Anne Shaw

Discussions with The Hartford’s Small Business Owner Online Community have taught us that many small business owners who have seen a dip in business due to COVID-19 are choosing to use this slow period productively. Many of them aim to improve their sales and marketing strategy, which may include highlighting a specific product or service that’s particularly relevant during today’s crisis. To do so, some hope to better harness social media marketing, while others have decided to build a wider...

Following several high-profile entrepreneurs’ suicides within the last decade, discussing the mental health of business owners has only recently lost its taboo status. In fact, a 2014 Inc. article, “The Psychological Price of Entrepreneurship,” won an award for bringing the topic of anxiety, stress and depression among founders to light. While business ownership is a celebrated option, especially in America, focusing only on the good parts is a disservice to business owners who understand all...

This eBook offers data and insights that reveal how the L&D function is becoming more integral to organizational change, especially as the essential skills sets that companies need to compete evolve.

The Hartford commissioned this article to introduce a new type of insurance policy. Together we discussed angles we could use to keep it timely and to best relate to two different customer types.
"If you’re a handyman without business insurance, you’re not alone. In fact, we discovered in a recent survey that just 43% of handymen are currently insured. Respondents without insurance reported that they either don’t think they need it or that they’re 'willing to take the risk.' But what is the risk?"

A step-by-step infographic guiding people on how to create a career map, with example.
Writing includes intro copy and all infographic copy.

Part of a series of articles for small business owners during the COVID-19 Pandemic

While life as a small business owner has its perks, it also has its challenges. It can be hectic and even overwhelming at times, especially now during the current COVID-19 outbreak. If you have an inclination toward stress or anxiety, then the pandemic, along with its baggage of economic unknowns, might be wreaking havoc on your mental health.

While the importance of social media marketing has grown, it’s never been more essential to small businesses than now. While most of the population is trying to stay home, many small businesses have been completely altering how they communicate with and market to customers, as well as how they deliver their services and products.
In fact, The Hartford’s Small Business Owner Online Community confirmed that not only are many small business owners making operational changes that adopt new ways...

The talent acquisition team at Leidos hired more than 8,000 people in 2019 — and they're continuing to recruit for plenty of positions. With job candidates unable to physically visit our offices, all interviews have gone virtual. To ensure that all goes smoothly, the Leidos recruiting team has shared best practices for video job interviews with our hiring managers — and we don't want you to miss out on these tips.

We’ve been checking in with many small business owners via The Hartford’s Small Business Owner Online Community. Beyond learning details about their current struggles, we also noticed an admirable trend among our small business owner community—one that showcases adaptability. Whether they’re in an area with state-mandated closures or not, some small business owners are completely adjusting their models, often working with digital tools to engage a customer base that’s now largely staying home. Rather than wait out the pandemic and its effects, business owners are revamping how they...

Even if you understand the ins and outs of using social media from your personal experience, running a social media account for your business is a whole different ballgame. One insensitive post can garner negative coverage and public backlash, and even has the potential to ruin your business.
Take the U.K. butcher who shared his business’s tribute to Prince – purple sausages in honor of Prince’s Purple Rain album. The problem? Prince was vegan...

In this series, I share the best books for small business owners, aiming to save them time by helping them determine whether each book is worth their attention. For each featured book I:
1. Identify exactly which types of business owners will benefit from reading it
2. Summarize the main points
3. Share key take-aways and reader reviews

In this post, I covered The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton M. Christensen.

Traveling for work not only gives you the chance to build relationships with clients and colleagues around the world, it also gives you the opportunity to explore new places. Make every business trip a leisure trip as well by using your meeting breaks to explore the city.

The best way to re-energize during those breaks? Indulge in a little wellness. These one-hour activities can help boost your mind and body with a local experience in an exciting new place.

This article educates small business owners about why they're often the favorite target of hackers before sharing A) common cybersecurity mistakes and how to avoid them, and B) four cyber attacks small businesses often suffer. To further help small business owners understand cybersecurity, this article directs readers to an ebook with more information.