Some interesting links we found across the web this week:

When It’s Time to Pivot, What’s Your Story?
Part of starting your own business is telling a story as to why it matters. What problem are you solving? How are you doing so? Why is your solution the best one? But sometimes that story changes, and you need to communicate that change to everyone in a way that keeps them interested. This article provides some tips on how to pivot in a way that keeps you moving forward.

Nearly Half of Business Owners Think Changes They’ve Made During the Crisis Will Be Permanent
When things changed in March to address the pandemic, many of us thought those changes would be temporary—a couple weeks, maybe a month. But now that that is clearly not the case, we’re all starting to wonder what will “go back to normal” and what will be “the new normal.” This infographic presents results from a survey of 2,000 small business owners asked that very question.

These 5 charts reveal the gender and diversity gaps startups must bridge
Diverse workplaces are better poised for innovative problem solving. They’re more likely to retain staff, spot risks and be more profitable. And yet, despite these advantages, diversity is still an issue many startups struggle with. This article discusses trends in diversity in startups, bringing into focus the problems businesses still need to address.

‘Stick to who you are’ and other tips from startup stars in Mainebiz forum
On Tuesday, the Mainebiz Small Business Forum hosted a webcast to kick off its two-day virtual forum. The panel interviewed successful small business owners in Maine and asked for their tips to other startup founders, which ranged from creating a low-pressure environment open to innovation to looking for and embracing pivots. This article reviews the advice, which is applicable to startups everywhere.

7 Ways to Check Your Bias When Evaluating Your Team
As a startup founder, you may be new to managing a team, and more specifically to giving feedback. However, if you want to create the kind of environment where your team thrives and grows, giving feedback is vital. This article provides a few tips on how to recognize any bias you may be bringing to evaluations, how to address that bias, and how to avoid it in the future.