💻 [OBO DIGEST] The Crisis in Ukraine

What’s happening in Ukraine, how entrepreneurs are responding, and how you can help…

Written by: Online Business Owner • March 07, 2022

This week’s Online Business Digest is a bit different – we’re focusing our attention on the war in Ukraine and how online business owners can respond.

We hope you find this information helpful and share it with other entrepreneurs in your community.

In the weeks ahead we’ll keep you updated on what is happening from a business perspective and how you can support those impacted and displaced by the war.

As we’ve shared in the past, we believe entrepreneurship is political and we can use our voices, platforms, and resources for good in the world. We hope you’ll join us in supporting the Ukrainian people.

News + Happenings

What Online Business Owners Need to Know (And What They Can Do) About The War in Ukraine

Image Source: (www.unsplash.com/@maxkuk)

What’s Happening Now

Instead of using this space to fully recap everything that’s happening in Ukraine, we want to highlight what businesses and brands are doing in response and how you can help.

If you’re not up to speed on the current situation, we encourage you to check out NPR’s coverage. They produce an article at the end of each day that recaps what is happening – you can find it here. And they publish a daily podcast called “State of Ukraine” that you can listen to here.

How Businesses and Entrepreneurs Are Responding

Ukrainian Etsy Shop Owner Goes from Making Belts to Making Camo Nets

“Weaver Olena Shevtsova sells handmade Slavic and Ukrainian patterned belts, sashes, scarves, and even guitar straps online to support her family, but since Russian forces moved into her country, she's used her skills to help make camouflage webbing to protect Ukrainian troops.” CNN

Etsy Waves Ukraine-Based Seller Feeds

“As Russia continues to invade Ukraine, some U.S.-based marketers are showing their support for the country under siege. Today, Etsy said it will waive all balances for its Ukraine-based sellers. The forgiven debts include listing fees, transaction fees, and advertising fees—in total; it amounts to $4 million.” AdAge

Over $2 Million Raised Through Airbnb Bookings in Ukraine

“On March 2, a social media user began encouraging their followers to book rooms to rent through Airbnb in Ukraine — not with the intention of visiting, but with the goal of helping local hosts receive immediate financial help during the war. Within just two days, guests booked more than 61,000 nights in Ukraine, grossing more than $2 million.” The company is waiving all guest and host booking fees in Ukraine. People

Ukrainian-founded Grammarly is Donating All the Money it Made in Russia Since 2014

“[Grammarly] will ‘donate all of the net revenue earned from Russia and Belarus since the war started in 2014 through 2022 to causes supporting Ukraine,’ creating a $5 million fund, its founders said in a statement. Over the past week, Grammarly has already given $1 million to Ukrainian humanitarian groups.” Quartz at Work

Grammarly also shared on their website that they “are adding a message in our product to direct users writing about the war to resources for helping Ukraine.” They’ve “also made the decision to block users located in Russia and Belarus from using Grammarly products or services.”

In Ukraine, Online Gig Workers Keep Coding Through the War

“Freelancers or gig workers who piece together work on online platforms are a hidden engine of the Ukrainian economy—and the world’s. They sign on to English language websites including Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer.com. A 2018 survey by the International Labour Organization, a United Nations agency, estimated that as many as 500,000 Ukrainians were registered on web platforms—up to 3 percent of the country’s workforce. An Oxford report found that the country is the world’s seventh largest supplier of online labor.” Wired

What Social Media Platforms Are Doing

The response from social media platforms has been swift and rapidly evolving. Many have reacted by opening up their platforms for Ukrainian users to help with connection and information sharing, working to squash disinformation about the conflict, and limiting access by those in Russia due to misinformation campaigns.

Social Media Today has a full rundown of how each platform is responding, including up-to-the-minute updates. Here are a few highlights…

Meta has blocked Russian-owned media companies and has banned advertisers in Russia from running ads anywhere in the world. Russia has announced it will block Facebook entirely.

YouTube is blocking all channels connected to Russian state-backed media outlets from all European countries and is removing their content from recommendations and limiting their reach.

Google has stopped selling all ads in Russia, including those within search listings, ads on YouTube, and ad placements on third-party publishing partners.

Twitter has added labels to tweets that share articles from state-backed media outlets, labels to accounts that are affiliated with the Russian government, and removed accounts that are posting disinformation about the war. Russia has not blocked Twitter access for local users.

TikTok has blocked content from Russian-owned media outlets for users in the EU, is now labeling content from state-affiliated media companies, and will suspend new posts and live streams from Russian users due to the country’s new “fake news” law.

Reddit has “quarantined” the r/Russia subreddit due to misinformation and has banned all links to Russian state media outlets and their foreign language affiliates across the app.

Snapchat has paused all ads in Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus. They are also pausing ad sales to Russian and Belarusian entities. The company has pledged over $15 million in humanitarian aid. Lastly, as a safety precaution to protect Ukrainians, Snapchat has temporarily turned off the Snap Map 'heatmap' feature for Ukraine.

How You Can Help Ukraine

Mutual Aid to Support Ukrainian Refugees in Germany

German-based online business owner Ginny Krauss is working tirelessly in her community to support Ukrainian refugees fleeing the war. Make sure you follow her on Instagram @ginnykrauss to find the latest ways to support her work. You can also send donations to her directly via PayPal (she has already raised $10,000!). Send as Friends/Family to @ginnykrauss and put “Ukraine” in the subject. Learn more here. In next week’s issue of The Online Business Digest Ginny will be sharing more about her work and how you can get involved.

Organizatio;ns to Support in Ukraine

Grammarly has put together a list on their website of reputable organizations you can support through donations. They are…

What To Do To Support Your Team and Clients

Lastly, it’s important to think about how you can support your team and clients during times of global unrest like the one we are currently experiencing. Here are some tips from Health Action Alliance and the SMHR Foundation…

Normalize that workers may be experiencing real challenges, and commit to compassion.
Create a psychologically safe environment for employees [or clients] to discuss what they're experiencing.
Educate your workforce [and community] to recognize signs of distress in [others].
Provide support…and give space for flexibility.
Remind employees [and clients] of the resources available to them.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers 24-hour, toll-free, confidential support for people in distress.

1-800-273-TALK (8255) and suicidepreventionlifeline.org

The Disaster Distress Helpline provides 24-hour, toll-free crisis counseling and support to people experiencing emotional distress related to natural or human-caused disasters.

1-800-985-5990

The Veterans Crisis Line is staffed by caring, qualified responders with the Department of Veterans Affairs. Many of them are veterans themselves.

1-800-273-TALK (8255) and Text: 838255 and veteranscrisisline.net

Social Media News + Updates

Ⓜ️ Meta is expanding their test of Reels Overlay Ads including banner ads and sticker ads

Ⓜ️ Meta launches new resources to support women for Women’s History Month and expands their #SheMeansBusiness program to help women business owners navigate the financial side of their work

📸 Instagram is retiring their dedicated IGTV app (after sunsetting the IGTV brand in October 2021), furthering their move away from longform video content

📸 Instagram is removing in-stream video ads (formally known as IGTV ads), eliminating a revenue stream for creators

📸 Instagram FINALLY launches automated captions for feed videos

⏰ TikTok is suspending new video creation and livestreaming in Russia due to Russia’s new ‘fake news’ law

🐦 Twitter is testing on a new Podcast tab to help users discover and engage with podcast on the platform

📺 YouTube is reportedly paying podcasters to create a video version of their shows in a play to get more podcast listeners on their platform

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