Why Cyber Security Should Matter to Your Business

At the moment, almost nothing seems secure. Cyber security is a huge issue right now. The Black Hat hacker conference starts in early August in Las Vegas with big announcements coming from the automotive industry and cyber security on the tips of nearly everyone’s tongue. Right now, cyber security is huge. And it looks like it will only get bigger.


I’ve had at least 20 topics or news stories come through on Facebook in just the past two days. Hackers attacking the latest version of Windows. Hackers attacking Chrysler vehicles. Hackers overtaking the transmission in a vehicle 10 miles away and also forcing the driver to listen to only Kanye West songs. Just when you thought it couldn’t get worse. And in the past couple of years we’ve seen demonstrations of ATM machines being hacked to spew out hundreds of dollars, smartphones being cloned from a distance, and pacemakers and insulin pumps being commandeered from 50 feet away.

It’s crazy and it’s dangerous, and that doesn’t even touch the millions of credit card holders affected by hacks on some of the big box stores and the millions of government employees whose identities were stolen last month by hackers in foreign countries. Yes, what’s this world coming to? I’m not sure, but burying your head in the sand won’t help. Here’s why you should care:

It can happen to you – and your clients. You can easily end up a victim even if you just don’t believe it can happen to you. But guess what? You have customers. So if it happens to you, then it happens to them. And they will know it’s because it happened to you. Meaning, in their eyes, you let it happen. Ouch. Few things will cause you to lose customers faster than giving away their personal information. I know you didn’t give it away, but you didn’t fully protect it either.

It’s in the news everywhere. Now is the best time and most important time to care. If you think the concept of copycat crimes is crazy then you are in complete denial. It’s a lonely deep web person’s 15 minutes of fame. They steal your stuff and they’ve accomplished something cool. So you should care because as more of those sad individuals are successful and gaining publicity for it, more will do it. But on the flip side, that also means more individuals and organizations will be rising on the side of good to help you do something about it. Be careful as you weed through the potential solution providers – Joe doing it out of his basement still might be on the side of wrong. And it will never be perfect. Just as a hole in security is being patched, someone is working very hard to get past it.

It’s a matter of trust. It boils down to how much do you value your clients and how much does your business mean to you? You work hard to build a reputation, a client base, and a business that consistently delivers to your valued customers. It’s hard work – no doubt about it. It’s not luck. Something may happen that gains you exposure and customers quickly like an article or an award from a local survey of you and your competition. But that doesn’t mean you were an overnight success – I’m sure that concept would make you laugh. Business shooting up overnight after you’ve sweated over it for 20 years says it was neither luck nor overnight success. However, one good security breach that compromises your service or your customers’ confidence and trust can bring your business down very quickly. It would be nice to blame it on a stroke of bad luck, but the real reason would be your own failure to act in advance on the risk of a cyber security breach. Bad luck? No, not really. Just poor planning.

Summary
So, should you be worried about security? Absolutely. Are you going to do something about it? I hope so. Personally, I’m just about as bad as everyone else who thinks it won’t happen to them. But recent developments have made me re-think the entire security concept, and I don’t have sensitive customer data stored anywhere. Do something about it – the time is now. You haven’t been affected yet. Keep it that way.

By ...  Brad Egeland

 

The 4 Cs of Business Idea Evaluation

Evaluating business ideas is one of the most prevalent and important tasks for any entrepreneur. Whether you are a small business owner, a business manager, or a C-level executive, you will have to evaluate a business idea at some point in your career and determine whether or not it's worth putting a financial investment into. Here are four criteria for evaluating your ideas and ways you can judge those criteria for your company's benefit.

Company – I'm talking about your company. What do you do and how well do you do it? Are you the leading company in your industry? Second place? You need to know your company's strengths and weaknesses. Do you have the resources necessary to turn your business idea into a winning marketplace performer? If not, why not? What would it take to get your company to the point to where it could manage the business idea from fruition to success?

Customers – Who are your customers and what do they want? What do they value? Do you serve a particular demographic? What aspects of your business idea would they find most appealing? What about your idea might they not like? These are questions you'll need to know about your customers before you start manufacturing or marketing your idea. If you don't know your customers, you'll never be able to satisfy them.

Competition – Who is your competition? Better yet, what companies or individuals are your stiffest competitors? Is anyone else in the marketplace doing what you want to do? If so, how successful are they? Are their clients happy? Why or why not? How will your business idea differ from what is already in the market? How can you improve upon the competition's product or service? These are all things you need to know about your competition before you roll out that business idea.

Collaboration – Have you polled your business partners to see if they like your idea? You should. Your collaborators may think of things you haven't. In fact, you may find that a member of your team has already tried what you want to try. You can learn from their experience. You should also concern yourself with how your business idea could potentially impact your collaborators and business partners. Will it affect your relationship with them in any way? Don't allow yourself to be blindsided. Explore all possibilities before you implement your idea.

Which of the 4 Cs is Most Important?
None of the 4 Cs are more important than the others. They are all equal. You should write a business plan for your idea and section out each of these criteria within your plan. As you go about evaluating your idea, write down what you discover about each of the 4 Cs so that you have it in writing. Make it visual in order to evaluate it more effectively.

Summary
When you want to implement a new business idea, check the 4 Cs—your Company, your Customers, your Competition, and your Collaborators. Mine them for information and solicit feedback before implementation.

- businessknowhow 

7 Mistakes that Could Drive Your Star Employees Out the Door

Your best employees are worth their weight in gold. The last thing you want is for them to quit and go to work for the competition. Be sure you aren't making one of these mistakes. 

Regardless of how good of a manager you are, sometimes employees are going to leave. Often, their departure stems from factors outside of your control but it’s still a good time to make sure you aren’t making these mistakes.

1. You aren’t paying enough- Yes, you’re a small business but your employees are working to pay the bills, put food on the table, and build a nest egg. Other factors are important but money is a primary motivator.

For employees that prove to be valuable, pay market rates or above as soon as you can. Is it understandable that you’re a small business and don’t have a large budget to pay what the major corporations pay? Yes, but asking somebody to accept less money than they can make elsewhere isn’t inviting a loyal, long-term employee.

2. You aren’t training enough- A star employee didn’t get that way by accident. They love to learn and they want to be a little better each day. What does that mean for you? Constantly give them opportunities to train. Send them to conferences, pay for a new certification, or connect them with somebody you know in the industry.

Is there a chance that you’ll invest heavily into them and they’ll take all of that knowledge to another company? Yes, but it’s a chance worth taking.

3. You aren’t challenging enough- As they receive the training, they’re eager to put it to work. They aren’t happy coming to work and doing the same job every day. As a manager, you should constantly look for a new way to challenge them. Adding more work isn’t the answer. As they solve a problem, give them a new one to tackle.

4. You aren’t respecting their time- While this is true of any employee, it quickly becomes a problem with great employees, often without you realizing. Because they’re reliable, they’re the first people you call on to take care of important tasks but you can’t overload them.

Respect their job description. Let them know that you expect them to put their family first and want them to tell you if they feel overloaded. Be careful not to burn them out.

5. You make them work 9-5- We live in a connected world. In most businesses, employees can do a portion of their work from just about anywhere. Star employees who have gained your trust can work anywhere, anytime they would like so let them make their schedule.

Sure, there will be meetings and other scheduled events they must attend (and they understand that) but outside of that, judge their performance instead of the amount of time they spend at their desk.

6. You don’t praise enough- Bad managers have the attitude that if somebody is getting paid, doing a great job is an expectation—not something special. Everybody should come to work to do a great job but if you aren’t the complimenting type, you’re likely to have higher employee turnover.

Everybody likes a compliment. At home, from friends, on Facebook, and by their boss, public recognition makes people smile and lets them know that you care.

7. You don’t ask for enough feedback- Your great employees have a wealth of ideas. If you aren’t asking for them, you’re missing out on something that could transform your business.

But more important, ask them how they feel about their job and encourage them to be honest. Simply asking and listening goes a long way but with that information, you can constantly tweak their position to keep up with how they’re evolving as a professional.

Bottom Line
Even if you do all of the right things, sometimes employees will leave. When they do, don’t hold a grudge. Give them a grand sendoff, and commit to keeping in touch. Keeping a relationship in place could be lucrative for you. What if you used them as an independent contractor for some projects? What if they send you other great employees they meet?

Just because they’re leaving doesn’t mean that they’re no longer valuable to you.

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8 Ways to Improve Employee Performance in Your Small Business

When your employees just don't seem to care about what they do and put little effort into their jobs, it's easy to blame it on the employee. Before you give up on ever finding anyone with a good work ethic, check out these eight things you should be doing to motivate and inspire your employees. 

1.  Give all your new hires a packet or written handout that explains your company, work culture, policies, and guidelines for interacting with customers, suppliers, and others with whom you do business. This sets your expectations early on. Employees really want to do a good job, but without clear guidelines they may not know what is expected of them.

2.  Establish an employee training program and delegate someone to carry it out. This will involve making your more vested employees feel more valued by giving them additional responsibilities. Have them train new employees on using the equipment, handling customer service complaints, and taking care of other routine details. A training program can go a long way to making your employees feel they are a part of a company that knows where it is going.

 3. Delegate. By giving people additional responsibilities, no matter how small, you are letting them know they are valued. Employees appreciate that, and they work harder when they know someone appreciates their efforts.

4. Once a year, have a company picnic or get-together outside of the office environment. Give your employees a chance to socialize away from work, and present them with performance incentives.

5. For every new task or responsibility you hand out (and you should increase employee responsibilities as much as is feasible), establish your expectations right up front. Manage your expectations every step of the way to ensure that employees understand your end goal and know that you are watching. You have a responsibility to help your employees grow into the best version of themselves they can be. If they see you doing that, they'll work harder to meet your expectations.

6. Be honest. Nothing builds trust better than telling the truth. If an employee isn't good at something, don't be afraid to let them know. But do show some empathy. You have your weaknesses too.

7. Don't show favoritism. Even if you have a favorite employee, don't let others see that. Treat everyone the same regardless of attitudes and employee skills. That doesn't mean you should let the bad apples spoil the bunch. Discipline when necessary, but let it be known that you'd treat every other employee the same way if the situation called for it. You'll earn their respect and their loyalty when you treat everyone the way you'd want to be treated.

8. Have a system in place for dealing with negative situations. It's not something you want to think about, but every business has issues arise from time to time. Have a plan before it happens. If employees feel like you are being arbitrary, they will not want to work for you. If they know expectations up front and the consequences for violating your guidelines, then they are more likely to steer clear of those consequences. They will work harder to please you. Go out of your way to be consistent and fair and end every negative counseling session with an action plan for improving employee performance.

At the heart of every employee is someone who feels either valued or devalued. Employees who feel valued are more likely to give you their best. Those who feel devalued are more likely to slack off or develop a lackadaisical attitude. You have it in your power as manager of your business to empower your employees to be more productive, efficient, and diligent.

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How to Keep Your Affiliates Active and Loyal: The 4 Proven Tactics

With so many affiliate programs available these days, people may jump from program to program with little thought. Fortunately, there are things you can do to keep affiliates interested an active in your program. 

Maintaining an active affiliate base is the key to the success of your program. If people are continually jumping ship, you're not going to make any money. If you've got a good product with reasonably high demand and an attractive, easy to navigate website, you should be able to keep a happy and stable group of affiliates, right? So what's the problem?

Well, assuming that your program is potentially successful; that is, your product is in demand and that you have a professional looking, user-friendly website, I can pretty much guarantee that the problem lies in communication. If your affiliates are trickling away, it is most likely because they feel ignored or just uninformed. Here are a few communication basics you can use to keep them feeling involved.

First. Have a good "thank you" page. 
Don't just use a canned prefab form. When your affiliates sign up, give them some pertinent information, like what they can expect from you and a little more about how your specific program works. Maybe even give a few sales statistics from your most successful affiliates. This will make them feel really involved right from the start.

Second. "Send a sincere "thank you" email. 
Don't just send a cursory "thank you" with your new affiliate's linking code. Once again, offer some more information about the program. Tell them a little more about the product, or mention a technique or two for placing classified ads for their site. Always close any communication with your affiliates by letting them know that they can always contact you with questions or concerns.

Third. Keep on top of sales alerts. 
Try to set up a regular schedule for informing affiliates of their sales. Frequent alerts, say once or twice a week, will keep people much more interested than a monthly mass mailing.

Fourth. Keep in touch. 
Start an affiliate newsletter, or send out emails with updates about your program, sales statistics from your top affiliates, and marketing tips. This will keep people excited about the potential of the program.

These tactics may seem a little time consuming, but believe me they're worth it. And besides, just think of the recruiting hours you'll save if everyone sticks with it. Now obviously, there are going to be affiliates who leave your program no matter what you do, that's just the nature of the business, but, provided you have a good product, if you follow these steps and stay in communication with your people, you'll find that your program is a lot more successful.

SFI AFFILIATE IS GOOD FOR YOU 

How to Earn A Living Online through Netcontacts: Over #150,000 monthly

Who we are

Netcontacts membership emerged from our desires to create an easy and legitimate money making opportunity for Nigerians, through the internet. In Netcontacts your friends, neighbors, relatives & acquaintances or even strangers etc. have the opportunity to share money with you.

How it works

Netcontacts membership is an online networking business. Where members are paid by the persons that they invite to register as Netcontacts members. Whenever, any member invites somebody to register under him or her as Netcontacts member, the invited person registers for free trial membership. The member in free trial membership cannot invite other people to register under him or her, until he or she migrates to full membership. And for a free trial member to migrate to full membership, he or she has to activate his or her membership, by paying N1,500 membership activation fee to the person that invited him or her. So, that the person that invited him or her will activate his or her membership. After his or her membership activation, then would he or she be able to invite other people, so that each person he or she invites will also paid him or her their activation. 

Membership Activation 

To activate any member, the member must have paid the N1,500 to you either through your bank account or any other means of financial exchange e.g mobile money, online transfer, recharge cards etc. After the payment he or she should text you his or her Invitationcode & you are required to activate any member that paid you within 24hrs of the payment confirmation.  

 

How to invite people
  # Visit and tell your relatives, friends, neighbours or any person in the street, to register under you
  # Call or send SMS to any person you know, in any town/city within Nigeria, asking them, to register under
  # Send email to people inviting them to register under
  # Send bulk SMS to phone numbers, inviting them to register under you

 

 

 

 JOIN FREE HERE...