In the course of running your business, you will encounter security risks and threats. There is a need to mitigate the risks to protect your revenue and reputation and ensure your staff is safe. Integration of commercial security systems is therefore critical as a strategy of combating security threats in your business.

There are more strategies and systems you need to adopt to ensure there are no security breaches. Here are some of the security risks to keep in mind when choosing the systems to integrate.

1. Data and document theft

This threat can be online or physical. If not careful, sensitive documents at the workplace could end up in the wrong hands. Data saved in computers also could end up in the hands of hackers. Data is valuable, and cybercriminals are working day and night to access it.

Implementing a clear desk policy at the workplace is one of the strategies you could employ to prevent the theft of sensitive documents. These documents should also be stored in cabinets with access control. This way, it will be easy to monitor persons accessing the records.

To prevent online theft, it is essential to employ cyber security strategies like installing antivirus and limiting access to data to a few people.

2. Tailgating

Through tailgating, unauthorized persons can get access to a secured area. If such persons successfully access your business premises al could happen. And if there is cash, it is likely to get stolen. If the trespassers are dangerous, they could cause bodily harm to the staff. Documents can also be stolen.

This can be prevented by putting in place stringent physical security measures. You can have guards at all entry and exit points of your business. They can help in identifying and preventing trespassers from passing through.

Awareness can also be created in the organization to educate the employees on the possibility of tailgating happening and its risks. Employees can also be trained on how to prevent tailgating.

3. Burglary

Burglars attacking businesses are usually after merchandise and money. It often results in damage of property and theft of funds and stock. This can significantly affect a business’s bottom line and can even drive it to debt. Burglary can also lead to either temporary or permanent closure of the company.

This should therefore be on top of the list of security risks you should mitigate. How do you prevent this from happening? Installing alarm systems and CCTV cameras can help prevent burglary or bring perpetrators to justice. Invest in good safes and locks to keep the burglars out.

You can also hire security services to provide 24-hour security to your premises.

Conclusion

It is vital to always be on the lookout for business security threats. Some of the common security risks include cybercrime, burglary, tailgating, and theft. Investing in alarm systems and CCTV cameras will go a long way in helping you monitor the premises. It is also essential to keep track of the keys and monitor access points.

A lot of businesses have a core product that brings in the majority of their Revenue Streams. If you’ve read about the 80/20 principle, you’ll know it’s a good idea. It doesn’t mean you should stop looking for other ways to make money.

If you can find unique ways to create more revenue streams it’s like getting free money. You already have customers and you’re offering them something they want. Here are a few cool ideas you can use to get started.

Host Your Own Event Once A Year

If you’re in the right industry, it might be good to hold an event every year. Companies have started big ones in the fitness industry. Mr. Olympia was started by someone who sold fitness magazines and supplements.

When people visit the event they might get to hear from excellent professionals in your industry. Your products will be associated with those experts. It’s not too hard to throw one event every year if you have a big team.

Products Related To Your Business

Podcasts usually sell apparel covered in slogans they come up with. It’s a good way for listeners to support the show. If you had a Youtube channel related to food, you might want to create branded hot sauce for your fans.

The product you create only needs to be related to your business, but it can be completely different from your core business model. Sports teams are great at this because they sell jerseys, mugs, and a million other things.

Hire A Programmer To Create Software

Once you’ve created software, you’ll make almost 100% profit on everything you sell. You might need to update it every once in a while and you’ll need someone to answer emails, but the profit margin is unlike anything you’ve seen before.

It’s going to depend on which industry you’re in but software is a possibility. When it’s available on your website someone can buy it while you’re asleep. You will need to ask your customers exactly what they want first.

Create Your Own Membership Site

Amazon Prime is a good example of a business creating a membership site. When someone has signed up they’ll pay Amazon money every month even when they don’t buy anything. Members are entitled to a few special perks.

If you want to start a membership site you can give members big discounts. Offer them free digital products, a chance to win prizes every month, and anything else you think would tempt them to hand over money every month.

Making Money From Info Content

A business should never have third-party ads on its website, but you can post informational content on Youtube. Information about your industry versus specific info about your business just because customers would enjoy it.

Put google ads on your videos and you could earn tens of thousands of dollars per month. Everyone expects ads on Youtube and other social media platforms, so it wouldn’t have a negative impact on how people view your business.

Test Out Ideas To See What Works

I bet there are thousands of little ideas you’ll be able to test out. If you add up all the extra revenue it’s going to be worth it.

Tips to Protect Your Small Business

Running a business requires round-the-clock work, but while it can be incredibly stressful, the reward of building something with your own hands is incomparable. The prospect of all the hard work and investment being made worthless by a disaster or unexpected turn of events is a difficult one to imagine, so it is essential that you take the necessary steps to protect your organization. For starters, it is often a good idea to incorporate rather than operate as a sole proprietor, as this will protect your personal assets should your business be sued. Once you have incorporated your business, you should consider the following six tips to help you protect your small business.

1. Insure your business

Your business needs to be insured and there are several business insurances to consider. From general liability insurance that will protect you should a customer or supplier get injured on your business premises, or you cause damage to someone else’s property, businesses who provide services should be covered by professional liability insurance, which would cover you if a client were to accuse you or an employee of negligence. You should also insure your premises, and if you have any vehicles, you will need car insurance in Montreal.

2. Stay on top of your bookkeeping and admin

If you are ever in need of financial support or are threatened with legal action,. Your records will become vital to your survival. Be sure to keep all digital and paper files organized and stored securely and back up your files in multiple locations. You should be hiring a professional accountant or bookkeeper to ensure you are compliant with all your tax obligations and are running the business in the most cost-effective way.

3. Cut costs where you can

One of the greatest skills an entrepreneur can master is working out when and where to cut running costs from their operation. The lower you can keep your outgoings, the more profits you will earn. Make a list of all your costs and work through them, deciding where you can cut them completely and where you can reduce them. For example, you may be able to source cheaper raw materials, office supplies, or technology. You should also keep an eye on your use of utilities like energy and water as these costs can be considerable when not monitored.

4. Track return on marketing investments

Running a small business often involves working with tight budgets. Which can mean difficult decisions regarding where to spend your money. Marketing budgets are often the first to go when small businesses are in a pinch. It is not necessarily the best solution in the long run. The key is to track return on investment for your marketing efforts and only continue with the tactics that produce results.

5. Manage your debt

Lots of businesses start out in debt and while it can be necessary to facilitate growth and  managed with caution. Repaying debt should always be a priority as too much of it can put your business in a precarious position. Strangle your development. A healthy debt to equity ratio can be a sign of a growing and financially savvy organization.

6. Prioritize customer service

A poor reputation for customer service can destroy a business. It is essential that you always conduct your business with integrity, honesty, and courtesy. Disgruntled and frustrated customers are quick to voice their opinions. Also advise others to avoid businesses on social media and online review platforms. Listen to all the feedback you receive, learn from it, and take all necessary steps to improve your customer service.

Knowledge Management Software

Knowledge Management Software is a subset of enterprise content management software, which contains a set of software specializing. In the method of collecting, storing and / or accessing information. The concept of knowledge organization is based on a set of practices used by an individual, business or large corporation to identify, create, present and redistribute information for various purposes. Software that provides an information practice or a range of practices in any part of information management processes can be considered information management software. The subset of information management software that emphasizes an approach to knowledge creation based on information that is managed or contained is often referred to as knowledge management software.

KM software in most cases provides individuals, small groups, or midsize companies with the means to Manage company knowledge and information innovate, build new knowledge within a group, and / or improve customer service. Knowledge management systems (software) include about 1,500 or more different approaches to collecting and maintaining information in order to then create knowledge that can be searched using specialized search tools. They include concept builders and / or visual search tools that present information in a related manner not originally conceptualized by those who collect or maintain the information database.

One of the main categories of information management software is Groupware , which can be used for knowledge sharing and gathering. Groupware is a mix of synchronous, asynchronous and community-driven tools. Groupware can be used to share knowledge and expertise, even if team members are located around the world.

Peculiarities of Knowledge Management Software

KM software features typically include:

• Aggregating content from both internal and external sources
• Content classification using taxonomies
• Search
• Place of examination
• Types / dark boards

As business today becomes more and more international, the ability to access information in different languages ​​is now a requirement for some organizations. Reported success factors for a CM system include the ability to integrate well with existing back-end systems and the scalability of the system for growth within the group.

Range

KM software ranges from small software letters for individual users, such as brainstorming software, to highly specialized initiative software suitable for use by hundreds of employees. Often, KM software provides a key reserve for employees working in the customer service or telephone support industries or in the large corporate sectors.

Knowledge management software, in general, allows you to combine unstructured sources of information such as single word-processing documents and / or .pdf formats , email, graphic , unstructured notes , website links , invoices, and other information containing collections. such as a simple thought, with a combination of millions of interactions from a website, and through this combination allows the seeker to gain knowledge that would not otherwise be found. As the speed of Internet access has increased, many on-demand products (or software as a service) have evolved and are now the leading source of KM software.

Low-Cost Ways to Promote Your Business

How can you promote your business to a broader audience without spending a ton of money? It may seem overwhelming, but all it takes is a strategy focused on low-cost promotional techniques. The digital realm empowers startups and small businesses with a wealth of promotional tools and platforms.

Digital marketing tools allow small and medium-scale companies to compete against larger rivals and conglomerates. It’s crucial to avoid getting intimidated by businesses spending hundreds and thousands of dollars on their marketing campaigns. Instead, it will help if you embrace creativity, consistency, and craft to sway search engine and social media algorithms in your favor.

Keep reading to explore low-cost promotional strategies that will work wonders at boosting your brand image and attracting new customers.

1. Polish your Soft Skills

Leadership is a combination of soft and hard skills, such as problem-solving, analytical reasoning, communication, and academic learning. Polishing your soft skills will facilitate your entrepreneurial journey with robust communication and networking skills. These skills will help you with networking, finding investors, and building consumer loyalty with excellent customer service.

These soft skills will help you build relationships with your customers, employees, investors, business associates, and supply chain, partners. In the long run, your communication style will help promote your business with a vibrant community presence and word-of-mouth marketing. But, how can you polish your soft skills and become a savvy communicator?

Young entrepreneurs are advised to pursue an executive MBA to harness their soft skills and learn powerful self-assessment techniques. These self-assessment strategies allow professionals to evaluate their strengths and weaknesses and overcome obstacles with resilient leadership mindsets. In recent years, EMBA jobs have grown exponentially, and entrepreneurs have much to gain with leadership programs.

For instance, an executive MBA allows business owners to embrace a global perspective to build an international clientele with extensive networking. The e-learning landscape makes it easier for entrepreneurs to balance business operations with higher education. It eliminates the barriers of the traditional classroom to create a flexible learning experience.

2. Blog with Consistency

A blog serves as the official mouthpiece of your website and brand to disseminate news, promotions and run creative campaigns. People love reading about topics that fascinate them, but a blog serves a far greater purpose than audience engagement. You see, blogs incorporate keywords that tie your website to an audience of search engine users looking for your products/services.

By creating a blog and posting with consistency, you can win over customers and search engine algorithms. However, stuffing a blog with keywords to build rankings is a fruitless endeavor. It’s crucial to maintain readability and present your audience with immersive, interactive, entertaining, and informative content. Ensure to cleverly incorporate high-ranking and long-tail keywords to increase website visibility and web page rankings.

Creating a blog is easy, and in 2021, it’s an absolute necessity to build domain authority and website visibility. It’s wise to develop a mix of content niches that you can explore on your blog. For instance, you can provide your readers a blend of informative whitepapers, entertaining articles, product reviews, and photo stories.

3. Video Marketing Campaigns

Video marketing is all the rage, for watching videos is much easier and more entertaining than reading a lengthy blog. People can watch videos on long commutes, tedious workdays, while having lunch, and before falling asleep. In short, people devour video content as it’s digestible and makes it easier to comprehend complex information.

We urge you to brim up your social media marketing campaigns with interactive and immersive videos. For instance, you can use videos to explain complicated shipping and delivery processes using animations. You can also use videos to share product tutorials or explain how your services offer competitive advantages.

Video campaigns hold the potential of getting viral when infused with creativity and originality. You can develop an excitingly unique concept to share the story behind your brand and capture a broader audience. Most entrepreneurs shy away from video marketing as they have minimal videography skills. You can experiment around with video shooting and editing or hire a videographer.

Video marketing offers superior ROIs and significant exposure as compared to pay-per-click campaigns and other promotional endeavors.

4. Promote User-Generated Content

Consumers are more likely to believe other consumers’ accounts of satisfactory experiences with your brand, products, or services. You see, consumers trust other consumers more than they trust the promotional gimmicks of a brand.

That’s a significant reason why word-of-mouth marketing can make or break the reputation of a business. So, how can you use this bond of trust between consumers to promote your brand?

It’s simple: promote your user-generated content as a stamp of approval from a happy, flourishing, and vibrant clientele. Actively ask your customers to share your products or testimonials on social media and use those images to create campaigns. You can use the content posted across Instagram stories, Facebook reviews, and Snapchat videos to create immersive campaigns.

User-generated content is highly effective at building trust and encouraging new customers to invest in your products/services.

5. List on Google My Business (GMB)

Is your local restaurant, hair salon, automotive repair shop, or retail store listed on GMB? If not, how do you expect your customers to find you?

Google search is a popular tool people rely on to find credible businesses in their proximity. It offers all the details needed to perform one’s research and make an informed decision quickly. For instance, a GMB listing includes links to the website, social media platforms. It offers a map address for easy navigation.

GMB also allows customers to share their reviews, which creates an aura of transparency for new customers. Be sure to add high-definition imagery of your outlet, window displays, and team to build trust and encourage new customers.

6. Referrals & Recommendations

Here’s an easy trick to acquiring new customers: incentivize your existing customers to refer your brand to their friends and family. You can incentivize your customers with discount vouchers, loyalty cards, or special treats. It all comes down to the right incentive that would encourage them to bring you more customers.

Conclusion

Contrary to what most business owners believe, marketing isn’t about spending tons and tons of money. Instead, it’s about getting creative with the resources you have and using them to maximize exposure. All entrepreneurs must work within their means and resources and find lucrative mediums to promote their brands.

Search engine optimization (SEO) holds great significance, alongside creativity, consistency, and communication. Customers connect with brands to embrace products and services that offer value for money and life quality. It will be best to use the right promotional tools to communicate with your customers and build trust and loyalty.