Author: Alice Good

If the past few years have taught us anything, it’s that representation matters. Our society continues to work towards a more just system where people of color can feel safe and welcomed in any and every scenario. This has bled over to the entertainment industry, with more films showing representation across all backgrounds, ethnicities, and people.

Our team at Go.Verizon.com took a closer look at some of the most searched films with a Black lead in every state, not only the 10 states in which Verizon internet service is available. With The Woman King, Nope, and Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, we’re excited to see more Black representation in Hollywood.

Interesting Findings

• The Hate U Give – Amandla Stenberg started her career in the action thriller Colombiana. Most recently, she starred in The Hate U Give playing sixteen-year old Starr Carter. Stenberg’s career is full of accolades having received a nomination in 2013 for a NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture with her role in Hunger Games and being named one of the 30 Most Influential Teens in 2015 and 2016 by Time. 
• Journal for Jordan — Michael B. Jordan is both an actor and producer. In his most recent role he plays the late 1st Sergeant Charles Monroe King in Journal for Jordan, but is best known for his roles in Fruitvale Station, Creed, and Black Panther. In 2020, he was named one of the 100 Most Influential People by Time and People’s Sexiest Man Alive.  
• Nope – Released in July of 2022, Nope is about two siblings who run a California horse ranch and discover something sinister in the skies. The newly released film has already won the Most Anticipated Film by the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards. 
• Tenet – Released on September 3, 2020, Tenet was written and directed by Christopher Nolan. The protagonist in the film is actor, producer, and former professional football player John David Washington, who is the son of actor Denzel Washington and actress Pauletta Washington. Due to his outstanding performance, Washington received both Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Award nominations. 
• Soul – Actor, singer, and comedian Jamie Foxx stars as Joe, a New York jazz pianist that finds himself between earth and the afterlife. Foxx is a highly decorated actor who has won an Academy Award for Best Actor, BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Leading Role, and a Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy.
• The Batman – Released in March, 2022, The Batman features actress, singer, and model Zoe Kravitz as Selina. Kravitz is the daughter of singer-songwriter Lenny Kravits and actress Lisa Bonet. She has also starred in movies such as X-Men: First Class, the Divergent series, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, and many others. 

H2: Interesting Findings

• Black Panther — Kenyan-American actress Lupita Nyong’o stars as Nakia in this award winning, action packed film. Throughout her career Nyong’o has won an Academy Award, Daytime Emmy Award, four NAACP Image Awards, and two Screen Actors Guild Awards. Aside from her acting career, in 2019 she wrote a children’s book named Sulwe, which became a New York Times bestseller, and in 2020 she was named one of Africa’s 50 most powerful women by Forbes. 
• West Side Story — American actress, dancer, and singer Ariana DeBose plays Anita in the remake of this highly acclaimed musical, and is no stranger to the world of theater. In 2011, she made her Broadway debut in Bring it On: The Musical and later landed a role in Hamilton. DeBose is an accomplished actress, having received both an Academy Award and Golden Globe award. She also participated in So You Think You Can Dance in 2009.
• Coming 2 America – Coming 2 America is the prequel to the film released in 1988 about an African prince that travels to Queens, New York, and goes undercover to find a wife that he can respect. The 2021 movie received 11 nominations and won 6 awards including Excellence in Contemporary Film by the Costume Designers Guild Awards,  Best Contemporary Makeup, Best Special Makeup Effects, and Best Contemporary Hair Styling as Hollywood Makeup Artist and Hair Stylist Guild Awards.
• Moonlight – Moonlight is the story of Chiron, a young Black man growing up in Miami. The movie was released on November 18, 2016 and has since received 296 nominations and 228 wins including 3 Oscars: Best Motion Picture of the Year, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
• Waves – Actor Kelvin Harrison Jr. began his career with roles in Ender’s Game and 12 Years a Slave, but gained wider recognition for his work in Luce and Waves. This film was released on November 15, 2019 and traces the journey of an African American family led by a domineering father.  In the movie, Kelvin Harrison Jr. stars as Tyler, a popular high school wrestler. Throughout his career, Harrison has won a Screen Actors Guild Award and has received nominations for a British Academy Film Award, Gotham Award, and Independent Spirit Award.
• King Richard – The biography of Richard Williams, the father of Venus and Serena Williams, King Richard shows his determination to write his daughters into history. Actor, rapper, and producer Will Smith stars in the film as Richard Williams. Over the span of his decades-long career, Smith has received many awards including an Academy Award, four Grammy Awards, a Golden Globe Award, and a Screen Actors Guild Award. 

Methodology

To find the most popular movies with a Black lead released in the past six years we looked at IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes. To ensure our data was both current and relevant, we only considered films released between January, 2016 and today with user ratings between 7 to 10. We also considered each film’s rating count and only included movies with at least 10,000 ratings in the United States (Sorted by Popularity Ascending). 

Once reviewing all the films that met our criteria, we sorted them by a weighted average of critical reviews from Metacritic. The Metacritic team reads the reviews and assigns each a 0–100 score, which is then given a weight, mainly based on the review’s quality and source. This list helped us to determine our top 15 films. To tie in our findings we used Google Trends to determine which states searched our final 15 films the most over the past 12 months.

 

Go.Verizon.com is an authorized premium partner of Verizon. For media inquiries, please contact media@verizon-business.com

 

 

Survey Results

Additional Findings

Meet the Mental Health Experts

Media Inquiries

 

It’s been over two years since the COVID-19 pandemic sent millions of workers home in March 2020. Now, what was thought to be a temporary experience has become the new status quo—in fall 2021, 45% of Americans were working from home either part-time or full-time.

While remote work has offered new benefits for some employees, such as a more relaxed dress code and less money spent on transportation, many workers have felt the downsides of a more isolated work environment. With topics like employee burnout, job switching, and work/life balance in the news, the team at Go.Verizon.com decided to see how average working-from-home Americans feel about the remote work experience.

After the team surveyed 1,000 Americans 18-and-over who have worked from home at some point in the past two years, found that working from home has had a sizable impact on the mental health of many workers. 

Diane Bigler, a National Mental Health and Corporate Trainer, suggests that there is a larger cultural explanation for why employees are feeling burned out. She describes the current culture as one where “overperforming is celebrated, and resting, relaxation and self-care are discounted. It is inevitable that people who are consistently burned out will feel more depressed, anxious, and stressed if their burnout is not addressed or mitigated. In these cases, not only does the employee pay the price, but the company does as well.” 

Dipal Shah, a Mind Reprogramming Expert, offers some reasoning behind why over half of respondents are happy to continue working from home: “The benefits for those who are working from home is saving commute time, not having to dress up/do makeup and hair, limited travel, being available when children come home from school, and having independence with their schedule.”

Claudia Grace, a certified Executive & Corporate Wellness Coach, has advice for employers on how to make their workers feel supported. “Companies must change their antiquated systems by offering successful Employee Wellness Programs and listening to what their employees need: more flexible work hours, mental health days, and a culture of well-being,” Grace says. “Most employees feel their companies are not offering proper access and support to combat burnout, stress, and remove the stigma of mental health where they work.”

Dr. Kennette Thigpen Harris, a Corporate Well-being Consultant, suggests that taking scheduled breaks from work isn’t a bad thing. “It’s important to create healthy habits while working from home,” Dr. Thigpen says. “Three things to keep in mind are to create routines, take breaks, and set boundaries. Routines help to create a life-work balance. Breaks are intentional time to pause, reset, and return with greater energy. Boundaries assist in protecting your physical, emotional, and mental health while strengthening workplace culture.”

 

Interesting Findings

• Despite the work/life balance complications that can come with working from home, 82% of respondents prefer WFH to working in-office.
• 55% of respondents have taken at least one mental health day in the past two years, though 20% say it’s not an option at their place of employment
• 57% of respondents have cried at work in the past two years, and of that 57%, 49% reported to have cried many times.
• 45% of respondents have seen a mental health professional in the past two years.
• Overall, many respondents appreciate the perks of WFH. 51% of respondents like working from home because of the flexibility it offers, 15% feel less micromanaged at home, and 15% appreciate being able to spend more time with family.

 

Mental Health Experts

Special thanks to our expert contributors for providing their thoughts on our survey findings:

Dipal Shah is a Mind Reprogramming Expert who runs a wellness company from her home, and frequently works with business executives around the globe regarding chronic stress and burnout. You can find out more about her services by visiting her website.

 

Claudia Grace is a certified Executive & Corporate Wellness Coach. You can find out more about her services by visiting her website.

Dr. Kennette Thigpen Harris is a Corporate Well-being Consultant and Speaker. You can find out more about her services by visiting her website. 

Diane Bigler, LCSW, LSCSW, is a National Mental Health and Corporate Trainer. You can find out more about her services at her website.

 

Go.Verizon.com is an authorized premium partner of Verizon.

Reporters may send questions to media@verizon-business.com.

Jump to:

• The Top 5 States for Business Cyberattack Recovery
• Methodology
• Additional Cybersecurity Data Across America
• State-by-State Breakdown
• Media Inquiries

Cyberattacks are a potential risk for any business and it has never been more important to keep your business safe online. With ransomware breaches increasing by nearly 500% between 2018 and 2020, small and medium businesses can face devastating losses when they don’t secure their data. Lucky for you, it’s possible to get ahead.

As business internet specialists that are passionate about keeping customers safe, the Go.Verizon.com team set out to find which states have the greatest likelihood of business recovery from cyberattacks. Here’s what we found.

The Top 5: State-by-State Breakdown

For the second year in a row, Vermont made the top 5 states for business cyberattack recovery. Even more, its score increased 20% from our 2020 report, and the state resources for cybersecurity show that they take threats seriously.

South Dakota moved down a spot from last year, but was able to securely stay in the top 5. While phishing is an increasing threat among Americans, South Dakotans only lost $1,074 per 10,000 businesses from phishing last year.

Colorado has an impressively low number of data breaches per 10,000 businesses at 0.06%. It also only had $274 in victim losses from malware per 10,000 businesses, which pales in comparison to Iowa’s $7,346.

The Pine Tree State boasts the country’s lowest rate of victim losses from phishing per 10,000 businesses at $578. The next closest state, South Dakota, had nearly double the amount of losses from phishing scams.

While Montana wasn’t breach-free, the state only had 175 records stolen per 10,000 businesses. The state also increased its score from our last report by a staggering 25.5%, bringing it from a D to an A and placing it in our top 5. 

Methodology

To find the likelihood of recovery within a state for businesses that experienced cyberattacks, we looked at the following information:

• The number of small businesses per state in 2021
• The percent of all business bankruptcies in the past year according to the US Courts
• The number of data breaches per state and number of records lost/stolen in data breaches per state in the past two years according to Privacy Rights
• The number crime type by victim count reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the crime type by victim loss according ic3’s 2020 data

Each category was standardized and then given a weighted score to receive an overall score (the higher the score, the less likely a small business is to go bankrupt by a cyberattack). Each category was weighed as follows:

• Small businesses per population: 20%
• Percent of all business bankruptcies state level: 25%
• Total number of data breaches per 10,000 businesses: 15%
• Total number of records lost/stolen per 10,000 businesses: 15%
• Corporate loss per 10,000 businesses: 5%
• Malware loss per 10,000 businesses: 5%
• Phishing scams per 10,000 businesses: 15%

After weighted scores were calculated, each state received a curved score to determine its letter grade.

• A = 78–100 points 
• B = 75–77 points 
• C = 71–74 points 
• D = 56–70 points
• F = 0–55 points

Additional Cybersecurity Data Across America

• Florida has the greatest rate of small to medium size businesses (SMBs) per 10,000 people, with a total of 2.8 million SMBs.
• In Texas, 41.5% of all bankruptcy cases were related to SMBs. From our 2020 report to our 2021 report, Texas’s score went down 13.2%, bringing it from a C to a D.
• California had the greatest phishing losses, totaling $8,864,419.
• Alaska had a 44.8% increase in its score from the 2020 report to the 2021 report, bringing it from an F to a B.

State-by-State Breakdown

State	Score	Grade	Number of Small Businesses per 10,000 People	Percent of All Business Bankruptcies—State Level
California	65.2	D	1069	22.12%
New York	76.2	B	1175	17.26%
Ohio	75.5	B	843	3.02%
Tennessee	76.4	B	949	4.01%
Florida	84.4	A	1340	12.74%
Missouri	75.8	B	889	3.36%
Texas	62.1	D	1062	41.52%
Georgia	79.2	A	1057	6.18%
Illinois	78.9	A	940	6.62%
Wisconsin	74.3	C	797	4.49%
Washington	73.7	C	875	4.10%
Virginia	77.0	B	927	3.19%
Minnesota	81.3	A	959	2.71%
Colorado	88.8	A	1203	2.71%
Pennsylvania	70.8	D	860	13.27%
New Jersey	84.8	A	1056	4.37%
Delaware	53.8	F	920	20.65%
Maryland	64.0	D	1027	2.11%
Nevada	79.8	A	1000	3.23%
District Of Columbia	71.3	C	1152	8.89%
Arizona	79.9	A	867	2.02%
Massachusetts	74.9	C	1044	7.04%
South Carolina	83.9	A	888	3.07%
Indiana	77.0	B	794	2.30%
Alabama	81.9	A	837	3.21%
Utah	84.2	A	1013	1.29%
Arkansas	78.2	A	862	2.56%
North Carolina	73.8	C	939	14.67%
Connecticut	77.7	B	995	2.51%
Michigan	83.1	A	905	3.90%
Oregon	78.6	A	961	2.47%
Mississippi	79.4	A	887	3.65%
Wyoming	71.7	C	1215	2.59%
Rhode Island	80.0	A	1007	3.02%
West Virginia	61.6	D	623	7.21%
New Mexico	70.3	D	759	2.69%
Hawaii	80.4	A	966	3.77%
Kansas	73.7	C	886	1.98%
Nebraska	86.7	A	945
New Hampshire	87.4	A	1022	5.66%
Kentucky	73.2	C	811	2.51%
Idaho	86.0	A	1025	2.51%
Oklahoma	82.2	A	921	6.90%
Louisiana	85.8	A	996	7.43%
Vermont	94.1	A	1268	6.58%
Alaska	75.3	B	1004	9.23%
Iowa	75.8	B	873	8.26%
Montana	87.9	A	1201	5.09%
North Dakota	85.2	A	997	3.77%
South Dakota	89.1	A	1033	4.32%
Maine	88.0	A	1128	5.26%

About Go.Verizon.com: Go.Verizon.com is an authorized premium partner of Verizon.

Reporters may send questions to media@verizon-business.com.

Quarantine has kept a lot of families at home this year, and as a result, teens and adults have relied more on virtual entertainment than ever before. In light of that, the team at Go.Verizon.com conducted a study to find out which states have the most recorded screen time. 

For the purposes of the study, the Verizon team defined screen time as gaming, streaming, video calls, and overall device use. The age polled was between 15-18 years old. Find out below where your state falls on the list. 

Ranking Teens’ Screen Time by State 

Teens’ Screen Time: Top Ten States

State	Average daily screen time	Rank
Mississippi	6:11:42	1
Arkansas	5:54:00	2
Alabama	5:53:24	3
Louisiana	5:52:12	4
Florida	5:42:54	5
Nevada	5:40:48	6
Washington	5:39:42	7
Missouri	5:38:42	8
Maryland	5:36:18	9
Georgia	5:33:00	10

Bottom Ten States: Teens’ Screen Time

State	Average daily screen time	Rank
Alaska	4:14:06	41
Vermont	4:37:30	42
Hawaii	4:37:48	43
District of Columbia*	4:37:48	44
Wyoming	4:40:48	45
North Dakota	4:46:48	46
Utah	4:51:00	47
Rhode Island	4:56:06	48
South Dakota	4:58:06	49
Montana	4:58:28	50

Interesting Findings:

• Washington D.C. ranked #4 for the least teen screen time. The nation’s capital city has seventeen free museums, including the Smithsonian’s National Zoo which may correlate with less screen time in this area? 
• In Mississippi, there is an average of fifty-six inches of rain, which might be an excellent reason to stay home and dry.

Methodology

The team at Go.Verizon used information from US Census Data, Common Sense Media, and the most recent American Time Use Survey Summary to estimate the level of screen time per 15–18-year-old in each state. The analysis did not include time spent for schoolwork or homework.

To keep your family up and running no matter your teenagers’ screen time, get internet from a reliable internet provider. Whatever your online needs are—better streaming ability, a gaming network that keeps up with you, or fast-paced math problems—a high-speed connection will get the job done. 

*All fifty states were surveyed along with the District of Columbia. Puerto Rico was not included in this study. 

About Go.Verizon.com: Go.Verizon.com is an authorized premium partner of Verizon. Reporters may send questions to media@verizon-business.com.

According to our data, 96% of school districts switched to online learning amidst the lockdown. So how did school districts that were forced to switch to emergency remote learning fare? Which districts—and states—were prepared to go online overnight? Which flourished in the transition and which struggled? 

The team at Go.Verizon.com was curious, so we analyzed the number of households within each state and city with access to a broadband connection, computer or laptop, online learning platform, and more. As it turns out, the districts that didn’t fare well in the transition also had numerous households with slow internet or poor Wi-Fi connectivity. 

We were also curious: how did making the switch online affect students’ academic performance? To find out, we surveyed 1,639 parents. (Spoiler: students’ academic performance mostly stayed the same or improved.) Read on to find out more.

Here’s What We Found 

• Three out of the five states in the top ten districts that were best prepared for online learning are in the Northeast. Unsurprisingly, the Northeast leads the charge for having the highest number of best states for K-12 education of any region. 

• Eight Idaho districts sit in the top ten school districts worst for online learning. The state’s education budget of $2,473 is one of the lowest in the country.

• 40% of the school districts in the top ten are in New Jersey. During the COVID-19 lockdown, New Jersey allocated funding to school districts for laptops, tablets, and internet hotspots for students in need. 

• In the same vein, New York redistributed funds to provide laptops and free meals for students in need during the COVID-19 lockdown. 

• The Climax Springs R-IV school district in Missouri also snagged a spot in the top ten. Despite having twenty-three schools in its district, Climax Springs R-IV has an impressive student-teacher ratio of 2:1. 

• New Hampshire’s Lincoln-Woodstock School District ranked 25th in the nation for online learning—likely because it averages two students per teacher. The school district boasts a total of 288 students and 129 teachers (talk about undivided attention). 

• Districts in New York receive average funding of $7,737 per student—the most of any state. Meanwhile, school districts in Utah average the least amount of funding per student: $2,436. 

Best School District for Online Learning in Each State

State	Best School District
Alabama	Greene County
Alaska	Copper River School District
Arizona	Chinle Unified District (4158)
Arkansas	Decatur School District
California	Laton Joint Unified
Colorado	Del Norte Consolidated School District No. C-7
Connecticut	East Haddam School District
Delaware	Christina School District
D.C.	District of Columbia Public Schools
Florida	Gadsden
Georgia	Pulaski County
Hawaii	Hawaii Department Of Education
Idaho	Clark County District
Illinois	Calhoun CUSD 40
Indiana	Lake Ridge New Tech Schools
Iowa	Moulton-Udell Comm School District
Kansas	Hamilton
Kentucky	Elliott County
Louisiana	Grant Parish
Maine	RSU 23
Maryland	Kent County Public Schools
Massachusetts	Quaboag Regional
Michigan	Carrollton Public Schools
Minnesota	Red Lake Public School District
Mississippi	Jones Co School District
Missouri	Climax Springs R-IV
Montana	Dodson K-12
Nebraska	Minatare Public Schools
Nevada	Eureka County School District
New Hampshire	Lincoln-Woodstock School District
New Jersey	Elsinboro Township School District
New Mexico	Cobre Consolidated Schools
New York	Bridgehampton Union Free School District
North Carolina	Pender County Schools
North Dakota	Milnor 2
Ohio	Newcomerstown Exempted Village
Oklahoma	Boise City Public School District
Oregon	Neah-Kah-Nie School District
Pennsylvania	Chester-Upland SD
Rhode Island	Newport
South Carolina	Jasper 01
South Dakota	Dupree School District 64-2
Tennessee	Macon County
Texas	McMullen County ISD
Utah	Piute District
Vermont	Hartford School District
Virginia	Carroll Co PBLC SCHS
Washington	Othello School District
West Virginia	Clay County Schools
Wisconsin	Flambeau School District
Wyoming	Fremont County School District #14

• 74% said that transitioning to online learning was moderate, easy, or very easy for their child.

• 24% of people surveyed claimed their child’s academic performance improved while learning online. 32% of people surveyed cited that their child’s academic performance declined. 43% claim their student’s academic performance stayed the same.

• Only 22% of parents prefer online learning.

• 7% of respondents said their internet access was not sufficient for their child’s online learning. 60% of respondents cited slow internet as the biggest internet problem, followed by 37% which cited spotty Wi-Fi. 

• 58% of respondents claimed that their child didn’t experience any issues while trying to access their online classroom.

Methodology

To collect data on the best and worst school districts for online learning, we used the following graphs from the Census Bureau and the NCES.ED.GOV: GS00SS08, S2801, and S0101.

From there, we ranked each district based on the following factors: 

• Number of households with Broadband internet subscriptions (30% of final score)
• Number of households with access to a laptop or desktop (25% of final score)
• Percentage of online learning platform options per state (20% of final score) 
• Student to teacher ratio (15% of final score)
• Number of people aged 5–19 (5% of final score)
• State spending on education per capita (5% of final score)

We surveyed 1,639 parents of students in grades K-12 via Pollfish and Mouseflow surveys to learn about their students’ transition to online learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. We asked questions about ease of transition, academic performance before and after the switch online, learning management and video conferencing platforms used, and more.

About Go.Verizon.com: Go.Verizon.com is an authorized premium partner of Verizon. Reporters may send questions to media@verizon-business.com.

A Coworking Space that Works for You

Starting your own business is an exciting venture, but entrepreneurs often miss the structure and networking opportunities that come with the typical office experience. That’s where coworking comes in. Coworking is when like-minded entrepreneurs run their respective businesses from a shared workspace. With coworking spaces growing 20% worldwide in the last year, there’s never been a better time to set one up.

Take a look at all you can expect when you start to create your very own shared space.

For-profit or not-for-profit

If you’re trying to get your own startup going, a coworking space doesn’t have to be a for-profit endeavor. There are plenty of benefits to a coworking environment without making money. For example, 64% coworking participants surveyed said their coworking networking was an important source of work and business referrals. Creating a not-for-profit coworking space allows you to have a professional environment with lower overhead, gets you in the thick of burgeoning companies, and lets you benefit from the advice and experiences of like-minded people. All of these benefits can be enjoyed without reaching for a strong profit.

If you’re looking to make a profit on a coworking space, a 2019 Global Coworking Survey found  that there are four things consistent in most profitable coworking spaces:

• They have more than 200 members
• They are older than one year
• They are profit-oriented
• They do not subsidize their operation through other businesses

While the first two points will take time to achieve, during early development you can focus on planning separate budgets for your personal venture—if you have one—and your workspace venture and make sure the two remain separate. If you start pulling money from your private venture, it’s likely that you’ll overextend the budget and lose both.

Find your niche

When Duncan Logan’s coworking community, RocketSpace, started taking off, he thought that requiring startups to have their first round of funding would limit the number of applicants. On the contrary, the interest doubled. He explained this phenomenon in an entrepreneur.com article by saying, “Harvard’s greatest success isn’t in the curriculum it teaches, but in its ability to attract the very best.” By narrowing the applicant pool to more serious start-ups, it became more appealing for people to participate because they knew they would be working alongside, learning from, and networking with motivated and successful entrepreneurs.

Logan’s experience illustrates the importance of specializing your workspace. Focus on an industry and tailor the space to attract freelancers and other professionals from that sector. Whether you want to attract a more creative crowd or a techie class, the more defined your niche, the easier it will be to draw in participants.

Location

Unlike typical jobs where you’re stuck working where they put you, coworking participants aren’t obligated to commit to a space that doesn’t work for them. That’s why location is a huge factor. You might be able to get a great deal on shared office space in buildings that have been unoccupied for a while, but that doesn’t mean you should rush to sign the lease on the place with the cheapest rent.

Consider how easily accessible the office is. Are there major highways nearby? Will clients be able to find the building when coming in for a meeting? It’s also important to consider its potential for being converted to a professional workspace. You’ll want to make sure that the space can accommodate private offices, conference rooms, a break room, and space to take private calls. And do your best to find a place that incorporates natural lighting, as a Future Workplace Survey recently found that people feel more drawn to places with natural light exposure.

Make utilities a priority

Imagine putting all that work into making a coworking space that’s comfortable and efficient, finding like-minded entrepreneurs to enlist, sitting down to work, and your internet service can barely manage to load the page. This could be your reality if you don’t put time and effort into finding a reliable high-speed internet service designed to handle business traffic. How many Mbps you need depends on the number of users and type of online activities they’ll do. A typical household needs at least 25 Mbps to function and that’s with just a single family’s internet traffic. Add several coworkers to that and you’ll need at least 250 Mbps for a business of 15-20 people, more as you get closer to 30.

Ambiance

While the bulk of your cost ought to go to providing a convenient and useful workspace with internet service that can support the traffic, there are certain amenities that you can add to your service and set your office space apart. Consider providing a break room where people can unwind, watch a show, and snack on something healthy. Invest a little in nice interior design that makes the office feel more like a living space. Capitalize on the natural light by placing potted plants throughout the office and help colleagues feel refreshed and invigorated. If you can’t get a space with natural light, adopt some low-light plants and invest in good lighting to avoid a caged feeling.

The Bottom Line

Whether you’re designing a space for profit or to gather like minds, don’t take the ambiance lightly. You’re catering to entrepreneurs who have rejected the traditional workspace, so be creative about how you welcome them into yours. Offer a homey environment with plants and comfortable lighting and be sure to create a space that is conducive to creativity. Foster a community of people who can learn and teach together and host networking events to help them share ideas and get settled. Since coworking spaces are about collaboration, consider reaching out to established coworking spaces in other areas and ask for advice. Most of all, be aware of your expenses and ready to adjust your approach. If you find that any one of your additions is an excessive drain on your budget, scrap it or consider cheaper alternatives until your workspace is profitable.

This article provides general information related to compliance with the ADA. This article does not provide legal advice and go.verizon.com is not a law firm. None of our customer service representatives are lawyers and they also do not provide legal advice. Although we consider this article is accurate, we recommend you consult a lawyer if you want legal advice. No attorney-client or confidential relationship exists or will be formed between you and go.verizon.com or any of our representatives.  

 

As a small business owner, you know the importance of making your business a safe and comfortable place for customers, guests, and employees. A significant part of that is making sure your business is accessible to guests of every capacity, including those with disabilities.  

 

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against those with disabilities, and it provides regulations for accommodating such customers when they visit your business. The act extends to employment, transportation, public accommodations, commercial facilities, government activities, and communications. Think of it as a way to ensure your business is as inclusive as possible.

 

Is your business cutting it?

 

The ADA isn’t just a suggestion—it’s a law, and like any law, it should be taken seriously. It’s in your business’s best interest to ensure that you’re taking every measure to reach that compliance standard by making “reasonable accommodations” for employees, guests, and customers with disabilities. There are two sides to the ADA that you as a business owner ought to be aware of: employment and patronage. 

 

Title I: Employers at eligible businesses must provide an equal opportunity for employment to individuals with disabilities. 

 

Title III: Businesses that provide goods and services to the public cannot discriminate against customers due to a disability, and must provide “public accommodations” for all clientele.  

Keeping up to code

Your building and surrounding property:

Accommodations for those with disabilities are common features of most businesses nowadays, so much so that they can blend into the landscape a bit. Visit a business that’s up to date on its ADA requirements and you should see disabled parking spaces, enlarged bathroom and dressing stalls, and signs that are clearly visible from a distance. 

 

ADA compliance extends to nearly every kind of establishment, including:

 

• Stores and shops
• Laundromats and dry cleaners
• Restaurants and bars
• Doctor, dentist, and law offices
• Shopping malls
• Schools
• Museums
• Theaters
• Hotels and motels
• Banks
• Gyms
• Public transportation

 

And just to clarify: ADA standards apply to more than just parking spots and bathroom stalls. Here are some of the requirements that must be met for your business to be considered compliant:

Your website:

As business continues to develop on more of a digital platform, the scope of ADA compliance no longer affects just the physical aspects of your business. In fact, a rising number of businesses have no physical location at all and are conducted solely online, catering to an ever-increasing number of online customers. 

 

In 2010, the Department of Justice proposed an amendment to the ADA to better “establish requirements for making the goods, services, facilities, privileges, accommodations, or advantages offered by public accommodations via the Internet, specifically at sites on the World Wide Web (Web), accessible to individuals with disabilities.”*

*Source: Department of Justice

Consequently, in the last decade or so, the ADA has increased its focus on website compliance, ensuring that people with disabilities who visit websites are treated to an easy and satisfactory user experience. 

 

Here are some of the ways you can keep your website ADA compliant:

 

Text Insert descriptive alt text for all images, and make sure it’s in a readable font, ideally sans serif.	Graphics If you install flashing graphics on your page, they should flash no more than 3 times per second.	Video Provide captions for all prerecorded and live videos alike. Remove videos with autoplay and time limits.
Audio Provide an audio description for all prerecorded and live videos.	Navigation Make sure your website can be easily navigated with a keyboard.	Format Ensure your website has a clean, simple layout for easy readability.

 

 

 

When it comes to ADA compliance, it’s always best to be proactive and stay ahead by keeping as current as possible on ADA regulation updates and changes. If you’re not sure your business is up to specifications, check out these resources to make sure nothing falls through the cracks: 

 

The ADA Guide for Small Businesses

The ADA National Network

The US Equal Opportunity Employment Commission

 

Providing accessibility to your business to those with disabilities results in higher customer satisfaction and instills loyalty and trust in your patrons. You take pride in what you do, so make your customers’ experiences the most convenient and pleasant they could possibly be.