As small businesses adapt new and better technology, we enjoy new and more advanced connections, data storage, communications, and so much more. But added dependence on technology is leading to increased risk of theft, fraud, and abuse—pitfalls that could bring the demise of your business. Every small business, no matter how small, must be educated and mindful about their practices, technology, and other aspects of their business. That’s why I think it is important to share these five common tech mistakes, originally from Steve Strauss at theselfemployed.com, to help you save your business unnecessary time, headaches, and revenue.
1. Lack of security: One cannot ignore the overwhelming statistics of cybercrime such as online piracy, social media identity theft, and phishing scams. Symantec Corp. reports cybercrime is costing the world $110 billion every year, and other sources report even higher losses. These are the fastest growing crimes – so don’t be caught unaware!
Never forget how vitally important your customer lists, account numbers, passwords, bank information, data, contracts, and other vital information are to your business and to your customers. Far too many small businesses neglect to protect this information as the “lifeblood” of their business. So, install security software. Never download “updates” outside of the normal process, and implement policies to be sure your employees do the same. Monitor your social media so as to be on the alert for fraud. I get a ridiculous number of spam comments on this blog—thank goodness they are blocked by my site’s internal security measures! Also, make sure that your security system can check for keystroke logging software.
2. Looking small: No matter how small your small business, the Internet has leveled the playing field. In fact, while you may be small offline, the trick is that online you can and should look every bit as big and professional as your biggest competitor.
This means that you must not only have a great looking website, but you must also have a vibrant social media presence. Future customers will likely check you out online long before you meet them in person, and they will glance right past you if you have no online presence (or if you look small and unprofessional). So make sure that what they find is something special.
Be small, but look big.
3. Not scheduling regular data back-ups: Always, always, always backup. Seriously. You never expect the unexpected to happen, that’s why we call it unexpected! Not only will backing up your data help with accidental deletes and computer/network glitches, but it can also save the life of your business in the event of a natural disaster. Look into backing up with a cloud drive; this is a popular option that eliminates the danger of losing your date due to hardware damage. Check out the security of your chosen cloud drive though, and use encryption if necessary. (For example, Dropbox should be paired with encryption software such as Boxcryptor.)
4. Never really learning the software: Remember the statistic that we only tend to use about 10% of our brain’s capacity? Well, the same is true of your software, and that’s almost a handicap. Do you REALLY know what your software can do? If you spend a little extra time actually learning what your software can do, you will be amazed. Besides avoiding a mistake, learning what your software can do is also a great investment. Software companies spend an enormous amount of time and energy creating programs to meet our needs as small businesses, so let’s tap into that!
5. Not disposing of old technology properly: Be careful not to simply throw old phones and computers and other technology away, for two reasons. First, you are adding toxic materials into landfills and harming the environment. Second, improperly disposing of your technology exposes your valuable, sensitive data to being accessed by others. To get rid of your old technology properly, check with the manufacturer, your local department of waste management, or donate it to charity for a tax deduction.
Did these tips help, or do you have any to add? Let us know!
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