Do I Have the Licensing Rights for Using TV in My Waiting Room?

This question is becoming much more common these days as motion picture companies, television studios and others are sending threatening letters to business owners. It doesn’t matter what industry you are in– if you operate a medical office, restaurant, retail establishment or car dealership, you can be held liable for showing television content that you don’t have adequate permission to display.

And it doesn’t matter how you are playing this content, whether it’s on a DVD, or through a popular streaming provider like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+ or YouTube. Showing that content inside a business is likely against copyright terms, and could put you in legal jeopardy. Hulu’s Terms & Conditions for instance clearly state that their service is NOT for commercial use. Therefore, you cannot use it in a public or business setting- even in a waiting room.

Did you receive a threatening letter from a licensing company?

While there may be many valid points in a letter you’ve received in the mail from a content licensing organization, you should read it carefully, and realize that there is not one licensing body for all content. In a lot of cases these letters are designed to scare you into using a service that they are selling. Many of these services will offer a solution that shows a limited library of uninteresting content, looped on your TV day in and day out. You don’t need to trade away interesting television for “safe” TV when there are options out there that are both safe and interesting.

Just know, you are not obligated to use any specific licensing service in your business or waiting room. You just need to be sure that whatever service you are using has secured commercial playback rights for the content you are showing.

There are TV Providers that Include Business Display Licensing as Part of the Service

While Hulu, Netflix, Sling, Pluto and other streamers do NOT provide commercial licensing at the time of this article, there are other providers who do. And that’s what you want to utilize in order to keep your in the copyright-clear. It’s Relevant TV is one service provider that was built with integrated commercial licensing from day one. It’s cost-effective, easy-to-use, and features a growing library of over half-a-million videos. In addition to being the best streaming option for businesses, it’s also the best cable replacement on the market.

Retail Digital Signage: What Can You Do With The TV In Your Store?

As technology grows, more and more business owners are exploring their options when it comes to retail digital signage. Nowadays, it isn’t uncommon to see TVs in clothing stores, furniture outlets, and shopping centers; wherever people tend to gather, you can usually count on a TV screen being close by — that’s because TVs are eye-catching, and strangely comforting. Forward-thinking business owners using that to their advantage and building retail TV networks for their stores. This article takes a closer look at the technology that is taking retail digital signage to a whole new level.

Retail Digital Signage: How Effective is it?

The average adult is believed to watch about 4 hours of TV a day. That’s a lot of screen time. But because of that, human beings are naturally drawn to colorful, moving, or otherwise animated displays. Often when we see a TV, our guard is lowered — if only for the sake of seeing what’s on, and choosing whether or not to keep watching. Unlike banners or traditional paper signage, digital signage is bold and inviting. People notice it more, for obvious reasons, and all it takes is a properly-placed TV to host it.

How do you Get Customers to Engage with What’s on Your TV?

Getting customers to notice the TV and watch the TV are two very different things. That brief window of opportunity when they notice the TV and are choosing whether or not to keep watching is the golden moment. What determines their choice usually relies on a few factors:

1.) What’s on the TV? Obviously, this is the most important part. “Digital signage” users tend to just show ads that showcase sales, or reminders for customers to sign up for X or become a member of Y. This is smart, and it’s a great way to utilize the TV, but if all you’re showing is JUST marketing messages, your customers will see it as “just another ad” and tune it out. However, the solution to this is easy; instead of using digital signage, create a custom TV network. A custom TV network will mix in fun and entertaining videos with your marketing messages and your customers will be MUCH more receptive to your ads.

2.) Where is the TV on display? Second to what’s on the TV is where you choose to put it. Is it hanging on a crossroads pillar between sections? Is it part of a living room set acting as the TV? Or is it above the checkout for customers to see while waiting in line? All of these are great. You want it to be in a place that customers can consume what they are watching for more than a few seconds before feeling they are obligated to move.

3.) How are your customers feeling? This one is slightly more difficult to account for, but what’s going on inside a customer’s head plays a big part in whether or not they’re receptive to your messaging. Are they upset? Annoyed? Or bored? A captive audience doesn’t mean that they’re appreciative of your ads. Echoing point #1, mixing in content that might uplift a customer’s mood or alleviate their boredom can go a long way towards improving visitor experience, which improves your chance of making an extra sale.

The Best way to Utilize Retail Digital Signage

You might have gathered that the best way to use retail digital signage is by combining your marketing messages with content that your customers will enjoy watching. Not just any content; you want content that is fun, interesting, and not-necessarily related to your brand, but will put your visitors in a purchasing mindset. Ideally, you also want that content to be on the short-side, since your customers are mostly lingering and waiting. You want videos that anyone can start/stop watching at any time, and are short enough that people are more likely to see something that interests them.

Shorter Videos = More Variety.

Accomplishing this through retail digital signage alone is nearly impossible, that’s where a retail TV network comes in handy. A retail TV network combines the best aspects of digital signage + television; bringing them together in a unique and effective way. Imagine your digital signage board being part ad, and part TV; with occasional ads playing in between or next to engaging videos. That’s how It’s Relevant TV approaches retail TV networks.

The Best Retail TV Network is It’s Relevant TV

It’s Relevant TV licenses over half-a-million short-form videos spread across 40+ customer-favorite categories. As a store owner, you don’t need to being anything to the table except for your own goals and aspirations. It’s Relevant TV allows you to easily create marketing messages — which you can upload into the system and have play alongside countless entertaining videos. The technology is fully-automated, meaning that you can set-it and forget-it knowing that your TVs are delivering a mix of ads + interesting content. Additionally, It’s Relevant can be used to promote your social media, or barter ad space to other local businesses in order to generate even more revenue.

IRTV is the most feature-rich custom TV network on the market. Chat with the television experts at itsrelevant.com and get an online Zoom demo to learn more.

Businesses Are Already Looking Ahead To 2022 | COVID 2022

The coronavirus hit businesses hard in 2020 and 2021, and while the forecast for COVID in 2022 is hard to predict, business owners are already preparing for next year. Whether your business has been able to stay open throughout 2021, or you’re preparing to re-open your business in 2022; this article spotlights a new technology that can help you generate repeat business and deliver important messages to your visitors during these uncertain times.

Preparing your Business for COVID 2022

If you managed to keep your doors open during the pandemic, then you already know the challenges that business owners are facing regarding healthy & safety. If you’re re-opening, it can be overwhelming as there’s a lot to train your staff and employees on. Doors and tables need to be disinfected regularly, masks are mandatory, and seating is spaced out — you get the idea.

Related: Top 5 Ways to Prepare Your Business Space for COVID-19

But signs on the ground encouraging social distancing and staff members taking your temperature with a gun don’t make for a very welcoming atmosphere; it doesn’t matter if these precautions are for your customers’ safety, it still feels strange and can turn visitors off. Customers who don’t feel safe probably won’t come back for a long time, or at least until the virus is gone- which could be a while.

Safely Communicating with your Visitors about the Coronavirus

Making your customers feel safe is just as important as making sure they’re safe; the difference being that you can adhere to strict health & safety regulations, but easily forget how it affects customer experience. COVID-19 has a lot of people stressed, so finding a way to reduce that stress wherever possible should be top-of-the-list.

They key to making customers FEEL safe is communication.

Except, effective communication can be hard for small businesses; especially medical offices. There usually aren’t a lot of good options. Yet, every business has messages they need and/or want to get across to customers; sales, specials, etc. — including COVID-related messaging. Most business owners settle for posters or fliers, without realizing that the best place for their messaging is the TV in their business. The best is to use a custom TV network.

Not sure what a “Custom TV Network” is? Click here.

If you’ve got a TV and you aren’t using a custom TV network, your visitors are at the mercy of the news. At this point, the whole world knows about the coronavirus. We also get to hear about how many new cases there are each day, and how many people have died; people don’t need to be reminded of this everwhere they go- especially inside of your business.

If you have a TV in your business, chances are you customers are seeing that kind of messaging, and it’s stressing people out. Being informed is one thing — but constantly being reminded that there’s a pandemic is overwhelming. Your visitors don’t need that. The safest, most-effective way to communicate with your customers is through the TV in your business; but only if that TV is playing content that you control.

Tackling COVID-22 in your Business with a Custom TV Network

One of the best things you can do to prepare your business for COVID 2021 is getting rid of any mention of the coronavirus off your TV. Anything COVID-related — unless it’s your own personal messaging, isn’t necessary to have playing in your business. In fact, for all of the reasons stated previously it’s probably doing more harm than good. People aren’t visiting your restaurant, medical office, or car dealership for the bad news. Whether they’re looking at the TV for 20 minutes or 20 seconds, it’s the perfect opportunity to comfort them, and inform them about anything you want them to take advantage of; either while they’re there, or the next time they visit.

If you had the choice — would you rather show the news? Or would you rather show something that supports your business?

Custom TV networks are designed with your business in mind. It gives you more control over what show up on your TV, and gives you variety of content. Additionally, the right technology will let you upload you own messages to play in between videos. Once you realize what’s possible with custom TV software, it’s hard to imagine any business owner choosing cable over a system that improves visitor experience, AND is a powerful marketing tool.

Want more reasons to cut cable? This article gives you 10.

Want to Learn more about Custom TV Networks? Check out It’s Relevant TV

Don’t get overwhelmed with choices — It’s Relevant TV is the best place to start looking if you’re curious about a custom TV network for your business. Feature-rich and easy-to-use, It’s Relevant will show you exactly what to expect from custom television software. Chat with the experts at ItsRelevant.com if you have any questions, or schedule a demo to get a firsthand look at the technology.

Can I Play YouTube Videos In My Medical Office?

Can you play YouTube videos on your waiting room TV?

The short answer is no, not unless they’re Youtube videos you created and own the rights to all of the elements of. The reason you can’t play someone else’s videos in your medical office is because of video licensing. Video licensing prohibits playing any videos in a business without expressed permission. That cool YouTube series that’s fun, family friendly, and seems 100% perfect for your waiting room? No dice — it isn’t legal to play those on your TV without the creator’s say-so. No matter how much visitors would enjoy it or how great you think it would look.

Fortunately — if you had your heart set on a specific kind of content there are other ways to get good, quality videos on your waiting room TV. This article will suggest one or two ways you can achieve that goal, however the best solution will always be getting creating a custom TV network with video licensing built in.

How to Play YouTube Videos on your Waiting Room TV | LEGALLY

Contact the creator of the video or series you’d like to play in your waiting room — plain and simple. Try sending them a direct message, or email them if you know their address. Sometimes all it takes is contacting them, however creators are often going to want compensation in exchange for using their content. And in other cases a YouTube user may not have all of the rights themselves to everything in their video. So they might not have the ability or necessary clearances to even give you permission to use it. Remember; this is only if you want the rights to play a specific video or series in your waiting room.

YouTube videos aren’t enough on their own.

However funny or relevant the content is, relying on a YouTube playlist for your TV solution is a bad idea. Here’s a short list of reasons why:

1.) Playlist features work best on computers and smartphones. YouTube’s UI (user-interface) is designed for a viewer to have on-hand control at a moment’s notice in order to switch playlists or watch something else.

2.) Playlists are often short. Once in a while you’ll find a playlist with a LOT of videos, but more often than not you’re looking at 10 to 20 videos in a series. This becomes VERY repetitive for visitors and staff alike.

3.) Playlists end. No matter how you look at it, the end of a playlist is bad news. If it doesn’t loop, you’re looking at a TV that’s stuck on the video-select screen. Worse is if you have Autoplay toggled, at which point any “related videos” might play. Never mind not having the rights to those new videos, but ANYTHING could be vaguely “related” to that last playlist. There’s no reliable way to police what comes on next without dedicating staff to constantly manage the TV; which is just as silly as it sounds.

That’s where custom TV networks come in handy.

Custom TV Network for your Waiting Room | It’s Relevant TV

Custom TV networks are great because they deliver exactly what you were trying to achieve by playing YouTube videos in your waiting room. Whether you’re new to the idea of a custom TV network or are simply browsing options; It’s Relevant TV is the best place to start. They will show you what’s possible and can help give you an idea of what to expect from other services.

If you were looking for YouTube videos to play in your waiting room, It’s Relevant TV’s got you covered. They also have access to a ton of network TV content as well! They have the licenses you need to play anything they provide.

It’s Relevant isn’t playlist-based. It streams videos directly to your TV based on any categories (over 40+) you have selected. The technology is 100% automatic and customizable; there’s no need to hover in front of the TV in order to keep it going, and you can change your TV’s setting from your computer or smartphone.

IRTV let’s you control your TV from anywhere. You can even block out specific videos and keywords!

It’s Relevant TV licenses content from countless creators in order to give you access to over half-a-million entertaining family-friendly videos. Better than YouTube, it gives you the ability to uploads ads and personal messaging on the side. Between that, and features such as live social media integration, there’s no better way to communicate with your visitors.

You can reach out to a TV expert at ItsRelevant.com using the form on their site if you have any questions about creating a custom TV network for your waiting room.

The Best Digital Signage App For Your Business | It’s Relevant TV

Looking for a dynamic way of communicating with your visitors? Look no further than your TV! The market is FULL of digital signage apps, promising so many things that it can get a bit overwhelming! Most often for “FREE” — don’t fall for it! This article is about pushing all of those options aside and presenting you with the best digital signage software on the market. The solution that’s the best is the best because it’s not just digital signage. It’s called It’s Relevant TV, and we’re going to delve into why it’s the best business TV service.

What makes the Best Digital Signage App the “Best?”

The features. The measure of a good signage app is what it brings to the table; specifically what it does for your visitors, and what it does for your business as a whole. It’s Relevant TV is the best because of how closely it resembles cable TV, and how it doubles as an effective marketing tool.

In short? It’s TV designed specifically for businesses.

It comes with none of the things you hate about cable. Viewers feels like they’re watching real-live television when they watch It’s Relevant TV. Pairing your messaging with entertaining content ensures that your message is not only noticed, but it has a higher chance of being well-received.

Content is key. A digital “sign” or “message board” isn’t enough if you’re really going for results; which is all that a lot of these “free digital signage apps” are offering.

FACT: People are more receptive towards marketing messages when they’re in a good mood.

Nothing puts people in a good mood quite like entertaining videos. It’s Relevant TV’s media library contains over half-a-million videos, which are organized into about 50 categories you can pick and choose from; you won’t find a business TV service with more diverse, and entertaining content.

How does a Digital Signage App Improve your Business Itself?

The most basic way is by empowering you to deliver important messaging to your visitors via the TV. That’s where most of these free digital signage apps stop — but it’s like you just read; that messaging just isn’t effective unless it’s paired with something that gets your audience to look at the TV in the first place. In the case of It’s Relevant, the service comes with features designed to do more than just communicate with your visitors.

It’s has features designed to encourage engagement, and help move your business forward.

Features like real-time social media integration, allows you to display your most recent Facebook Twitter, or Instagram posts directly on the TV by connecting your accounts to the system. The technology is 100% safe, with visitors only seeing posts made by you or your staff. When it comes to generating more followers on social media, you couldn’t ask for a better marketing tool from a business TV service.

TV services should offer more, not just the bare minimum.

Finding the Best Digital Signage App for your Business

There is no all-around “best” TV software for businesses; there’s only your business, and your business’ specific needs. If you’re serious about finding the signage app that’s right for you, it’s important to do your research. Too many business owners get locked into long contracts before realizing the TV software they chose isn’t what they thought it was, or that it came with a catch.

Schedule a demo, request a call, or chat with representatives before making a decision.

The mark of a good service provider is one who’s happy to accommodate all of the above. You want to pick a provider that is there to work with you. You want someone who is available to chat with, answer questions, and set up meetings to show you the technology firsthand. Digital signage apps can really help grow your business if you partner with the right provider.

Inexpensive Marketing: Budgeting Post-Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Businesses left and right have suffered major setbacks in light of the spread of Coronavirus (COIVD-19). If you’re a business owner, you’re probably facing budget cuts right now, or looking for ways to make your marketing dollars count. You’re not alone. Businesses across the country are trying to make ends meet; cutting spending wherever possible and doing what’s necessary to stay open or reopen strong.

We all must be prepared for change.

Your Marketing Budget: Adjusting to the Change

Making a list of your monthly spends, identifying the essentials, and cutting the non-essentials is the first logical step.

If you’re having difficulty deciding on what to cut; try giving each item on the list a rating of 1-5 in terms of importance. Cut back on, or reduce, the lower-rated items and go from there. The list will get narrow fast, and there are bound to be things you’re hesitant to get rid of.

Marketing is often one of the first areas to go when companies have to make necessary reductions. And while it’s easy to cut a big ad buy or commercial production, there are inexpensive, even free solutions, that can be put into place to help you adjust to the changes.

It’s important to keep in mind that your changes are meant to be temporary!

Factor that into your decision-making if it helps. The silver lining from the Coronavirus fear is the possibility that some of these changes you are being forced to consider may actually benefit your business in the long run. Giving your list of expenditures a scrub and re-evaluating what’s important from time to time is a good practice in general.

Too many businesses only get around to cleaning their budget when it’s an emergency. Regardless, after a hard look at your spends, you should be able to get a better understanding of what your business can, and can’t do without.

Focus on Creating Revenue Generators

Does your business have a TV? Are you using a service for it like cable, satellite, or DirecTV? If so, you may want to consider cable replacement. Specifically, a custom TV network.

READ: “Should I Cancel Cable? A Better Cable Alternative for Businesses“

Costing less than the average cable subscription, a custom TV network is the best way to generate revenue from your business’ television. It gives businesses the power to deliver important revenue-generating messaging to visitors in a meaningful way, while providing them with controlled programming to keep them happy. When you’re using your TV to promote your business’ services, you’ll have more people taking advantage of them.

Custom TV Network: Where to Start Looking

As businesses reopen in the near future, keeping visitors happy and feeling safe is going to be more important than ever.

Things will go back to normal, but you can bet that the news will still be talking about the Coronavirus. COVID-19 isn’t going to disappear overnight. Even after the ALL-CLEAR, there are going to be people who are still anxious to reintegrate. Something as simple as a custom TV network can go a long way towards helping your visitors feel comfortable. COVID-free TV is better for everyone.

Start your search here: It’s Relevant TV – Custom TV Networks for Businesses.

It’s Relevant TV has a feature that allows you to block out world news about things like the Coronavirus, which is a great way to keep Corona-coverage from impacting your business. For more great tips on preparing your business for reopening, check out the article below.

READ: “Top 5 Ways to Prepare your Business for Reopening After COVID-19“

Market Trends: A Closer Look At Business Ad Spending

The recent pandemic has changed the way that businesses are approaching and handling ad spending. With consumers in quarantine, and businesses closing left and right, it’s not surprising to hear that new marketing trends are emerging as a result. One such trend that the market is observing is reduced ad spending from traditional brick and mortar businesses, but increased spending from tech, and online-based businesses.

Businesses that are Reducing Ad Spending vs Businesses that are Increasing

Bed Bath & Beyond, Marshalls, and Dicks Sporting Goods are prime examples of retailers that are cutting back on their ad spends; whereas tech companies like Apple, website companies like Godaddy, and streaming services like Disney+ are all bulking up their spends.

According to Winmo, Apple alone saw an increase of +$51.6 million in ad spending compared to February of 2020.

Winmo

With so many stores closing, you aren’t going to see the same kinds of ads you’re used to seeing; the ones encouraging shoppers to go out and buy-buy-buy. Because of that, businesses that aren’t limited to a physical location have a bigger advantage.

Also worth noting is the rise in ad spending in the food industry.

Despite their dining areas being closed, franchises such as McDonald’s, Wendys, and Burger King are spending a lot more on ads; reminding customers about the various delivery options that are available. More than just cable TV, you’ll see more and more of these ads on streaming services due to an increased number of people working from home.

Ad Spending Down? Consider a New Approach

Three words: Custom Television Network.

When ad spends are on the low-end, it’s the perfect time to explore some of the new marketing tools that are out there. Specifically, ones having to do with the TV. Just about every business has a TV, and 100% of businesses have something they’re trying to sell. The TV in your business is the best tool to promote your services, and your brand. But that’s only possible with the right business TV software.

Recommended: “The Best Marketing Tool 2020: Your TV“

In addition to being the best place to put your TV advertisements, custom TV networks are incredibly cost-effective. One business TV provider in particular, It’s Relevant TV, features live social media integration and over half-a-million videos to entertain your visitors with. This not only helps generate more followers on social media, but delivers your marketing messages in a more meaningful way.

Car Dealerships: How To Compete With Online Car Buying Sites like Carvana

Car buying sites and apps like Carvana, Carmax, and TrueCar are changing the way that people are buying and selling cars. The trend of buying things online has grown tremendously over the past 10 years; a convenience that’s no longer limited to clothes, furniture, or anything small enough to fit in a box. Now because you can make a purchase as big as a car from the comfort of your own home, the automotive industry is experiencing a major shift in the way that cars are bought and sold.

If you own or operate a dealership, you know how frustrating it can be to lose customers to an online retailer. Fortunately, there are certain measures you can take, and new technology to consider that can help strengthen customer retention, and even generate new business.

See: “The Top 6 Dealership TV Systems: Comparing Custom TV Offerings.“

The Rising Threat of Car Buying Sites

At the time this article is being written, many businesses- dealerships included, are closed because of the Coronavirus. Due to the fact that many customers are stuck at home, or practicing social distancing; if someone is in the market for a new vehicle, chances are that they’re going to explore car buying sites in order to limit contact with others. Because of this, services like Carvana are thriving more than ever before. Stocks in Carvana, specifically, went up a whopping 68% since last March.

Additionally, an article published by Forbes labels car buying sites as “The Best Way to Buy a Car in the Age of Coronavirus.”

Virus or not, car buying services didn’t need a worldwide pandemic to get ahead of the game; their success was inevitable. Competing against these alternative means of buying and/or selling cars isn’t impossible, but it’ll take some clever strategizing and forward-thinking.

3 Key Steps to Competing Against Car Buying Sites

Step 1.) Make Your Dealership Shine! If the Coronavirus left any sort of lasting impact on the way that business is conducted, it’s CLEANLINESS. Even after the country gets the ALL-CLEAR, you can count on folks practicing social distancing, or even wearing masks in public. The anxiety isn’t going to go away overnight. In fact, the bar for what constitutes as “a clean establishment” is likely going to be set high. Do what you can to keep surfaces and waiting areas clean. Offer sanitizer; a small, but meaningful gesture. You want your customers to be comfortable and stress-free when they visit your dealership.

See: “Top 5 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Reopening Post-Coronavirus.“

Step 2.) Revisit Your Social Media Pages

If your dealership isn’t on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; consider getting it on social media- especially Facebook. If you do have a presence, but your pages aren’t up-to-date, blow the dust off and make an effort to craft regularly-scheduled posts. Dedicate a member of your staff to make a daily, or even bi-weekly posts to ping your loyal followers. The more active your are, the more likely your posts are to get shared. The more your posts are shared, the more likely you are to generate more followers on social media. Followers are generally the best folks to market to since they’re already following you; and they’re more likely to make a purchase with you.

Related Article: “Social Media on TV: Businesses Become More Social with their Customers” & “Top 3 Reasons to Get Social Media TV Software for your Business.”

Step 3.) Brush Up on the Latest Waiting Room Technology

Waiting room technology is ever-growing. In the past, if you had a TV in your waiting area, you’d put cable on it and call it a day; whereas today, you have your choice of cable TV alternatives to pick from. Alternatives that not only tend to be more cost-effective than cable or satellite TV, but are a lot safer, and come with all kinds of features made with your business in mind. The elements that make up the best car dealership TV vary based on your dealership’s specific needs; however, the following article should give you a good idea in terms of what to look for: “Car Dealership TV Systems – The Top 5 Most Important Elements.“

Car dealerships are among the best users of custom TV networks; having no shortage of videos, promotions, and marketing messages to entice customers with. Deciding between a cable TV subscription that doesn’t block out ads from “Bob’s Better Automobiles,” vs a custom TV network that promotes your own brand is an easy choice.

Related Article: “Should I Cancel Cable? A Better Cable Alternative for Businesses.“

Interested in a Custom TV Network for your Car Dealership? Start Here

Whether you’re new to waiting room TV technology, or you’re switching from a service like Spectrio, or Automotive Broadcasting Network (ABN); the best TV solution for car dealerships is It’s Relevant TV. Featured in an article published by Automotive News, It’s Relevant stands out from its competitors by having the lowest cost, whilst being the most feature-rich.

It’s Relevant TV for Car Dealerships features the world’s largest library of licensed, short-form content at over half-a-million videos. Additionally, it’s the only service that features live social media integration; displaying your most recent Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram posts for visitors to enjoy alonside IRTV’s fun and engaging content. See what’s out there, but don’t settle for less than what IRTV delivers.

READ: “What’s the Best Dealership TV Service for Waiting Rooms?“

Should I Close My Business During the Corona (COVID-19) Outbreak?

A number of restaurants, offices, and even large retailers are closing up shop in response to growing concerns about the corona outbreak. Some are even required to depending upon choices made in local jurisdictions. If you’re a business owner, you might be asking yourself the question:

“Do I close my business?”

Many businesses are. The answer really depends on you, your staff, and your industry. Are you noticing an alarming decrease in visitors, or sales? For some business owners, temporarily closing; whether it’s for a week or two, or for a month, is the best option for your business. However if it’s a restaurant that you own, this article for restaurant owners might help you identify some says in which to stay open during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Retailers, on the other hand, may have it much harder as people aren’t as likely to buy non-essentials during a health crisis. Below is something to keep in mind if you ultimately decide to temporarily close shop, and help you bounce back once all of this is over.

Focus on Your Strategy for Reopening Post-Corona

Have a solid game plan to hit the ground running.

More important than the decision to close your business for a time is figuring out how you’re going to reopen in the near future. It can be tough, and extremely stressful to deal with the financial impact of closing. Take advantage of the time you have, and strengthen your strategy for when your doors are open again.

A major part of that strategy should be growing your business from within. Work on your website. Make phone calls, research new vendors/partners you may want to work with. Every brand has loyal customers, yours will be waiting, and even excited for you to reopen. Reward those loyal customers for coming back; give them reasons to be excited about returning, and reasons to refer their friends.

Utilize Your TV’s Full Potential

When you eventually reopen your store, you’re going to have a lot of messaging that you want customers to see, and certain programming you may want to remove. Putting that messaging on your business’ TV gets it noticed. Whether it’s a big sale, a referral bonus, or a reminder to follow the brand on social media for even more deals; utilizing your TV is the least expensive way to get customers informed.

Consider a custom TV network to help kickstart your store’s marketing messaging for when you eventually reopen. It’s an inexpensive way to market to your loyal customers and earn back their repeat business.

Top 5 Ways to Maximize Working From Home During Coronavirus

The coronavirus has a lot of companies and businesses working from home in an effort to combat exposure; however, not everyone was prepared to do so. Business owners without a contingency plan are quickly discovering the challenges of working from a home office regularly. Normally that might not be so difficult, however when your whole staff is forced to do the same, that’s when things get complicated.

Fortunately, there are ways to plan ahead.

During this time, it’s important to remind yourself that things will be back to normal, eventually. But until then, be a step up- by stepping up; plan ahead, and keep the following 5 tips for maximizing work-from-home effectiveness in mind.

Tip#1: Strategize a Way to Communicate with your Customers & Visitors For Reopening

The lights may be off, and your doors closed, but you still have visitors, clients, and/or loyal customers who should be kept up-to-date and informed of news regarding your business.

Communicating with your visitors- and employees, as well, will be more important than ever before.

The coronavirus is not likely to disappear overnight. Even as businesses start to reopen, it won’t be without a number of precautions, and preventative measures in regards to public health safety. Once people start coming back to your business, they will want to know what measures you’re taking in order to keep them safe. Mass emails and social media is an okay place to start; however, your customers are likely to get emails from every business to the point where they’re ignored. Additionally, the folly of social media is that not everyone follows you, and therefore isn’t the most reliable way of getting this sort of message across.

Not when tools like It’s Relevant TV exist to communicate important messaging to your visitors and employees.

Putting your important messages on your business’ TV is the best way to get it noticed by everyone in your business. Investing some time into coming up with a solution for this while you’re working from home should be priority #1. For more information about getting started with a custom TV network, start your search here.

Tip#2: Build a Workspace with Minimal Distractions

If you’re not used to working at home, it doesn’t take much. Whether it’s a desk in the corner, the kitchen table, or even a well-placed tray in front of a comfy couch; if it supports your computer, and your phone is handy, it’s enough if you can get work done. However- home office or makeshift workspace, minimizing distractions is paramount to staying on top of things.

Working at home; the temptation to relax, or procrastinate, can be very real. In order to avoid falling behind on important tasks, you should:

1.) Dress as if you were going to the office.

2.) Reduce auditory distractions: i.e. TV, videos, etc.

3.) Hang a sign on your door if you’re living with others, or communicate that you have to work hard, and focus, between during your normal (or adjusted) business hours.

Tip#3: Communicate with your Team & Employees Regularly

Communicating with your team members and/or employees is essential to staying on top of work during this coronavirus outbreak. Working from home, it’s easy to get distracted; the same goes for your employees. The best way to ensure that work is getting done is through regular scheduled check-ins, or team-updates.

The solution can be as simple as a group chat.

Setting up a group chat on messenger, or requesting daily, weekly, or even bi-weekly status reports is an effective way to keep employees mindful of their pacing, and incentivizes them to create progress goals. Be prepared for bumps in the road, especially for employees who aren’t used to working remotely. Communication is the key to both preventing, and working out problems.

Tip#4: Face-to-Face Video Meetings

“We human beings are social beings.” -Dalai Lama

Naturally, one of the downsides to working from home is the lack of social interaction. We thrive on it; some, more than others. With social-distancing in effect, most-all telecommuniction is being done via phone, email, and text messages. You might be thinking to yourself: “How is this any different than before?” We take for granted how many human faces we see in a day until we’re limiting contact.

Seeing a face is good for soul.

Consider using services such as Apple’s Facetime, or Zoom.US to get a healthy dose of human element. Hosting meetings via video chat is a great way to simulate the feeling that you’re all in the same place together. It’s more meaningful, and has a lot more heart than text, or emails.

Tip#5: Keep Morale Up Working From Home

Worker morale is a vital part to any thriving business. At a time when businesses are closing left and right, and and many Americans are working from home; there’s a million reasons morale could be suffering. It’s a good practice for business owners, or those who are managing teams, to take a few minutes out of the day to chat casually with your fellow workers and team members. Ask how they’re doing, share your own stories, or even share videos with them to lift their spirits.

Everything from a “4:00 Tea/Coffee Casual” where everyone sits down at the end of the day with something hot, and shows off their fun mugs, to designating a color for everyone to wear for the next video meeting can be enough to raise spirits and bring everyone together.