In March 2020, the world stopped due to a global pandemic that took over every aspect of life. Businesses and schools shut down. Workforces laid off or moved to work from home. Everything known as ‘normal’ came into question. Then six weeks later, plans were underway to return from isolation and begin interacting again. But the COVID pandemic was not over, not even close, and there were more questions than answers in the daily news.
“In a conversation with a fellow colleague, the question, ‘What do businesses and business owners need to know right now?’ came up,” remarks Owens. “I wanted to know what businesses need to know about reopening their doors, working with partners they also live and share a life with, bringing the workforce back or continuing to work from home.” Owens also wondered what businesses needed to know about technology, leadership, crisis communications and more. She wasn’t looking for answers that required deep research and advanced study, but more about what was needed at that exact moment.
“I set out to interview experts in their fields who had something to say beyond the Business 101 level and could speak to the challenges currently being faced,” says Owens.” What followed were daily, live broadcast, videos inspiring her first book, What Businesses Need to Know Right Now – Lessons Learned From Interviewing Businesses During a Pandemic. Now Owens has a second volume, What Do Businesses Need to Know Right Now: How To Flourish in Uncertainty. “I am excited to provide Volume 2 to help businesses move forward.”
“When you need advice for what is happening in the world as it impacts your business, you don’t have time to take a course and become the expert,” comments Owens. “You need to tap into the knowledge of those who have already figured out the next steps.” Owens has created and structured her book for entrepreneurs who need information quickly and has also kept those with chronic disorganization and ADHD in mind. “I specialize in helping those who struggle with organization and productivity and I know exactly what they need to be more successful. This was a priority for me.”
The interviews for the second book took place between October 2020 to June 2021. “Decision making was still difficult and there was a collective fog of emotion that clouded the question of, ‘How do we keep going?’, “says Owens. The book covers everything from Money and Law to Wellness and Marketing. Current data shows the need to support new entrepreneurs. In fact, nearly 5.4 million new businesses were started in the US in 2021. (Census, 2022)
The takeaways from Owens’ second book include:
“My hope for this book is to provide a clear resource that connects people and creates community,” said Owens. “The experts included in this book are real people who would be happy to engage with the readers. Maybe one day this series will sit on business owners’ desks as a companion to the work they are doing.”
Nettie Owens is a certified, internationally recognized, and award-winning expert and speaker in the field of accountability, and productivity. A graduate of Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Computer Science and a minor in Entrepreneurship and Management, Owens’ methodologies are brain-based, researched, and backed by science. She received the designation of Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization from the Institute for Challenging Disorganization.
Through training, speaking, coaching, blogging, and 100+ video interviews on “What Businesses Need To Know Right Now,” Owens brings over 18 years of experience to her clients, communities, and beyond. Owens has been featured on TLC, ABC, CNN, eHow FOX, YAHOO, World Economic Forum, and such publications as Bloomberg, Thrive Global, Authority Magazine, Parents, Entrepreneur, Tatler Hong Kong, and the Pittsburgh Gazette. Check out the interviews included in her books and connect with Nettie Owens at www.whatbusinessesneedtoknow.com and nettieowens.com