business listings. Are you familiar with NAP consistency? This is how your business name, address, and phone number are listed on the web, and it’s super important for your business information to be listed consistently wherever it’s found. This helps Google and other search engines to associate your various listings with your brand and provides you with better opportunities for ranking well in the search engines. So make sure your Facebook page name is consistent with your business name on Google, Yelp, Bing, and your other online listings. \nYou had a business/brand name change. It isn’t uncommon for a business to change their name as their brand evolves and expands down new avenues. If you change the name of your business or brand, you can change your name on your Facebook page too. You may need a little extra verification if the name is significantly different from what it was before, but it’s not impossible to do so. \nHow to change your business name on Facebook (instructions for desktop)\nAlright, let’s get down to it. Follow these steps to change your business name on Facebook. \nStep 1: Log into your Facebook account and go to your page. \nTo get to your Facebook page, go to the left menu on your screen and click “Pages” and then click on the Facebook page that you wish to change. It may also be available in the “Shortcuts” section if you update you actively manage your page.\nImportant note: You must have admin access to your Facebook page in order to change your business name. \n(Image)\n\nStep 2: Go to “Edit Page Info”\nIn the left menu, scroll down until you see “Edit Page Info”. Click on that to get into the settings for your contact information and business name. \n(Image)\n\nStep 3: Update your page name\nIn the “Name” field, you can change your page name. \n(Image)\n\nStep 4: Confirm your page name request\nOnce you’ve typed in your new page name and click out of that box, you’ll get a popup notice to confirm the change. If everything looks good, click “Request Change.” It may take up to three days for Facebook to approve the name change, so be patient until that has gone through. \nSee below for reasons your name change may not be accepted or what to do if it isn’t approved. \n(Image)\n\nQuick instructions to change your Facebook business name on a mobile device\nIf you’re on the go and don’t have time to hop on a computer to change your business name, then try doing it from your phone. Note that the mobile app isn’t perfect and doesn’t always work for this though (so you may end up needing to use the computer anyway). \nFollow these steps to update your Facebook page name on a mobile device:\nOpen the Facebook app\nTap your profile icon in the top right corner\nTap the “pages” option\nGo to the page you want to update\nSelect the gear icon in the top right\nSelect “Page Info”\nTap on the field with your business name and tap “Continue”\nTap “Request Change”\nReasons you might not be able to change your business name on Facebook\nFacebook doesn’t give you the ability to just change your business name whenever you’d like. There are certain policies to follow and limitations to changing your name. Here are some of the reasons you may not be able to change your name or that it might not get approved:\nYou don’t have the right page role to edit your page name (typically, you must be an admin of the page for around 14 days before getting the ability to change your page name)\nIf you’ve tried changing your business name in the last 7 days or change it too frequently\nYour page may have limits on it. See Facebook’s reasons for limits \nhere\nThe page goes against Facebook’s page name policy\nUses abusive terms or phrases or violates someone’s rights\nUses the word “official” without being the official page of a brand or public figure\nImproper capitalization (example: tHe BEsT pAgE)\nUses symbols or unnecessary punctuation (even trademark and registered symbols are not allowed)\nDescriptions and slogans can’t be in the name\nAny variation of the word “Facebook” cannot be used in your name\nPage names also can’t consist only of generic words or general geographic locations (example: Pizza or New York)\nWhat happens if Facebook doesn’t approve my name change?\nIf Facebook doesn’t approve your page name change, I’d first look to see if your name is following all of Facebook’s guidelines. You won’t be able to change your name if it doesn’t. \nBarring any policy mishaps, there’s really only one option if you should be able to change your Facebook name but Facebook won’t allow you to or won’t approve the change: report a problem. \nTo report a problem with your page:\nClick on the dropdown arrow on the top right of your screen.\nClick “Help & Support”\nClick “Report a Problem”\nThen choose “Something went wrong” or “Help us improve the new Facebook” (either is fine) and follow the prompts to enter in the details of the issues you are having with your page\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\n(Image)\n\nStay on top of your online reviews to encourage new and repeat business\nOutside of making sure all of your Facebook page information is accurate, another important aspect of social media marketing is getting reviews and recommendations on all your online business pages and review site profiles. This helps provide social proof that other people have used and enjoyed your products or services. 

How to change business name on facebook (walkthrough for desktop and mobile)

In this article:\nWhy set up a pop-up store\nHow to set up a pop-up store\nPrepare, set up the space, and market your store\nPop-up shops are a great way for online retailers to test the waters of running a physical store. Typically, a pop-up shop is a store that opens temporarily to help create brand awareness for a store in a new area or help business owners decide whether or not they want to dive fully into the brick-and-mortar world. \nWhile many pop-up shops run seasonally, you can test out a new pop-up store during any time of the year. In this article, we’ll guide you through some of the things you need to know before getting started. \nWhy set up a pop-up shop for your retail business?\nHaving an online-only store can be a challenge for business owners because it doesn’t allow the on-street marketing or foot traffic that a brick-and-mortar business brings. A pop-up store can increase brand awareness and customer traffic just by being on the ground where people are frequently traveling. \nA pop-up shop also provides shop owners the opportunity to decide whether or not a physical store is something they want to try long-term. Maybe you’ve been considering opening up a physical location for your store for a little while now, but you’re not quite ready to go all in. Try opening a pop-up shop for a month or two to see if it’s something you could sustain long-term. \nEven if you’re not looking to run a store year-round, seasonal pop-up shops are very common and could help give your store more business during busy shopping times (like Thanksgiving and Christmas). \nHow to set up your pop-up store\nWanna test out a pop-up store for your retail business? Follow the rest of this guide to make sure you have everything you need to get started. \nPrepare to open a physical store\nThere’s a lot of preparation that goes into starting a physical business, even if you already have the online part going well. You have to find a space that will allow you to fill it temporarily. You also need to make sure you have people to manage the store and ways to display your inventory. \nFind a space\nAs you find a space for your pop-up store, you’ll want to think about where it is located. Not all locations are equal when it comes to the consumer shopping experience. A store in or near a shopping mall is generally going to perform better than a store in a medical park. Consider your location and audience as you look for a building. \nGet permits, licensing\nAs you look for a space, also determine what kind of licensing and permits you need to run a physical store. Every city has specific zoning for commercial properties. Make sure your building is in a place that allows retail businesses and get any permits that your city requires to set up a physical store. \nSet up utilities\nConsider any utilities that you may need: electricity, water, garbage, internet. Get those set up well before you open up shop—especially electricity and internet so you can take transactions with ease. \nDetermine how you will use the space\nAs you are looking for a space or when you find your space, determine how that space will be used. How will you layout your store? Think about where your inventory will go, where the cashier/checkout will be, if you’ll have public restrooms available, and if there will be space for an employee break room. \nIf you have a clothing store, will you provide a dressing room? Think about all of the different spaces you will need and how those will fit into the building you find. \nCreate materials for your brand\nA physical store requires physical branding. You can’t just rely on your internet presence to get traffic into your store. You need to create and set up signs outside the store and throughout the building to help establish your physical brand. \n(Image)\n\nRent, make, or buy fixtures you may need\nYou’re going to need fixtures to place your inventory on: shelves, tables, racks. You might even want furniture for lounge areas or for customers to use as they try on clothes or shoes. Determine what you’ll need to set up your store and how they will fit into the space you found. \nHire staff\nIf you’re not going to be the only one manning the store, then you’ll need to hire staff. Hold interviews and start advertising open job positions well before the store opens. Your staff can help you get the store set up, and you’ll want to get them properly trained before setting them loose on running your store. \nDetermine payment options \nHow are you going to accept payments? With an online-only store, your customers pay online as they checkout on your website or Amazon. But at a physical store they’ll expect someone to ring them up and take their payments. So you’ll need to have some kind of point-of-sale (POS) system in place to help you manage payments and process transactions. \nYou may even have a current POS like Square or Stripe that provides card readers and tablets to help you take transactions in person. Check with your POS provider to see what options you have available. Or consider \nalternative payment methods\n.\nIn this post-COVID-19 era, also consider using cashless and contact-free payment options whenever possible. \nSet store policies \nBefore you open up shop, set your store policies. Determine your store hours, what kind of parking availability you’ll have, how many people can be inside at one time. Consider all policies and rules that you’ll need to establish with your employees and customers before you open. \nSet up the store\nNow it’s time to set up the space. You’ve already planned your layout, so now you can put that into action. Gather your inventory and furniture items and start getting your store set up. Consider using a local interior designer who is experienced with commercial layouts if design isn’t your area of expertise. \nHere are a few other things to add to your checklist of setting up your store:\nTest your technology. Make sure your POS systems, computers, WiFi, and any other technology are working properly before you open up shop\nKeep a tool kit on hand. Ideally, you’ll have everything in place to simply set up in your store. But it’s a good idea to be prepared with tools, batteries, tape, pens, paper, glue, or other items that could come in handy\nSet up your signs to draw in customers \nMake sure your contact information is readily available for customers, whether that’s a business card, signage, or other visual to invite them to stay in contact\nWalk through the store as a customer, or invite friends in to test out the shopping experience\nMarket your new store\nMarketing your store should really be started before you open and should continue throughout the duration of your store’s existence. Before you get started, make sure that people know you are opening up a physical store. Advertise this on your \nwebsite\n and \nsocial media accounts\n.\nSet up a \nGoogle My Business listing\n so people can easily find your store and business information on Google. \nOffer promotions to draw people in as you open up. Consider a soft grand opening to welcome the community to your new store. \nAs you get customers, remind them that you value their online feedback. This will help bring in more customers over time (should you stay open or pop-up in another location later on).


Small business guide: How to set up a pop-up retail store

In this article:\nWhat is a file sharing app?\nHow can file sharing apps or software help your small business?\nBest file sharing apps to try\nIt doesn’t matter what industry you are in, you have likely emailed a file (or several) to an employee (if you have employees), client, or partnering company. Sharing files like forms, articles, photos, videos, and more becomes a hassle when you’re always emailing them back and forth. And some file types aren’t supported by email. \nIn this article, we’ll go over the advantages of using file sharing apps with for small businesses and list some of the best apps to start with. \nWhat is a file sharing app and why do you need one?\nA file sharing app is a cloud-based system that allows you to easily share files with your team online. You can upload most file types to your app of choice and then organize them in a way that makes it easy for your team to access the files they need. \nYou can also share links to specific files or folders with your customers if they need to review a project or presentation before it is published or presented. \nFile sharing apps were designed to make your life easier. So take advantage of that. Find these many benefits of using a file sharing app:\nConvenience of having everything you need in one place\nReduced costs—if you are storing all of your files in the cloud you don’t need as much physical space for hard copies or server space to back everything up\nSaves time to have files online and in a place where you can type a quick query to find what you need\nAdditional security for your files when you choose the right application\nTop file sharing apps for small business\nIf you’re ready to hop onboard with a file sharing app, consider with one of these solutions. You may find that you only need this on occasion and a free app might work great for you. Or you may need advanced security measures and more storage space, in which case some of these solutions offer premium upgrades for an additional cost. \nGoogle Drive\nGoogle Drive is free for anyone with a Google account. Just go to drive.google.com and log in with your free Gmail address. You’ll have access to create and edit text documents, spreadsheets, and slide presentations, and you’ll be able to upload just about any files that you need to store online. \nYou’ll also be able to share files easily and set permissions for whether a person can edit, comment, or view the file that you share. \nOne caveat with the free version is that it only has 15GB of storage. If you’re only storing text documents and spreadsheets, that may work just fine for you and your team (each person can use their own account). However, if you have large file types like videos or hundreds and thousands of files that you need to store, then you may need an upgraded plan. \nWith Google One, you can expand your Google Drive storage space and receive additional benefits. \nPayment plans for Google One:\n100GB: $1.99/month or $19.99/year when paid annually\nThis includes, you guessed it, 100GB of storage, access to Google experts, option to add your family (or team) to the plan, and extra member benefits. \n200GB: $2.99/month or $29.99/year when paid annually\nThis includes 200GB of storage, everything from the first plan, and 3% back in the Google Store. \n2TB: $9.99/month or $99.99/year when paid annually\nThis includes 2TB of storage, everything from the first plan, and 10% back in the Google Store. \nIf your business uses G-Suite, you may already have access to more Google Drive storage depending on your plan. \nMicrosoft OneDrive\nAccess files and photos from any device with OneDrive. With OneDrive, you can also edit and share your files, and it will back up and protect any files that are saved in OneDrive. With Office apps you can also collaborate on documents in real-time. \nMicrosoft has several plans that include OneDrive. The first is their free plan which only includes 5GB of storage. If you need additional storage space, we suggest upgrading to the next plan. \nMicrosoft’s paid plans include:\nOneDrive 100 GB (Personal): $1.99/month\nThis plan provides 100 GB of storage on OneDrive, with no additional features. \nOneDrive for Business Plan 1: $5.00/month per user\nThis plan includes 1TB of storage for each user and requires an annual commitment. \nOneDrive for Business Plan 2: $10.00/month per user\nThis plan includes unlimited cloud storage for each user and advanced security and compliance capabilities. It also requires an annual commitment. \nIf you have either of the Microsoft 365 Business plans, you will have OneDrive available for each user on that plan, too. \nDropbox\nDropbox is great for file sharing and backing up your files in a digital space. It also offers file recovery if you accidentally delete the wrong file and version history so you can rollback to a previous version if you change your mind about an edit you made. \nYou can easily create links to files or folders to share them with other team members or customers for collaboration and review. And it’s easy to create folders and keep your files organized rather than digging through your email to find the right attachment. \nDropbox Basic is their free plan, but it only offers 2GB of storage space. You can certainly start there to test it out, but we’re willing to bet you’ll need more space than that. No worries though, you can always upgrade to a paid plan from Basic. \nDropbox business plans:\nProfessional: $19.99/month\nThis plan allows one user, provides 3TB of secure storage and a few additional highlights:\nSend up to 100GB of files with Dropbox Transfer\nMobile offline folders\nRemote account wipe\nDocument watermarking\nPriority email and chat support\nStandard: $15/user per month \nThis plan must start with at least 3 users, allows 5TB of storage per user, and include collaboration tools. Additional highlights:\nSingle admin login to manage teams\nAdmin console and audit log\nSecure encryptions\nGranular sharing permissions\nPriority email, chat, and phone support\nAdvanced: $25/user per month\nThis plan must start with at least 3 users and allows as much space as you need. Plan highlights include:\nEverything included in the Standard plan\nAdvanced admin controls\nTiered roles for admin\nSingle sign on (SSO) integration\nInvite enforcement\n

Best file sharing apps for your small business

In this article:\nHow to encourage customers to wear a face mask\nWhat to do when a customer refuses to wear a mask\nWhether or not to wear a face mask during a pandemic has become largely political across the country, and as such, you may find some customers refuse to wear face masks, even if this type of PPE (personal protective equipment) is required in your area for your type of business. We’re not here to discuss the politics, but rather the policies that your business has in place, and discuss ways of dealing with customers who refuse to follow those policies. \nHow to encourage customers to wear face masks\nOwning a public-facing business during a pandemic is not easy, and new local laws that require masking in public can make that even more difficult—particularly if your business has customers frequently coming through its doors. \nNot everyone is comfortable wearing a face mask, and because of this, you may need to provide some additional encouragement and support around this policy. \nHere are some ways that you can encourage your customers to wear face masks:\nPut up signs throughout your business (and especially at the entrance) that make it very clear that you require masks to be worn in your facilities, along with any exceptions you may have (like when sitting at one’s designated table in a restaurant, small children, people with certain medical conditions, etc.)\nShare updates to masking policies on your social media channels and website\nProvide free face masks to those who may not have them\nTrain and support your employees and provide them with the resources to help enforce your policies\nWhat can you do when a customer refuses to wear a face mask?\nIt’s no secret that many people are averse to wearing face masks for various reasons, and some may refuse to do so when they enter your business. This may happen even if masks are required by law in your area (or if you have chosen to make them mandatory in your business where they aren’t required by law). So, what are some effective ways of dealing with a customer that won’t wear a mask?\n(Image)\n\nMake a plan\nIt’s always better to be prepared in advance, rather than getting surprised on the spot. Make a plan with your staff for how to handle customers who refuse to wear a mask. If you already have policies in place for dealing with upset customers, great, use them!\nWhat would you do if a customer tried to come in without a shirt or shoes? The premise is similar with masking. \nTalk to your employees about what to do in this situation and be a support to them as they handle angry customers. The next few steps can help you in your planning. \nHave extra disposable masks on hand\nGive your customer the benefit of the doubt by first offering them a mask before escalating the situation. Maybe they don’t have one, left theirs at home, or didn’t know about your mask-wearing policies. Keep extra masks on hand for your employees to hand out should they need them. \nKeep your emotions in check\nWhen dealing with any upset customer, but especially one who thinks their rights are being infringed upon, it is important to keep emotion out of it. If you can’t talk to the customer without getting angry and letting them hear all about it, then designate another employee who can stay rational and calm while talking to the customer. \nKeep your tone calm and professional as you speak with all customers, even those who are being belligerent. \nDon’t debate with or shame your customer\nDon’t try to debate with or shame your customer into wearing a mask. That may only escalate the situation. Simply give them the facts. They must wear a mask to enter the premises or they will need to leave. You don’t need to explain to them why they need to wear a mask other than it is your business’s policy (or the local ordinance). Trying to argue the effectiveness of masks or convince people to change their position is generally not an effective approach.\nRefuse service to those who don’t comply with your policy\nYou have every right to refuse service to a customer who won’t wear a mask, unless the customer has a legitimate medical excuse or physical condition that prevents it.\n“As long as businesses are enforcing that in a nondiscriminatory manner and they are requiring everyone to wear the mask, they have the right on their premises to say if you want to shop here you have to wear a mask,” David Senseman, a Minneapolis attorney, told \nKare 11\n. “Unfortunately, there is a lot of misunderstanding about what rights we have and who we have them against. That is not something the constitution gives you a right to prevent. You can exercise your right by not shopping at that particular store.”  \n(Image)\n\nProvide alternative service or delivery methods\nSome people may feel less upset about your policy if you inform them they can still get the goods or services they want in other ways. For retail, restaurant, or other businesses that deal with the sale of goods, setting up curbside, drive-through, and/or delivery options can defuse tempers and still allow people to get the things they need.\nConsulting businesses or other service providers can get creative in the use of Zoom or other not-on-site ways of interacting with customers, or set up meetings outside where masks may not be required and where proper social distancing can be practiced to help ensure the safety of all parties.\nCall security or law enforcement if necessary\nIf you have customers who refuse to wear a mask, refuse to leave, and start to cause a disturbance, you may need to call your security team or local law enforcement to help de-escalate the situation. \nKeep yourself, your employees, and your other customers safe by engaging the help of people who are trained to handle these types of situations. You do not need to put yourself or anyone else in danger to deal with a customer who is causing trouble. Encourage your employees and other customers to keep their distance from the upset customer until security or law enforcement arrives. \nThis should also be part of your crisis plan, and be thoroughly discussed and reviewed with all employees beforehand, and refreshed regularly in training.

How to deal with customers who won’t wear a face mask

In this article:\nWhich Google reviews can be removed\nHow to flag Google reviews for removal\nHow to remove fake Google reviews\nHow to improve your online reputation and get more good Google reviews\nA bad Google review of your business can leave you feeling helpless, frustrated, and even angry. And who can blame you? You’ve worked hard to build your business’s reputation. And with 9 in 10 consumers saying they trust online reviews as highly as recommendations from friends and family, Google reviews make a real impact on revenue for local businesses.\nWhen a business owner ends up facing harsh feedback online, the first question many of them ask is: “How do I remove Google reviews?” or “Can I turn off Google reviews for my business?” After all, if someone spray painted “Don’t shop here” on the front of your business, you’d do whatever it took to scrub, sandblast, or paint over it as soon as possible.\nsarcastic young woman giving thumbs down for removing google review\n\nIt’s an understandable reaction, but unfortunately removing negative Google reviews isn’t quite as straightforward as rolling up your sleeves and grabbing a fresh bucket of paint to take care of some unsightly graffiti.\nLet’s start with the most simple question:\nIs it possible to remove Google reviews?\nIt’s complicated.\nOccasionally, it’s possible to remove Google reviews, but only in instances where you can definitively prove that the review in question violates \nGoogle’s review policies\n. We’ll go into detail about what that means in a moment, but first let’s be clear about the kind of reviews that \ndon’t\n violate Google’s terms of service.\nIt is not possible to remove Google reviews simply because they’re negative, unfair, or even if you feel the customer is totally misrepresenting their experience.\nbeautiful young women leaving an unkind online review for remove google reviews\n\nIf the review is from someone who actually patronized your business and is sharing their perspective, then chances are that review is there to stay. And if that’s your situation, then your best bet is to engage the customer in good faith and respond to the bad review.\nUsing a good reputation management solution is excellent way to manage all your reviews in one place, saving you time while helping you stay on top of your online reputation. Software makes it easy to respond to your reviews and encourage more reviews from your best customers.\nPlus, new research shows that negative reviews aren’t necessarily as harmful as you might think. Businesses with between 10 and 25% negative reviews make the most money!\nYou might also like: \nHow to respond to negative reviews\n\nWhat types of Google reviews can be removed?\nWhile you can’t remove Google reviews just because they’re negative in tone, Google will remove reviews they determine have violated their terms of service as outlined in \nGoogle’s review policies\n.\nLet’s take a look at the primary types of reviews that Google prohibits:\nFake Google reviews, false reviews, or manipulative reviews:\nSpam reviews (content posted multiple times from different accounts), conflicts of interest (reviewing your own business), impersonations (representing the views of someone other than yourself).\nblack gloved hand leaving fake review on laptop for remove google review\n\nMisleading Google reviews or inaccurate reviews:\nReviews or photos that clearly represent a different business or location.\nOff-topic reviews:\nContent not at all related to a customer’s experience patronizing the business in question.\nRestricted, illegal, derogatory, or explicit content:\nPhotos, content, or links to restricted, dangerous or illegal activities. This also includes threatening or discriminatory language.\nHow to flag and remove Google reviews that violate the terms of service\nIf you’re sure that a review of your business violates Google’s terms of service, your final step is to flag the report for Google’s review. You can do this a few different ways.\nFlag a Google review from your Google My Business account\nSign in to \nGoogle My Business\nIf you have more than one listing, select the location you’d like to manage\nSelect \nReviews\n from the menu
\n(Image)\n\nFind the review you’d like to flag and click the three dots in the corner\n(Image)\n\nClick \nFlag as inappropriate\n(Image)\n\nFlag a Google review in Google Maps:\nSearch for your business on Google Maps\nSelect your location and scroll to the \nReview summary\nClick the \nReviews\n link under your average rating
\n(Image)\n\nScroll to the review in question and click the 3 dots in the top corner
\n(Image)\n\nClick \nFlag as inappropriate\n(Image)\n\nComplete the form that appears and click \nSubmit\nIt can take several days for Google to evaluate the review, so you’ll need to be patient. But you should eventually receive a response from Google about the status of the flagged review and a decision about whether or not they’ll remove the Google review.\nTake reviews seriously, but don't freak out about a bad one\nIt’s helpful to know that Google does have safeguards in place to protect you from the most egregious type of online behavior. But it’s important to keep in mind that, with rare and unfortunate exceptions, it’s not likely that you’ll be able to remove Google reviews from your listing most of the time.\nNo matter how harsh a review might be, it’s important to think of it less as graffiti sprayed across the front of your store and more like digital word of mouth.\nangry young hispanic woman with megaphone making thumbs down gesture for remove google review\n\nIf you were to overhear someone in your neighborhood complaining about your business, even if you could paint over or delete that person’s unkind words, it wouldn’t really solve anything. It’s the same with trying to remove Google reviews.\nWe always recommend that you treat your Google reviews like you would an in-person complaint. Maintain the high ground, and follow our guidelines for \nhow to respond to negative reviews\n, and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can turn the conversation around.\nThe most cost-effective way for small businesses to improve their online reputation is to encourage genuine reviews from customers. When you get a more accurate, positive picture of your business, you start attracting more new customers and improve your star rating.

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