With the advent of remote working becoming almost the norm after the events of the past few years, there have been many debates on the pros and cons of keeping it as an element of modern-day business models as we return to normality.

For many disabled people, this new way of working is a lifeline. Not only has it opened the door to careers that might previously have been unattainable due to a widespread lack of accessibility, but it has also allowed others the time and space to work without compromising their quality of life living with disabilities.

Emily Battacharya is one such person. Living with Crohn's disease and ankylosing spondylitis previously made full working days in the office a difficult balance between working productively and not jeopardizing her physical health. The combination of the two conditions meant she was unable to eat during the daytime, having to choose between work or vital visits to specialist doctors and unable to do things after work that others take for granted. Any semblance of quality of life was sapped by the emotional and physical labor of managing her condition around her job.

The move to remote working with flexible hours changed everything for her. Dropping her daily commute, a physically demanding activity in itself for someone living with a disability, in turn allows her to change her eating patterns, have the tools and medications required to manage her disability accessible at all times, and work around scheduled visits to doctors and specialists.

Her entire physical and mental well-being have improved, and her renewed energy levels have led to higher productivity at work as well as being able to lower the medications she’s on and spend more time enjoying the things she was unable to previously. Stories like this should be factored into all discussions on remote working.

When we think about creating content for the purpose of marketing, we so often think of a killer social media strategy, blog posts, and website content. While these are three prongs of a good approach, case studies are your hidden weapon when it comes to promoting your business. Here are a few of the ways case studies can help you.

Boost your credibility. Whether your business has a specific niche or not, case studies are a great way to prove your worth to prospective clients and industry professionals.

Content. Not only does a case study give in-depth insight into your business, but it can also be repurposed into blog posts, LinkedIn updates, and even YouTube videos.

Showcase your successes. This may sound the most obvious, but case studies are a great way to show yourself as a success story. If you have customer wins, show them off, showing the journey from pitch to perfected. Other customers will see this and want a piece of the action.

So, knowing that case studies can do all that, how do you go about creating a good case study?

Tell a story. All case studies are stories that have been crafted for a specific purpose. Use the hero’s journey. First, outline the problem, how you attempted to resolve it, what approaches you tried, what odds you had to overcome, and the end result.

Decide your format. Telling your "hero’s journey" in an imaginative and interesting way is the next challenge. Avoid huge chunks of text. Once you have the winning formula, stick to it for all other case studies for ease and pleasure of reading.

Facts and strategy. Don’t be so focused on creatively telling the story you forget to include the facts! Show stats. What was the ROI (return on investment)? What were the goals, and how did you hit them? Equally, include the strategy. After all, this is what will bring in new business.

While most of us feel like we may need a survival guide for the holiday season, if you’re a manager or business owner, the increased pressure and demands may make it feel like a bit too much. Keeping on top of work, employees, and your own mental health can be challenging during this time, so here is a guide to help you through it.

Practice gratitude

The end of the year can be a stressful time, but the likelihood is that although there's a lot to get through, there’s also a lot to be grateful for. Anxiety is creeping up on more and more people every year and work stress can feed into it. Try crafting a "Thank-You Newsletter" for employees or keep a gratitude journal by your bed.

Overcommunicate

The message you send out to your employees is incredibly important, and you won’t be able to communicate clearly without actively listening first. Run your communication by a third-party reviewer to check that it's accessible, on brand, and easy to understand.

Put systems in place

The worst is going to happen from time to time, but if you have the right systems in place, such as schedule reminders and automated payments, you should be able to stay on track with minimal stress.

Hire help

There’s a reason many businesses hire seasonal staff: there’s so much more to do. If you need to hire a personal assistant or spread the workload among a few more members of the team, that’s okay.

The holiday season can be the busiest time of the year for small and big businesses alike. In fact, if you own a small business, you will almost certainly be fully in the swing of things. But are you making the most of it? It can be easy to be swept up in the season, but here are some tips to make it plain sailing.

Develop a marketing strategy

This may sound obvious, but developing a holiday-specific marketing strategy is the first step to getting all your ducks in a row. Our society loves the holidays, so use this to your advantage for your business! Try not to fall into gimmicks. Keep your marketing succinct and authentic, and use email and social media to promote it.

Track (and stock up) your inventory

Your business’s success will depend on what you’re able to offer your customers and clients. Make sure you have a good system in place before the holiday rush, and if you envision a growth in sales, make sure this is reflected in your inventory.

Invest in new software

If you’re in need of new bookkeeping and employee management systems, now is the time to invest. Not only will the extra income around the holiday season mean it's the right time for a bigger purchase, but it will also help make your holiday season smoother.

Train seasonal employees

Hiring seasonal staff is one way to cope with the added stress and business you may be getting at this time; however, hiring new employees will only add to your stress if you don’t take the time to train them properly. It may feel like adding extra work to your plate, but it will help you out in the long run.

Set sales goals

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. Sit down with your trusted team members and map out what your targets are for this time of year. Categorize them into minimum goals, expected goals, and extra goals. Which ones you hit and which ones you don’t will also give you a good starting place for the next year.