Posts

Taking Your Business Security to Another Level

/in /by

StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Business Security|Taking Your Business Security to Another LevelBusiness security is vital for protecting assets, employees, and intellectual property. And your company is under constant threat from hackers. So here are some practical protection tips.

Exercise Access Controls

Access control is an excellent tool for restricting specific people from areas of a physical site or server. You can control physical access controls using simple yet powerful key card entry systems. Key cards are programmable, meaning a user without the correct credentials imprinted on a key card cannot access a mismatched lock. Kind of like the security levels you see in the movies. For your business network, you can also implement something similar. Your network administrators can restrict access to specific drives and folders with OS policies and user levels.

Install Facial Recognition

CCTV cameras have come a long way since the choppy, low-resolution, inter-frame devices of the 1990s. Today, you can install Wi-Fi enabled, 24 fps, 4K, smart cameras for relatively little. These are supremely clear and have advanced features like high-detail zooming. However, you can go one step further and install high-tech cameras with facial recognition software. Suppose you manage a store and have banned someone for stealing. Facial recognition cameras can spot them and alert you. Or warn you to a face entering your site that isn’t in the staff database.

Boost Business Security with Non-Lethal Arms

Most countries don’t allow security to carry firearms. Yet, in some places, the killing of private security staff is double that of police. But there are non-lethal options you can use. These are much cheaper, have less chance of severe injury, and are mostly legal. Additionally, they hurt enough that they will stop a violent criminal in their tracks. Examples include pepper spray, tasers, and rubber bullets or bean bags. Many of these non-lethal alternatives also look a lot like real guns. And in most cases, just the presence of these weapons is enough to deter a criminal.


Invest in the Latest Technology

Like most things, security technology is constantly evolving. Modern advancements include facial recognition and key card access. However, there are more technologically advanced controls than these that you can invest in. Some aren’t as new, and others are in their infancy. Examples include biometrics for scanning the eyes, fingerprints, and palms. However, you can take your cameras mobile with security drones. Models like the Easy Aerial SAMS are designed for remote control and perimeter scanning with a high-quality camera and advanced recognition.

Implement Strict Cybersecurity

There is a genuine threat of a cyberattack on your business. And your business size doesn’t mitigate risk. Almost 60% of attempted hacks each year target small to medium businesses. These include data theft, ransomware, and DDoS attacks. Any of these is disastrous for a company of any size. Therefore, you must spend some money on cybersecurity. The best cybersecurity plans for businesses include physical and software firewalls, regular data backups, and employee education. You could use an IT service or hire an expert security team.

Summary

It pays to invest in business security to protect your company and employees. User access control, non-lethal deterrents, and cybersecurity protocols are all excellent methods.

How to Make Your Clothing Brand Stand Out from the Crowd

/in /by

StrategyDriven Marketing and Sales Article |Clothing Brand|How to Make Your Clothing Brand Stand Out from the CrowdThere are so many different clothing brands out there, so if you are going to set up one of your own, you need to make it stand out from the crowd in any way that you can. There are all sorts of different ways you can do this – but for the sake of east, the following article will present you with just a few of the top ideas you could use and put into practice.

Get to Know Your Customer

Firstly, you will certainly need to know and understand a great deal about your customer. The better you understand who you are actually trying to sell clothing to in the first place, the more likely you will be in a situation where you will market to them effectively.

Ultimately, you need to ensure that you have a customer base that feels like they are being listened to in terms of what is being created, with their needs and desires at the forefront of your strategy – both in the marketing and the design of your products.

Embrace Bold Styles

You should also consider embracing styles that have a certain boldness about them. After all, as mentioned, you are going to be entering a crowded marketplace, and you need to be able to stand out from the crowd.
This is also the case when you have models on the runways who will need to be fully confident in what they are wearing and rock your gear in a way that makes it big, bold, and memorable.


Ensure You Utilize Social Media

There is no doubt that fashion is a highly visual enterprise, which means that it was born for social media. Therefore, you need to be utilizing all of the social media platforms in front of you that can get the style out there into the world.
You should have a clear content plan in place, as it will make all the difference to ensure that you always have something you can put out there to engage your audience.

Keep Pushing Out New Designs

If there is one thing that a clothing brand must never do, it is staying stationary and not embracing change over time. As such, staying closely with the theme of being bold, there needs to be the sense that new designs are just around the corner with the changing of the seasons that are always occurring.

The right manufacturing partner, such as those similar to Precision Sportswear, may be able to help with this element of your business and help you keep quality up there as a top priority – which you as a business owner need to strive to uphold.
The fresh design aspect of your company can then fit in with the social media element of ensuring that you market your goods effectively, while not forgetting the initial target market that made you popular in the first place.

Conclusion

The above points are just some of the different methods that can help ensure you have created the type of clothing brand that truly stands out from the crowd and achieves everything that you want it to. Incorporate each of them into your business strategy, and you might start seeing the success you are hoping to enjoy.

8 Ways to Identify a Toxic Workplace

/in /by

StrategyDriven Diversity and Inclusion Article | 8 Ways to Identify a Toxic WorkplaceContinuing a career in whichever field you choose is one of the largest parts of everyone’s life. This entails that most individuals spend almost, if not more, time at work than at home. Though seemingly difficult, what can make it even more strenuous is having a workplace that doesn’t make your life easier but rather harder, a toxic workplace, if you will.

A good workplace will make you feel seen, accomplished, and overall satisfied with working there, whereas, working in a toxic workplace will have many side effects on your mental and physical health, as well as your work output, and so on. Below you will find all the signs to look for when working in a work environment that may be toxic without you even knowing it.

Employee Sickness

The first sign you will notice of a toxic work environment is physical symptoms within yourself. These symptoms arise in multiple ways including burnout, fatigue, or even illness such as chronic migraines, weight loss due to multiple ailments, and even depression. If you find yourself calling in sick and having an overall negative mood, it may be time to reflect on a workplace change.

Chronic Cronyism

If you notice, your work colleagues and superiors all know each other a little too well. When a manager hires from the same homogenous circle of individuals, be that from family or friend circles, it becomes a case of cronyism. This means not only is the workplace extracting potential exterior high-performers but also creating a homogenous work culture that is unsustainable.

Gossiping

Small talk regarding guests or business partners is expected, but when small talk becomes gossip and gossip becomes overly personal within a workplace, it turns into an unhealthy partnership with colleagues. This can lead to strenuous collaboration on work projects, internal conflicts, external altercations, and so forth.

If you find yourself or your colleagues complaining to each other too often, the underlying issue is usually dissatisfaction with something within the work environment or maybe in their personal lives.


Antisocial Tendencies

Silence is often an indication of struggle and discomfort within a workplace. If your colleagues aren’t engaging with each other, nor is anyone’s body language positive, it can be a result of a prolonged decline in workplace morale and interpersonal relationships at work.

Another symptom of antisocial behavior is combativeness towards peers. If you feel you are being challenged too often, it is a telltale sign of toxicity within your work environment which can also affect your confidence and morale.

Lack of Confidence

Morale and confidence have already been mentioned, but there is another layer to workplace confidence which is being able to challenge ideas in a healthy manner. Being terrified of your superiors isn’t a healthy way to work since everyone is supposedly on the same team and is trying to find new and creative ways to move forward, which is something that cannot be done under scrutiny.

Lack of Growth

Growth equates to mobility. When looking for jobs, employees search for opportunities for growth within their workplace and personal careers, and if a company is unable to provide that, it may be a sign of a work environment that isn’t personally beneficial for you, which may even fit under the “toxic” terminology. It is important to create environments that promote growth.

StrategyDriven Diversity and Inclusion Article | 8 Ways to Identify a Toxic WorkplaceLeadership Problems

Bosses come in all shapes, sizes, and attitudes. Sometimes a disagreeable boss is the byproduct of a previous negative superior, or sometimes people just aren’t meant to manage workers in the first place. There are two extremes to this spectrum: either your superior is very passive and doesn’t communicate enough, or they micromanage everyone’s every move.

Try looking for signs of a narcissistic boss, such as a lack of empathy for struggling colleagues, exclusively talking about themself, taking advantage of situations and people, and so on.

Blurry Boundaries

A workplace is meant to run with organization, not chaos. If you find your team doesn’t have set goals, roles, or boundaries put in place, it might be time to start questioning whether the environment is one that you wish to be a part of. Clear roles must be given to each member.

About the Author

Russell Ridgeway is an American writer based in Budapest, Hungary. He writes in business, tech, and fashion as well as creative fiction. You can reach him by email ([email protected]), or on LinkedIn and other social media platforms.

5 Common Mistakes People Make with Career Development

/in /by

StrategyDriven Professional Development Article |Career development|5 Common Mistakes People Make with Career DevelopmentDeveloping a career is something that a lot of people want. That’s understandable when developing your career often means having more responsibility and earning more money. The problem is that many people assume they are on the way up their career ladder without realizing they’re making common mistakes that hold them back.

If you want to make sure you develop in your career without any hiccups, be sure to avoid these five common mistakes.

1: Being Disorganized

No matter how talented you are at your job or how much you know, if you are consistently disorganized, you won’t make a good impression. Showing up late and having a messy desk may stop you from acquiring that promotion you’ve been waiting for. If you want to find a job in a different company, being disorganized won’t help you there, either. Without writing a high-quality resume/cover letter and researching companies, you won’t get anywhere.

2: Ignoring Other Companies

Are you staying in a job that is not right for you? You might enjoy your work, but the job itself might be the reason you are not developing in your career. If you are ambitious, you might need to spread your wings and leave for a company that allows more growth. In this situation, you’ll need great recommendations and a good resume. Try using a cover letter builder to make an even good impression, too.


3: Not Knowing Your Skills and Worth

Most people know what they want to do, but many don’t know what they are good at. If you don’t know what skills you bring to the career table, you won’t be able to highlight them and use them to your advantage. You might also end up in a role that doesn’t let you shine.

To avoid that, pay special attention to what you are good at and never underestimate your worth. Once you know what you do well, you can choose a career progression path that suits it.

4: Not Networking

Networking is essential in most careers. You might miss out on the senior-level job of your dreams just because you didn’t introduce yourself to that one person at that one business event. So, make it your mission to network more. The more people you know, the higher the chance you’ll be offered a job that suits your skills.

5: Not Listening to Mentors

You should not assume that you know everything from the get-go. You might be very talented in your career, but there is always more to learn, and your mentors know that. Take on board their lessons and use their advice to have a better chance at climbing the career ladder. You should also put yourself out there and ask your managers/supervisors for advice on career development.

People often make these five mistakes when trying to develop their career, which prevents their growth. That doesn’t have to include you, though. By avoiding them, you have a much better chance of succeeding and having a great career.

Proven Strategies To Boost Your Video Marketing Plan

/in /by

StrategyDriven Online Marketing and Website Development Article |Video marketing|Proven Strategies To Boost Your Video Marketing PlanVideo marketing is one of the indispensable elements of a digital marketing plan. You cannot overlook video channels because visuals are more impactful than text on any day. They have the power to capture attention and hold it for the long haul, so you can imagine how they can fuel your brand. Although videos make the most potent content form, the competition on these marketing channels is daunting. Even the best content pieces may get only a handful of views. You may need to go the extra mile to make a mark. Let us share some proven strategies to boost your video marketing plan.

Pick a relevant focus area

Making videos is easier than ever as you can pick online tools and editors to create professional-looking pieces in just a few minutes. But you must not create randomly just because you have a tool to help. Pick a focus area to match the intent of your target audience to attract and maintain them. Ideally, your content should provide them with the information they want or need.

Create quality content

The internet has endless pieces of video content, and you need to offer compelling ones to compete. The last thing you should do is to create videos only to keep your YouTube channel busy. Invest time and effort in generating creative ideas and producing videos. You may even seek professional production services to create aesthetically-superior ones. But remember to serve value in some way, whether by answering questions, solving a problem, or introducing your brand.


Win with video SEO

Just creating great videos does not ensure marketing success. A lot depends on making them visible and enticing the audience to click them over the others. Video SEO covers these fronts, so you must master the strategy. The good thing is that it is quite similar to conventional SEO as you need to include relevant keywords in video titles and descriptions. Customizing the thumbnail, adding strong CTAs, and using interactive features like end screens can do the rest. You can leverage your SEO skills to make your videos rank better in search engines.

Prioritize education over selling

Another strategy that can help you ace the YouTube game is to prioritize education over selling. For example, a video that explains how to use a product or how it can help you solve a problem is more likely to hook a customer than a simple ad that only compels them to buy. Steer clear from over-promoting your brand and offerings, and share valuable content that sells subtly through education.

Maintain a consistent schedule

A consistent posting schedule is another proven way to win the video marketing game. But do not overwhelm the audience by posting too often. The best way to retain attention on these channels is to publish less frequently but ensure you have something that keeps the viewers waiting for more. Pros recommend posting within two to three days as it gives viewers enough time to absorb the content and get excited about the next piece.
There is no shortcut to ace video marketing, and a one-size-fits-all approach also does not work. But you can rely on these tactics to achieve the best outcomes.