America’s 28 million small business firms are strong and growing; build your business to last.
60 million Americans are employed with small businesses today reported the National Economic Council in May. Here are a few great ways to strengthen the core structure of your company.
Change is good if you are prepared. Changes in business are like wind currents; they are inevitable and you never know when or where they will lead you. You have to be ready for change and be flexible in order to adapt gracefully. Business planning is key in developing a scalable versatile company that can withstand unpredictable economic times.
Things to plan for… Many people believe business planning is something you only do when you are starting a new business. Realistically, planning for your business should be completed annually or every few years and reviewed quarterly or semi-annually to ensure accuracy for future transitions. Planning ahead for possible growth, production refinement, technology revisions, financial transitions, variations in staffing needs, and other changes can help your organization transition smoothly when implementing new things.
Even something as small as upgrading printers, can spin a business into turmoil if training, financial backing, and implementation are not well planned. In a rush, details can quickly fall by the way side creating a more timely and costly transitional period for your business.
Your company website is the online calling card for your business. There are an estimated 117.6 million mobile Internet users today, you can’t afford to miss out on this growing market. (US Digital Consumer Report, Q3-Q4, 2011) Keeping your website current and available online will allow search engines to find your website easily. Rich content with keywords that pertain directly to your company goals will increase your visibility in search result pages drawing visitors to your site. Remember, your website must be reliable, distinctive, and impactful – it is your Internet calling card for clients and prospects to learn about and share your company.
Technology to boost efficiency. How long has it been since your last technology review? If your computers are more than 5 years old, you may be ready for an upgrade. Recently, we were able to outfit a client with new computers. They were astonished at how much more efficient their business could run with new equipment. Some offices find a simple memory and graphic card upgrade with dual monitors, significantly increases employee efficiency. A basic 20” monitor costs as little as $150 making a multi-monitor upgrade a cost efficient way to work faster and more effectively boosting productivity.
Security to keep your company compliant and safe. Security is a major area of concern for business owners today. Protecting your company data doesn’t mean spending oodles of money on security. There are 4 basic precautions you can take to ensure your company information stays safe.
- Backup regularly. Many companies use servers at their office to store critical files but never think to run a backup of the data. Keep your company information safe using an off-site backup solution and security software on every computer, even laptops.
- Set up Firewalls to block intruders from accessing your network and control what employees can get into on the Internet.
- Use a strong authentication system. Whether your company relies on strong passwords or something more sophisticated like smart cards, fingerprint scanners or iris scans, authentication is essential for everything from computers and servers to alarm systems and cash registers.
- Wireless security can also be a weak link. Be sure to restrict wireless access so thieves cannot run amuck on your network. These basic precautions can help minimize security risks for your company so you can rest at ease that your data is safe.
Need help? Take advantage of our technical staff. We can review your company’s technology approach giving you a full report of your current operations with our recommendations to improve efficiency, stability and security for the future. These details will assist you with business planning.
