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Stop Targeted Security Threats From Hitting Your Business Bullseye

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Security Threat|Stop Targeted Security Threats From Hitting Your Business BullseyeA lot has changed for businesses this past year, with virtual work changing the way we operate and the threats that we face. Most notably, worrying trends in an increase of targeted phishing attacks (around 73%) have left countless companies open to threats that simply didn’t exist before. This, alongside an almost overnight shift to long-distance network access, has contributed to the 400% increase we’ve seen in cybersecurity breaches since the pandemic began.

Clone phishing is especially coming to the fore, mimicking official sources or even in-office addresses, to increase the risk of damaging downloads. What’s more, rising unemployment rates have seen even non-versed cybercriminals launching DDoS (distributed denial of service) attacks that, unlike traditionally invasive malware, can cause untold damage without an in-point.

Put together, all of this spells significant problems on the cybersecurity front, which, in many instances, can feel entirely above intervention. In truth, though, there are ways to prevent even targeted or out-of-house setbacks, and we’re going to consider them here.

1. Bring experts onboard

In-house IT has been struggling for a while and, as cyberthreats become ever more intelligent, the need to do away with limited in-house expertise has only grown. By instead turning to the IT support offered by companies like Envision IT Partners, you ensure that you’re working with individuals who have seen first-hand how security threats are changing and who have already been working to offset those shifting risks in real-time. Even better, the managed services offered by companies like these ensure ongoing, expert-led monitoring that can prevent even DDoS attacks from doing any real damage.

2. Protect your network

Targeted phishing attacks are increasingly challenging to identify and avoid, with hackers now using personalized tags and mimicking official resources. If they gain access to your information, cybercriminals may now even be able to mimic individuals within your very own enterprise! As such, even the best-trained team (more on that later) can’t be held accountable for mistakes made. Instead, many companies are finding that protection is the best cure, and considering your network is the most reliable way to achieve that. Specifically, you’ll want to ensure end-to-end encryption, preferably with a cloud-based backing, that guarantees hackers can’t gain access even if an employee opens a phishing email on their device.

3. Revamp your training

Even with an encrypted network and monitoring oversight, you’ll want to avoid breaches and the potential risks those bring as much as possible, and training remains the best way to do that. Most importantly, regular training sessions (around every three months) ensure that employees understand the intelligent threats on the table as they arise. This makes them far less likely to fall foul to even convincing phishing downloads, and saves everyone a whole world of hassle and potential downtime.

Change can always be daunting, especially where the activity of cybercriminals is concerned. Luckily, while phishing attacks may be becoming more intelligent, so, too, are the solutions on-hand to offset them. So, stay ahead, and stay safe by putting these pointers into action sooner rather than later.

How To Make Your Small Business Customers Happy

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StrategyDriven Customer Relationship Management Article |Small Business Customers|How To Make Your Small Business Customers HappyHaving a small business is an incredible achievement. In the beginning, it is all about coming to terms with how to market your business in order to reach new customers and grow your client base. From thereafter, it is crucial to maintain customer happiness in order to generate regular sales. If you are a small business looking for the best ways to keep your customers happy and keep coming back, keep reading.

Maintain positive customer feedback

Positive customer feedback does not only look good for your business, but it will also keep your customers happy and engaged.

For instance, if you are a new restaurant owner, your restaurant customer feedback is super important to maintain. A bad review can hinder your business and put people off of using your service or buying your products. Thus, ensuring you satisfy your customers and maintain happy reviews, it will look good for your business.

Offer good customer service

To keep your customers engaged, good customer service is key. If you lack customer support, your customers will find it difficult to stay in touch with you. They may want a question answered before purchasing a product. Thus, if you do not offer a quick response, they may lose interest and this could hinder your business sales.

It could be as simple as staying on top of your emails. Or, you could engage with your customer via social media messaging systems. This is a little more informal yet customers like to have friendly conversations to keep respected and familiar with the brand.

Regular rewards

As a small business, you cannot always offer deals and discounts. Yet, for those customers who come back regularly, it could go a long way to offer them a reward. It could be as simple as a free gift, or discount on their next order. You could even offer their friends and family a one time discount. This will keep your customer happy and also reach out to new customers, who may turn into regulars, which will benefit your business.

Assess customer needs

It does not hurt to determine your market and spend some of your marketing time getting to know your customers wants and needs. Doing some market research before you start your business can go a long way and save you a lot of time. Without market research, you may spend the first few months trying to reach out to customers that may never want or need your product. Thus, determining the specific market that will enjoy your product will be better for your business, save you time, and also offer the customer something that they have always been looking for. Understanding who your customers are will help you understand what they expect from your business, which you can implement into future products/services.

Ask for feedback

Keeping up regular conversation with your customers is important. It will make sure that they remember you and build a friendly relationship. When you reach this point, asking for feedback can benefit your business as well as your customers needs. Asking for feedback on your product and customer service will help you learn and also offer the customer what they want in the future.

Remember names or needs

Remembering a customers name makes them feel valued and appreciated. Building a close bond with your customer will also help you understand their needs.

For instance, if you own a small eco-friendly store and you know a customers name and that they like a certain product on a certain day of the week, you can have that product ready for them. This will make their shopping experience easier, keep them satisfied, and always coming back as they will feel valued. A little appreciation and notice goes a long way.

Thank them regularly

Just like appreciation, a thank you goes a long way. Thanking your customers regularly for their service, time, and help will help them feel respected. It will show them that you appreciate them and the help they have brought to your small business. Even if they help you by introducing a new customer to your business, don’t forget to personally thank them and maybe reward them with something your business can afford.

As a small business, a little respect, time, and friendliness can go a long way. Ensuring your customers needs are catered for will keep them satisfied and want to use your business again. Show them you respect them by offering small rewards and good customer service to keep them engaged and content with using your business.

Simple Online Money Making Ideas In 2021

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StrategyDriven Entrepreneurship Article |Make Money Online|Simple Online Money Making Ideas In 2021If you are still stuck largely at home during the pandemic; there are a lot of different ways you can spend your time. From organising your pantry to investing in your own professional development through courses – we all have had to find ways to use our time as productively as we can.

One thing you may not have considered though is how to make money from home using the online world. Working from home is commonplace these days and there are so many amazing methods to make some extra income from your own living room this year.

Today we want to take a look at some of the different ways you can make money online to help you gain some extra income for yourself and your family this year.

Start a blog

It seems that since 2012, every man and his dog has started a blog – and when you realise the opportunities it brings with it you can start to really see why. Blogging is not only a great way to share your thoughts and feelings and the things you love but it is also a simple way to make money. You can earn money through blogging by hosting advertisements on your website, buy posting affiliate links through programmes such as Amazon Partners, and working with brands. It can be a great way to make money doing something creative but you will also be able to go to exclusive events, get access to new products, and meet a lot of people.

Manage a YouTube Channel

YouTube is one of those careers that has taken off incredibly over the last decade and you can create a whole empire at home by sharing your skills and interests on this platform. There are a lot of elements that can go into a YouTube channel such as social media channels and a supporting website – and you can always contact an IT Support Company to help you with the set up and maintenance of these aspects. YouTube allows you to be super creative and you can talk about anything you want.

Create a podcast

Podcasts have become super popular in the last few years and they are on the rise. If you have a story to tell or a passion to share, a podcast is a great way to do this and you can reach a wide audience with your creation. Whether it be cooking tips, wellness, or true crime stories -there are endless ways to make money through a podcast and recording one every week will allow you to start making some passive income in a fun way.

Share your skills

One more way to make money online if you have a professional skill to share is to create online courses on Skillshare. You can create your own course on a subject you are expert in and teach other people about it. It will be a simple way to make some passive income and can really be a useful tool for you this year.

15 Essentials for Your Startup to Succeed

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StrategyDriven Starting Your Business Article |Startup|15 Essentials for Your Startup to SucceedBuilding your startup is life-changing and can enable you to fulfill your dreams. It can free you from an unfulfilling job and give you more flexibility in life both at work and with your family. However, it is no walk in the park. Starting a business and growing it is even more challenging. You need the courage, determination, and enthusiasm to overcome obstacles, persevere during hard times, and stick it out in the long run. The following essentials can help you drive your startup to success.

Be committed

If you’re a jack of all trades, you will be a master of none, and you are likely to set yourself out for failure. For your startup to be successful in the long term, it needs your undivided attention. You can start other businesses in your lifetime, but do it one at a time. Prepare to sacrifice a lot of your time, money, and energy for the success of your business. Choose a business idea that you’re ready to devote your time to.

Join organizations

Starting a business can be lonely, but it doesn’t have to be. Instead of isolating yourself, join the right organizations and associations in your industry. Here, you can make new connections and partnerships with like-minded business people through networking. The right organizations aim at empowering entrepreneurs like you by giving you skills that provide a stable footing in the business world. Be sure to attend seminars, conferences, networking events, and workshops. Since there are many organizations out there, choose the best fit that will be beneficial to you.

Create an outstanding team

No matter how hard you try, it’s impossible to build a successful business alone. Consider working with friends and family for a start as you increase capital to invest in a professional team. Employees bring something new to the table, like their skills and ideas, which are essential to the success of your startup. They also take a lot of work off your hands, giving you ample time to concentrate on core business functions. Consider outsourcing for repetitive tasks, form a board of directors to advise you, and create a remote team if you don’t have enough office space.

Set up a professional website

Having an engaging online presence is one of the business’s unspoken rites of passage today. Research shows that most consumers first go online searching for the products/services they need before purchasing offline. Work with a professional web design company to create a user-friendly business website. Ensure you include the necessary information to attract the right customers and ultimately boost conversion rates. Additionally, create optimized content that engages with your target audience and helps them find you easily. A highly-rated website signals to consumers that you are trustworthy and builds confidence in your brand.

Timing is everything

Timing is essential when picking the optimal moment to launch your startup and deciding to make exceptional moves such as expansion. Determine when it’s best to launch your start-up by looking into what’s going on in your personal life; if you’re going to move places or get a baby, it might not be the best time. Ensure you understand the flows and ebbs of your industry and determine if the odds are to your advantage with things like competition and demand for your product.

Have a clean budget

One of the common mistakes that could set you up for failure real quick is failing to plan for your capital. Even though you have a lot of savings and additional funds from financial institutions, the expenses of a startup can drain them fast. Create a detailed budget that ensures your capital is sustainable until your startup is stable and bringing in a substantial profit. Remember that you have personal needs that need to be taken care of other than the startup. Keep aside funds for your basic needs and an emergency fund in case of unexpected business expenses.

Know your competition

Every type of business has competition, and you need to launch your startup knowing how to satisfy your consumers’ needs. Understanding how your competitors operate can help you create a more competitive business by filling a niche and coming up with better strategies. If you don’t have competition, then the business idea may not be a real need in the market. Research on your competition even as you grow your business to stay ahead in the industry.

Business plan

A business is not only essential when you’re seeking investors, but also gives you a blueprint of your goals, strategies, and destination. A business plan is the one thing you shouldn’t miss when building a startup; it’s where you go back to measure your progress and compare your outcomes with initial goals. When you don’t meet those goals, you can determine where there’s a problem and change strategies. It also motivates and keeps you and your team on the same page by specifying objectives and timelines to achieve particular goals.

Be curious and creative

When you’re an entrepreneur, curiosity and creativity are as essential as intelligence. Curiosity enables you to discover niches in the market that aren’t being satisfied and consumers’ sentiments regarding changes they’d like and their thoughts on particular products. Curiosity also enables you to learn from your competition and be better. Creativity helps you develop ideas that can provide solutions to problems in the market and boost success for your startup.

Effective communication

Without effective communication, your startup can’t be successful; a communication breakdown can cause your business to go under. As an entrepreneur, you have a responsibility to communicate clearly and effectively with employees, investors, potential, and existing customers. However, if one side isn’t listening or loses interest, this is the beginning of failure.

Communicate in a way that makes the other party listen by being confident, informative, and attentive. Effective communication, apart from motivating employees, can earn you long-term connections with the networks you build.

Have a daring vision

A vision gives you the much-needed energy you need to embark on your entrepreneurship journey. Not everyone who builds a startup becomes successful, but defining and selling your business’s vision can get you there. The same way you present other ideas is the same way you should share your vision. Be daring, realistic, and enthusiastic about it. A daring vision signals your passion for what you do and pushes you to explore, challenge, insist, and have the willpower to succeed even when the road gets bumpy.

Flexibility

One problem that many entrepreneurs face when launching a startup is the lack of flexibility to modify or rebuild the entire business plan. When you’ve been consistent, put in a lot of effort, and time into your startup, it can be challenging to accept that your idea just isn’t working, and it’s time to make changes.

As you begin this venture, keep an eye out for processes such as marketing, production, operations, and branding that need tweaks and alterations to make your business successful. It’s okay to immerse your energy in one business model, but be flexible enough to make changes in the strategies and methods you use to achieve success.

Be resilient

Even with a well-thought-out business plan, research, capital, creativity, and capital, a startup will fail if you aren’t resilient in the face of adversity. Be ready to put in the work, do the heavy lifting, and get your hands dirty instead of waiting on employees to do it for you. Every business experiences setbacks. But to be successful, you must adapt, pick yourself up, and dust off the frustration. Build resilience by staying calm when there are unforeseen challenges, treating yourself kindly, and seeing this as an opportunity for growth.

Be knowledgeable about the law

One of the things that can lead to failure or immediate closure of your business startup is going contrary to the law. Even while working with a lawyer or attorney, make a point of researching laws that affect your business. Avoid lawsuits that can cost your livelihood by keeping up with taxes, insurance, business registrations, permits, and inspections. Take care of your customers by giving quality service and legit products. Remember to treat your employees as assets to the business; ensure their safety by securing the place and insure them in case of any accidents.

Exercise discipline

Being disciplined isn’t all about using funds as you should. Exercising discipline has to do with many parts of your business, such as being timely and following through with plans that propel you to success. Being an entrepreneur comes with freedom from strict deadlines from bosses; you can clock in and leave as you please or consume products meant for sale. However, failure to exercise discipline is setting yourself up on a fast road to failure. Be an example to your employees to run a successful startup.

Bottom line

Launching your startup can be full of exciting highs and frustrating lows, but you need to be resilient and follow through with your business plan. However, avoid startup failure by being flexible enough to make necessary changes when necessary. Go into this venture with enough information from research, know your competition, and stay committed to your goals. Build an effective team, know the laws in business, exercise discipline, and most importantly, have a daring vision.

Exceptional Ways to Prep Your Company for Success (Before and After)

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Any business startup must do all it takes to ensure they don’t fail. And this also applies to companies that have been existing for more extended periods. According to studies done, many small businesses don’t make it past two years from when they got launched. While this can deter you from starting your own company, it should also be a motivating factor.

What most business owners fail to realize is that running a business is not a bed of roses. Many outside forces can have adverse outcomes on your startup that may automatically lead to losses and closure. All you ought to do is put your best foot forward and sacrifice everything you can for your business to succeed.

It is only natural for a business owner to be optimistic. An entrepreneur will start at a high note with many positive expectations of what impact their business can make. From the products, they will sell to the kind of profits they will reap.

Doesn’t this sound amazing? And it is possible to make it a reality only if you continue reading this post. If you want to start a business and ensure it succeeds in the long run, here are ways to achieve this.

Starting a Business

Have SMART Long-term Goals

The first way to prep your startup for success is by setting SMART goals. Whether you start with a short or long-term goal, you want to ensure the goals are smart.

This simply means they should be specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and within a given time frame. Doing this can help ensure that you prioritize what’s important and remain focused.

Start with a long-term goal. This is what your business intends to fulfill. It can also mean the kind of impact you want to make within your community. You can then set short-term goals to guide you in achieving the overall objective.

Be Sure of What You Want to Sell

Perhaps, one reason why most startups don’t succeed is due to a lack of product stability. This is where an entrepreneur starts selling a particular product, but they diversify and create a different one after two or three months.

Business experts have revealed that this is a lousy strategic move that business owners should avoid at all costs. Sure, product diversification is beneficial to a company, but it also comes with many risks that might impact your business negatively.

Therefore, when starting a business, you want to be sure of what you want to sell and stick with it until you gain market stability.

Know Your Target Audience

The next unique thing you ought to do to prep your business for success is know who your target market is. Are your products going to apply to the young generation, older people, children, people from a specific geographic location, and so on.

Knowing who your specific audience is right from the start can help ensure you create products that will match their needs. How? You may ask. Knowing what market you want to serve allows you to conduct in-depth research to identify all details about that market with little or no confusion. In the end, meeting the demands of your customers leads to business growth.

Research Your Competitors

Among the many brilliant ways to prep your business for success, none beats this one. Fundamentally, you should know who your competitors are before selling your products in the market. Doing this can help you in so many brilliant ways, which guarantees the success of your business.

Foremost, researching your competitors can help you know all things related to their products. From what they create and the quality to their delivery method and their customer service. And in case of a gap that needs filling, this is where your business comes in.

For instance, if they offer low-quality goods, you can find ways to create products with better quality. If they have inferior delivery methods, you can beat them to this by finding ways to deliver goods efficiently. This and many other flaws your potential competitors have can help you find ways to outstand leading to success.

Acquire the Best Resources

Lastly, you want to acquire the best resources to prep your company for outstanding achievements. Such resources include:

Employees

You want to be surrounded by the right people for specific tasks. This can ensure all business processes get conducted appropriately. With this, you ought to hire qualified employees who can help take your company to the next level.

Technology

The next business resource you should acquire to prepare your business for success is the right technology. Alongside this should be teams that know how to operate the technology.

Technology is one of the best tools a company should own if they want to reduce operational costs, beat competitors, create high-quality goods, and more.

Office Equipment

Lastly, ensure you have all the appropriate office equipment to aid in business functions. Such may include desks, chairs, coffee machines, printers, computers, and many others.

Running a Business

Now that you know how you should prep your startup for success. Here are ways to prep a business that has been in operation for more extended periods for success.

Invest in Your Employees

After hiring the right workers to carry out business activities, more needs to get done. Today, information is becoming obsolete within the blink of an eye. This also includes business processes and technology.

With this, you want to invest in your employees by improving the skills and knowledge to be at par with the latest technology, business processes, and information. Invest in their skills through the necessary training. Also, it would be best to invest in their well-being as healthy employees can help grow your business.

Innovate

This is a fantastic trick and one of the best ways to ensure your business succeeds. Most business owners tend to shy away from innovating, and this is entirely understandable. This is because the process of innovating within a company isn’t a walk in the park.

It is littered with many obstacles such as lack of funds, expertise, tools, information, and more. Fortunately, there are various companies you can follow such as Beachbody Company quality sourcing to learn how you can maneuver through business innovation correctly. This company is more than willing to partner with other businesses to make a difference through innovation.

Innovating is a surefire way to ensure your company remains up and running in the market. It can also have massive benefits such as increased sales, profits, boost your customer base, and many more you don’t want to miss!

Outsource Services

This is an incredible tip that involves getting particular services from experts. Today, businesses can outsource almost all services. This includes human resource management, IT, logistics, warehousing management, marketing, and more.

One significant benefit of outsourcing is improved business efficiency. Others may include sharing of risks, access to technology, access to markets, improved quality output, and access to information. Be a wise business owner and have the right people do what you are incapable of!

Digitize Your Business

There is no better way to prep your business for success in the long run than to go digital. The good news is that you can digitize almost all business processes. Though costly, it can help reduce costs in the long run.

You might want to start by getting rid of all hardcopy documents within your company. Have all data and information uploaded to the cloud where it can be secure, and you can access it anytime. Digitize how you recruit workers, your warehousing systems, logistics, and other processes.

This can save you time and money by improving how tasks get carried out. In the long run, this will boost the growth of your business.

Know Your Competitors Next Move

If you are still wondering how to prep your business for success, this is a unique tip to embrace in your endeavor. It is vital to know what your competitor is up to. While this can make you lose focus, it can help keep you woke as you will identify how to stand out from your competitors.

Please don’t make it a habit to know your competitors’ next move to make yours. Doing this can make you lose track of your main objective. Find a balance between these two. Know what your competitors are up to and at the same time find ways to achieve your main goal.

Form Business Partnerships

A business partnership is an excellent way to grow your business. While it has many positive outcomes, you should also be keen on the risks of this strategic move.

A business partnership may offer many benefits such as more capital, moral support, sharing risks, boost innovation, access to technology and knowledge, and tax benefits.

While this sounds intriguing, you might want to know of the downside of forming a business partnership. Disadvantages include a lack of stability and trust, contract complications, liabilities, and loss of autonomy, to mention a few. Knowing the advantages and weaknesses can help you make a solid decision.

It would be best to plan for when things don’t go accordingly and when they do. This can help you maintain growth stability for your business. With the above pointers, this should be more than manageable. Ensure you consider some if not all the above factors which can help you grow your business.