Extension programs focus on HR, social media

With small businesses reopening and needing to adjust their operations amid COVID-19 restrictions and economic challenges, University of Nevada, Reno Extension is offering three different online programs this week to help small businesses with specific challenges.

The events are part of a series of town halls and webinars for small businesses, “Coping With COVID-19,” being offered each week in English and Spanish. The town halls begin with a short presentation on a given topic, and then participants network with one another and drive the discussion. The webinars provide information on specific topics to help businesses plan strategically, adapt and succeed.

Wednesday’s town hall, “HR and Employee Relations After COVID-19,” will be at 9 a.m. for English speakers and 2 p.m. for Spanish speakers. UNR Extension business development instructors Reyna Mendez and Juan Salas will be joined by Small Business Administration deputy director Saul Ramos, Prestamos business advisor Niki Lomibao and UNR Extension research associate Mike Bindrup to discuss topics including bringing employees back to work safely, the essentials of HR, compensation and benefits, recruiting and hiring best practices and onboarding, training and development.

To register for the English town hall, go to https://unrextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUlcuihrzgsHdHmzzdzQWxy9WsXfqI5cUMD. For the Spanish town hall, register at https://unrextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJElcOCvrDkjHtzSpoX84ExP_P5Ya9kOKXsi

UNR Extension offered two webinars this week. “Effective Social Media Strategies” was held at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Pahrump Valley Chamber of Commerce in English.

The second webinar, “Facebook Para Negocios” (Facebook Business Basics) will be held at 11:30 a.m. Friday, June 26, in Spanish. Mendez, Salas and Bindrup will discuss Facebook history and statistics, creating a Facebook business page, exploring Facebook business basic settings, using insight analysis, advantages and disadvantages of using the Facebook Ad Center and strategic tips to grow a Fan Page community.

To register, go to https://unrextension.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJIvdOmhpzgtHtEg33S_rloR2ZXxTNQ2hQ2t.

“This can be a very tricky time for small business owners in terms of HR,” said Buddy Borden, economic development specialist with Extension’s Business Development Program. “They may have staffing issues, and they want to make sure to keep their employees safe, and follow all COVID-19 rules and regulations. Our town hall will focus on these types of issues, while the webinars will provide information to help businesses take advantage of online marketing opportunities.”

Both the town halls and the webinars are free, and usually run about an hour. For more information, go to the Extension Business Development Program website at extension.unr.edu/busdev. There are also other resources at the website to assist businesses during the COVID-19 crisis. For more information, email Borden at bordenb@unr.edu