Sensational Ways of Protecting Your Business in 2020

In today’s digital age, it’s more important than ever to know the potential cybersecurity risks that could harm your business or brand as well as for entrepreneurs to have fundamental knowledge on the right online safety and security protocols. In the following article, we discuss simple ways to protect your business this year and beyond.

Running a company in today’s digital environment comes with all kinds of cybersecurity challenges and issues, and this is something you as the manager or owner need to make sure you get right. Think about the different elements that play a part in helping to improve your company and make it more of a success in the future. This is something that you need to work on right now, and it is going to have a major impact on the future of the company.

Knowing Cybersecurity Risks and How to Prevent Them to Protecting Your Small Business

Cybercrime is such a massive issue in the world of modern business that you need to make sure you take decisive action. There are so many ways in which your business may be at risk digitally, and this is one of the reasons why cybersecurity is an absolute must. You need to know what it takes to protect your company, and one of the best ways of doing this today is to make sure you think about having cybersecurity measures in place to protect against that. Try to hire IT experts to take charge of this for you and ensure that you do as much as you can to improve cybersecurity measures right now. Protecting your business from cyberattacks and ransomware issues is critical to building trust with customers. Assure your customers that their financial and personal information is safe and secure.

Hiring an Attorney with the Right Expertise and Experience to Protect Your Business

Make sure you think about how you can protect the future and reputation of your brand. This means looking after the public persona and perception of your company, and there are a lot of ways you can go about achieving this. Make sure you look at doing what you can to hire a business attorney. You can protect your business from negative publicity as well as legal action by making sure you have a skilled and professional business attorney to hand. The right attorney can also handle all intellectual property issues.

Ensuring Your Business Has the Right Password Protection

It is also important to do as much as you can to password protect your files and equipment. This is something that is so simple, but it can actually be more important than you might think. So, you are going to need to factor in the best possible ways of utilizing password protection all across the company.

It is important to use complex passwords. Password protecting your devices, your network, and your files is so important. We recommend using passwords with at least 17 characters and updating them every three to four months to prevent your accounts from being hacked. In fact, we change and update our passwords every three months to ensure our emails, devices, and other important digital tools remain secure.

Using a Secure Server to Prevent Cyberattacks and Malware Issues for Online Safety and Security

One of the best ways to prevent cyberattacks and malware issues is to make sure you use a secure server so that you can be sure your business data and information is protected. Dell, Lenovo, and other PC companies sell affordable options.

Making Sure to Disaster-Proof Your Premises

The company is not just at risk from cybercriminals and malpractice suits, unfortunately. You also need to understand that improving and protecting your business also involves disaster proofing the premises as much as possible to prevent injuries. Make sure you do as much as you possibly can.

Earthquake retrofit contractors can play a massive part in the process of protecting your business premises and protecting them from harm. Natural disasters to protect your business against:

·       Tornadoes

·       Earthquakes

·       Landslides

·       Tsunamis

·       Lighting

·       Volcanic activity

·       Hurricanes

·       Fires and floods

Here are other types of disasters to consider when it comes to protecting your business:

·       Hardware failure – failed hardware issues can lead to downtime and team lost productivity.

·       Online security breaches – online security breaches can expose your customer’s personal data to hackers.

·       Social media hijacking – if your Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram page is hacked and the hacker posts a derogatory comment or photo to your account, this can cause huge reputational issues for your company. We had our Twitter.com account hijacked several years ago, and it took more than a week to attain control and fix all of the problems this person caused.

·       Software corruption – if your company’s software programs are corrupted and you haven’t backed up the data, this can lead to huge issues with lost files.

·       Malware/ransomware attacks – viruses and worms can cause huge issues such as data theft, corruption, or permanent data loss for your small business so it’s important to have the right firewalls and cybersecurity protection on all devices—both in the office and at home.

·       Robberies/burglaries – upscale businesses such as jewelry stores and high-end retailers are at a higher risk of being burglarized so it’s important to have the right safety protocols in place. These include security cameras, a security system, and an insurance policy in the event that thousands of dollars in merchandise is stolen.

Developing and Implementing Health & Safety Training for All Employees

Health and safety training is one of the most important things you can use to improve your company. Protect the future of the business by making sure you think about how you can improve your staff training and health and safety. Protecting your business and ensuring you are focused on looking after the brand is more important than anything else. There are a lot of things that play a part in helping you protect your company, and health and safety training is an important way of being able to do this. 

There are many things you are going to need to think about when it comes to improving and protecting your business from cybersecurity attacks and other safety issues. Preventing cyberattacks and other issues should be at the forefront of your mind.

Tips For Running A Secure Business

Do you have what it takes to run a successful business? Are you aware of the operations that go into running a safe and secure business in today’s age of cyberattacks and fraud? Continue reading to see what protocols need to be in place for you to run a safe and secure business.

Running a business for any founder or entrepreneur can be an awesome career experience. And many people refer to their business as their ‘baby’ because it means so much to them! From spinning new product/service ideas, drawing up strategy plans, developing marketing blueprints, and applying for funding, running a successful business that you can be proud of, it is an amazing journey, despite all of the headaches and issues that come along with it. Creating your own innovative spaces and making your ideas a reality is an incredible feeling like no other.

However, any business owner will tell you that success is a double-edged sword. You are calling all the shots, meaning that if you make a big mistake, it will be your responsibility to troubleshoot why it happened and to fix it. This isn’t always easy.

You manage your own team, meaning that if there’s conflict or issues between employees or between an employee and their supervisor in the office, you are the first port of call to sort it out. You also have the business’ spending at your fingertips and are accountable for all financials and financial statements; if went over budget or making costly hiring mistakes, the business could take a but hit. If there is a security breach or cybersecurity issue in your business, your entire operation can be compromised. Simply put, being an entrepreneur and running a successful venture means there is a lot at stake. 

Here are some tips for running a secure business!

Outsourcing Your Cybersecurity, Network, and Information Security Needs to an External Company

Have you ever been a customer of a company that had a security breach? Throughout the last several years, Target, Adobe, and Equifax all suffered security breaches. These are global corporations with some of the best security infrastructure protocols in place. If cyber attackers can cause issues with these companies, then small businesses are at a much higher risk.

In fact, research shows that every 39 seconds, there is a breach of web security online. And you are likely not a cybersecurity expert. Your area of professional expertise lies in running the daily operations of your business - but in this day and age, running your company means having watertight cybersecurity to prevent attacks. If you run any kind of online operation—whether it’s a software company, digital publishing venture, an e-commerce store, or a membership website, you need to contact a cybersecurity company such as Office 365 to help you achieve your intended security needs. 

These types of companies will ensure your business operates safely and within the guidelines of your specific location. Without efficient and effective cybersecurity operations, you cannot operate a successful business. Consumers will simply not trust your business if without online security.

To start the process yourself, here are some simple ways to protect your business while looking for an outsourcing company:

·       Develop a handbook of the best security processes and procedures

·       Have a working firewall in place for your internet/wi-fi connection

·       Ensure you have a mobile device action plan in place

·       Back up all important data in the event your servers go down

·       Ask your employees change their passwords every few months 

Understanding the Legality of Your Business and the Documents Involved

Depending on where you live, there are different legalities to how your business should be run. From e-commerce, to taking payments and collecting taxes, to the distribution of products, there are guidelines and laws that must be adhered to. If you do not fully understand these laws, you could be faced with a lawsuit, a huge fine, and even in extreme cases a criminal charge.

It is advisable to contact lawyers in your local area in order to ensure you are operating your business within the law of your town, state, and country. If you have never dealt with legal documents such as contracts, articles of incorporation, sole proprietor forms, or partnership agreements, understanding the language in each can be difficult and confusing. To ensure you understand the terms of each legal document, it’s best to find a lawyer that specializes in that area. A simple Google search can yield the right results.

Setting the Record Straight and Keeping Your Files Organized

As a business owner, it is imperative that you have your legal, insurance, financial, and administrative records in order in the event the government requests certain documentation. Your tax forms and payments, your employee payroll records, and your insurance policies--absolutely everything must be organized. Hiring a trustworthy, reputable accountant or tax professional to help you with these tasks will save a lot of time and headaches down the road. You never know when a missed bill or misunderstood tax form can cause issues or result in late fees or penalties. Given this, keep your records orderly, and stay on the right side of the law to ensure you’re prepared for any situation. You care about your business - don’t let it go to waste on financial corner-cutting or incorrect tax reporting. Be smart and be in the know to ensure your business is compliant.

How to Handle Hazmat Packages

Ever received a package in the mail that didn’t arrive the way it was supposed to? Maybe there were some dents or a few tears, or even worse, the package itself sustained damage. This is all well and good for standard packages, but things get a bit dicier when the package contains hazardous materials.

A skull and crossbones may come to mind when you hear the term ‘hazardous materials,’ but in reality, many of the products and items we use daily would fall under this category: paint, cleaning supplies, bleach, etc. They vary widely in danger and chemical composition, which is why their shipping labels must stand out from other shipping labels. Otherwise, a lost package may break open and contaminate other packages--and this is just one of the potential disasters.

Chances are you’ve never shipped or received hazardous materials in the mail, but hey, you never know where life might take you. Today, we’re going to break down the process of shipping hazardous materials: how to contain the materials themselves, how to label the packages, and how to remain compliant with federal transportation regulations.

For starters, there are unique labels for shipping hazardous materials. These labels are brightly colored and diamond-shaped, which makes it easy to distinguish hazardous packages from non-hazardous packages. These labels comply with the United Nations’ dangerous goods identification system, but differences in design and color may differ slightly from country to country. This uniform labeling system also makes a broken package spill easy to clean up, ensuring greater personal and public safety.

However, it’s not just enough to have the labels on there. You must include the name of the shipper, ID number, the scientific name of the product, special permits for packaging, environmental handling, consignment information, and marine pollutants. Whew! That’s quite a mouthful. All of this information will make it much easier to handle your hazardous material package with the care it requires. Furthermore, they’re necessary to remain compliant with federal transportation regulations, which have changed recently.

The Department of Transportation has recently implemented some changes to its policies concerning the shipment of hazardous materials. The DOT requires that all packages containing hazardous materials must have a label on them (just not on the bottom) and must be near the shipper’s name on the package’s surface. Some speculate that this is to cut down on time spent identifying and assessing the package, but ultimately it is to promote public safety.

Not all hazardous materials are created equal, though. FedEx, for example, lists accepted hazardous materials and prohibited hazardous materials for shipment. Approved hazardous materials include flammable liquids and solids, non-flammable gases, oxidizers, organic peroxide, radioactive material, and corrosive material. Prohibited hazardous materials include most explosives, materials that are dangerous when wet, spontaneously combustible materials, infectious substances, and poisonous gases, and other toxic materials. FedEx also lists the appropriate labels for these materials on their website for anyone curious about how to ship hazardous materials correctly.

Fun fact: Alaska and Hawaii prohibit the shipment of aerosols, nail polish, and paints. These are three great examples of everyday items that are classified as hazardous materials.

Depending on the hazardous item you want to ship, you might have to take a few extra steps. For example, some explosives require additional information, such as EX numbers (explosive identification numbers issued by the DOT), national stock numbers, or product codes on your packaging or shipping labels. Many of these extra steps require affixing labels to the package explicitly stating that the item being shipped complies with federal transportation regulations. Many times, the label will look something like this: “This package conforms to 49 CFR 173.13”.

There are a few labeling exemptions for hazardous materials. According to FedEx’s website, “packages shipped as a Limited Quantity may be exempt from the labeling requirements, those shipped under a DOT special permit may also be exempt from labeling requirements, and those prepared under 49 CFR 173.13 do not require a diamond-shaped hazard label.”

There are plenty of websites that can provide you with the correct hazmat labels for shipping hazardous materials. HazmatPac, for example, can even do custom labels for unusual or uncommon hazardous materials. 

So with all of this talk about hazardous materials, what are some of their defining traits?

HazmatPac’s definition is “[a] dangerous good is any solid, liquid or gas that can harm people, other living organisms, property, or the environment.” Various federal committees oversee the shipping and handling of hazardous materials. The DOT has classified nine types of dangerous materials. They are divided according to their key features and chemical compositions. For international shipping, HazmatPac recommends checking the transportation regulations of the country to which you’re shipping your package. Non-English-speaking countries may require extra attention, such as using the local language for an address.

Should your package suffer any accidents or spills mid-transit, dangerous goods call centers like Chemtrec are ready to assist you in handling the crisis. Their staff members must undergo extensive hazardous materials training and certification before helping any customers. This training boosts their combined decades’ worth of experience as EMTs, first responders, firefighters, hazardous material specialists, and military explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians.

With over six million Safety Data Sheets in their library, Chemtrec has built an expert network of toxicologists, doctors, chemists, and hazardous materials pros that collaborate with them to provide the most up-to-date information to customers. They also cater to a global clientele with interpreters for over 240 languages.

Chemtrec also specializes in handling hazardous materials accidents or spills. Shippers and handlers can use their handler information network, incident report service, and crisis response and communication. However, they also offer non-emergency services.

The world of hazardous chemicals is much more sophisticated than it appears. The shipping industry may be much more chaotic without such careful attention to some of these dangerous materials. Thankfully, many businesses in the industry take their work seriously, cooperate with federal standards, and overall strive to help people streamline their hazardous materials shipping experience.

How Do Solo-Entrepreneurs Protect Their Business?

Running a business is challenging in its own right. However, for solo entrepreneurs, the challenges can be enhanced by their solitary position. When you are an independent professional trying to keep your business afloat by yourself, you need to be the strategist, the administrator, and the employee, all at the same time. While there is a fair amount of tasks and essential jobs that can be outsourced, you still need to oversee every business process. As such, business protection can be overlooked for the benefit of more pressing projects. 

However, protecting your business from cyber threats is especially important in times just as now, where the global pandemic has forced many companies to interact remotely with their customers. When your interactions and work happen online, you can’t afford to ignore the risks of mishaps for your brand. Here are some tips for solo-entrepreneurs to manage risks and sail their companies safely through the troubled waters of the pandemic situation. 

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Protect your confidential data 

The online world can be a dangerous area. Hackers are a significant threat to small businesses. Therefore, if you are new to a remote business concept, you need to make sure you’ve got everything to keep your data secure. The first and most obvious line of security is to give your work device the best support against cyberthreats, such as using an antivirus solution and using secure cloud storage for your data. You can consider reaching out to experts and outsource your cybersecurity. A managed service provider can monitor your business online and offer increased protection. Additionally, solo-entrepreneurs also need to add identity protection for all transactions performed online. As you need to purchase additional solutions to move your activities online, ensuring nobody can steal your financial data is a no-brainer. 

Protect your ideas

With millions of businesses offering similar services or products, you need to differentiate your brand from the crowd. An original idea can open the door to a new market and help you reach out to a broad audience. But innovative and creative ideas are tricky to find. That’s because ideas are so valuable that other businesses can sometimes steal them. You need to protect your intellectual property through trademarks, patents, and copyrights, depending on the type of content. Copyright applies to written documents, while a trademark can be used for your brand name, catchphrase, or product name. 

Protect your reputation

As a solo-entrepreneur, you can’t hide behind a brand. You are the personality of your business. Therefore, managing your professional reputation in the market can help your brand growth. The first place to start is Google. When you Google yourself, you can find out what others think of your business or of yourself, and many spot weaknesses that can be rectified.

Another excellent place to observe and manage is social media. Claiming your business accounts online will stop others from impersonating you, and it provides you with a platform to communicate with your audience. Not every solo-entrepreneur needs a reputation manager. However, if things are getting too tough, you can reach out to experts for help. 

Protecting your business online in the age of COVID-19 is challenging. But it is indispensable to keeping your business alive and supporting your customers as effectively as possible. Stay safe, stay online, stay virtually protected.

4 Totally Necessary Security Features For Your New Business Premises

Hotels For 18 Year Olds

Such is the industry today that you might not think you need an office for your business. Plenty of entrepreneurs prefer to go rogue and work from home, coffee shops, or even the local library. However, if you decide to invest in a corporate office, co-working space, or an executive suite, you should factor in IT and physical location security. Making your office the safest possible place for you and your staff is issue number one, yet bosses can let their standards slide. Allowing people into the office that aren’t welcome might turn out ugly, which is why there are specific security features in which you’ll want to invest.

Here are the four most significant ones.

A Receptionist with a Complete Reception Area

Receptionists or reception areas may sound old-fashioned and outdated, but they are excellent at keeping unwanted guests out of a location as well as keeping the building safe. The reason is simple: they have eyes on everyone who enters and exits the premises and act as a security buffer. Therefore, they can stop anyone they deem to be suspicious and ask them for a couple of non-intrusive questions to determine whether they belong in the office. The incredible thing is that by doing their job, it doesn’t make people feel uneasy or mistreated. As long as the person is polite and welcoming, nine out of ten guests will gladly sign-in, adhere to office policies, and interact positively.

Access Control

A more sophisticated option is to install an access control system in your workplace. By doing this, anyone without the right clearance wouldn’t be able to get in the main door, never mind into the hub of the office. Your employees, on the other hand, merely need to bring a retractable key chain with their I.D and the door will slide open. As far as security and accessibility in one go, access control technology is at the top of the tree for small to medium-sized companies, as well as big ones. There’s no reason to rely on alarms and deadbolts any longer!

Door Chimes

Okay, maybe you don’t have offices, but you have a shop in which you do the majority of your business. In this case, the two options above aren’t suitable. You require a security feature that’s effective that doesn’t turn-off customers. The last thing shoppers want to do is have to press a button to buy their bread and milk! Thankfully, humble door chimes are on hand to help. Placed above the main entryway, they sound every time the door opens and shuts, alerting you to new customers. So, you’ll know when somebody has arrived and exited without investing in fancy gadgets.

Exterior Lighting

Finally, please don’t underestimate the usefulness of outdoor lighting. Thieves hate brightly-lit spaces as it gives them fewer places to hide while doing their undercover work. As a result, burglars are more likely to target nearby businesses that don’t have huge lights shining overhead. So, installing lights strategically around the property could make your company, store, or office less of a target. The energy bill might be high, but you can leave them on all night to ensure cameras and passers-by can see thieves trying to case the building.

Can you think of any more that are must-haves for your business?

Staying Cool When Disaster Strikes Your Business

One of the most important things about running a business is being able to keep your cool. Everybody, no matter what industry they worked in, has enough boss-related horror stories to fill several volumes of Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark. These bosses may be successful, but how their reactions impact their employees is anything but. 

If you can stay cool, calm, and collected when unexpected disasters strike, you will be better prepared to deal with them as soon as possible. There’s no point in letting the pressure get to you, and even if it does, you shouldn’t let your employees know this to ensure everybody remains calm. 

To give you an idea of what to do, here are some of the most common disasters founders will face when running their business.

IT Failures

With companies relying on computers and technology more than ever before, it’s easy to fall into a routine of expecting everything to work first, second, and one-hundredth time around. However, as useful as computers can be for day-to-day operations, they are not always perfect. 

Your business will encounter IT failures at some point, and these failures can range from cybersecurity breaches to server downtime to disappearing data to systems just not working at all. This throws a cyber-wrench in the works and can disrupt the workday immediately. 

Without computers and mobile devices, your business may not be able to function, and if your business cannot function, then you could lose out on contracts, clients, money, and precious time. However, you can be ready to overcome these problems by working with companies such as Charles IT that will be prepared to attend to your needs at a moment’s notice, no matter what time of day to ensure the downtime is minimal. 

Losing Your Star Player

Operational disasters are another thing you should be wary of, and one of the critical operational disasters that can affect business, both large and small are losing your star player. This employee could be your best seller, your motivational manager, or someone who helps bring positivity to the office. 

Whenever you lose this player, you immediately recognize a shift in the atmosphere. It’s the opposite of when you lose a toxic employee who brought everybody down. However, while large businesses can often make adjustments relatively seamlessly due to a broader pool of personnel, it is not as simple for small businesses. 

The star will need to give their notice, which is typically two weeks, but sometimes as long as a month before departing, and this will provide you with the chance to vet potential candidates whether you promote from within or bring in someone from elsewhere. If possible, get them started early to work with the departing employee for a few days so that any bumps in the changeover process are flattened. 

Marketing Mishaps

No matter how slick or forward-thinking your marketing department is, there is always a chance that there will be some marketing mishaps along the way. These mishaps can include a lack of research, failing to find a unique selling point, or ignoring the needs of the customer. This can also include an issue when your company is featured in the press—perhaps your company name was spelled incorrectly. Another significant issue is when companies try to jump on new internet trends and miss the mark entirely, sometimes even delivering an offensive campaign. 

They say that there’s no such thing as bad publicity, and as long as they are talking about you, it should be considered a success. However, these mistakes can wreak havoc on your personal reputation and business image, and while people have shorter memories than most due to the frantic 24-hour news cycle, it can still be hard to recover. 

Before launching any campaign, make sure that the plan is seen by everyone who could offer advice and decide whether this campaign is the right one for your business. Doing this will make you more prepared for any backlash, but with the right eye, that backlash should never arrive. So the lesson here is to be smart and prevent issues or crises from emerging in the first place.

Late or Non-Existent Stock

If yours is a business that sells a product rather than service, then there is always the fear of late or non-existent stock affecting orders, both current and future. These supply errors are another thing that can ruin your reputation, even if it is nobody’s fault. 

The most obvious solution is to ensure you have an abundance of stock that will prevent any orders from missing their delivery date. However, this can lead to having too much of this stock, which can leave you with boxes of potentially useless products you will find hard to shift. 

Instead, consider being in constant communication with your suppliers and make arrangements in the event of a missed delivery. You can work out the best way to reimburse or compensate customers, while also ensuring you understand where the missing stock is and when it will arrive. 

Something Kinda Natural

Natural disasters or Acts of God, are something you hope never affects your business or anyone for that matter. However, depending on where your business is based, natural disaster threats, whether a storm, hurricane, or flood, among other issues, may always be present. 

These disasters can prevent your employees from getting to work, or they can cause blackouts and severe damages to your office. It’s important to have a contingency plan to overcome these disasters when they happen to ensure you do not lose any time. 

You don’t want to put your employees’ health at risk, regardless of how important meetings and launches might be. So if they cannot make it to work, do not force them. Likewise, if the office is damaged, then having Work-From-Home procedures in place will allow everyone to carry on without risking their health. 

A Cool Head In Crisis

Keeping your cool won’t just have benefits for your employees but also for you, too. While you can’t prepare for every eventuality, you can still do everything you can to stay calm when they arise. If you are relaxed, so too are your employees, and this will allow everybody to work together to work out your next move and overcome the disaster - whatever it might be - confidently and effectively.

Keeping Your Business Safe, an Investment Well Worth Making

When it comes to running and growing your own business, your daily tasks most likely consist of fulfilling what your customers needs and ensuring all operations run effectively. From shipping out products to customers, carrying out your services, and marketing your goods, it’s quite probable the security of your company is the last thing on your mind. That’s understandable but it’s necessary to move that to the top of your mind.

But if you sell physical goods or have an office where computers and other technological equipment are stored, then it’s time to up your game and avoid the kind of security breaches that might stop your business in its tracks. In this blog, we take a look at how to boost your security and keep your business airtight.

Staff Security

As well as keeping your goods and products secure, the safety of your staff is more important. Your warehouse teams might have their own name badges and use them to swipe in and out of areas but when was the last time those badges and swipe cards updated? If you don’t have an automatic system in place to send reminders out to renew photographs and update staff details, then consider getting that done. This will help keep your logistics safe.

CCTV and Other Appropriate Equipment

It might feel like you’re spying on your staff but when it comes to security cameras installation, yet having an eye in the sky is going to keep your employees and your goods safe. As much as you trust your staff, if there are any irregularities or you need to get to the bottom of how mistakes have been made, then having a visual record is going to help you to improve your warehouse processes and make for a smoother running operation.

Outside of your working hours, you’ll feel safer knowing that your CCTV cameras are recording what’s going on around the warehouse, particularly if they’re monitored by an outside security company.

Training Your Staff

The best way to stay on top of your security is to have your staff trained and to keep that training up-to-date.

Your team members should stay vigilant and work in a culture where they’re not afraid to report to a team leader something, or someone, they’re unsure about. Create the kind of environment where vigilance is rewarded and staying on top of security issues is part of the everyday process.

Then you’ll know that your business, your goods, and your staff are in safe hands and that you’ve done everything you can do to keep it all safe. You may need to invest a little money to bring your security systems up to date but when the alternatives are a loss of stock or an injury to a member of your team, then that investment makes sense financially as well as ethically. Get it done today for peace of mind tomorrow.