small business management Archives - Uno Deuce Multimedia

Guest Post: 4 Cybersecurity Myths Your Business Might Have Fallen For

The world of cybersecurity is new for many business owners. Without understanding how it all works, it can be very easy to fall for some of the most common myths thrown around about how cybersecurity works. Here are four myths that your business may have fallen for which you should remedy as soon as possible.

A Strong Password Will Protect Your Business

Just because you set password requirements to make it hard to guess, that’s not the only form of login authentication that you need. Rather, you should be utilizing two-factor authentication alongside data monitoring. This will ensure that if hackers can get through the initial password login, they can still be stopped by the second authentication step.

Only Specific Industries Get Targeted By Hackers

While IT companies do tend to target select industries when it comes to their services, it’s important to note that all industries can be targeted. As long as you have some sort of sensitive data, hackers are willing to breach your system. This could be sensitive data about your customers or your business itself.

Anti-Virus Software Is Enough to Keep Out Intruders

This is one of the biggest cybersecurity myths that is out there. While anti-virus software programs are a necessity for business owners, they’re one part of the entire cybersecurity strategy. Your business will need multiple tools to protect against online intruders. Don’t just purchase anti-virus software and assume that you’re fully protected from hackers. That’s simply not the case at all.

Small Businesses Aren’t Targets for Hackers

There are many fish in the sea and it’s easiest to go for the big ones instead of chasing the small ones. That is what we’ve all been mistakenly told when it comes to cybersecurity. This just isn’t the case. Rather, small businesses made up over half the data breaches for businesses last year. Hackers know that small business owners don’t typically take the security measures that big businesses do. Therefore, they know that they can breach small businesses with ease as compared to large businesses.

There are a lot of myths flying around when it comes to the concept of cybersecurity. Understanding what these myths are and what the facts actually are about cybersecurity, you can get a better idea of what your business needs to be better protected in the future. You should enlist the help of a professional IT consultant when it comes to understanding the truth about cybersecurity.

Anica is a professional content and copywriter from San Francisco, California. She loves dogs, the ocean, and anything outdoor-related. She was raised in a big family, so she’s used to putting things to a vote. Also, cartwheels are her specialty. You can connect with Anica here. https://plus.google.com/u/0/110201410531526652293

Guest Post: How to Maintain a Professional Business Aesthetic

Every public business should maintain a professional image in its physical appearance. Prospective customers often judge a book by its cover, so to speak, and are likelier to do business with an attractive building than one that appears neglected or poorly maintained. Here are four tips for projecting a professional appearance.

Exterior Cleanliness

No matter the company building size, it can and should be kept clean through annual pressure washing, window cleaning, and debris removal. Sidewalks and parking areas should be weed-free and kept in serviceable condition, with cracks periodically repaired. The parking lot may need occasional resealing, depending on the type of surface it is.

Curb Appeal

At a glance during a drive-by or for customers’ first visits, the building should be inviting and attractive. Seasonal potted plants add a decorative touch. Window blinds, if any, should be kept open or closed uniformly, and broken blinds should be replaced. Visitors appreciate seeing a neat and well-kept parking area as well as walkways to the building. The overall effect should be polished. Anti-graffiti paint helps to deter defacing of exterior walls, fencing, and ancillary structures, such as stairs and porticos. A brick building can be sandblasted if it becomes dusty or sooty from pollution.

Well Maintained Facilities

The entrance needs to be aesthetically appealing, with clean doors, updated signage, tidy flooring, and a fragrant odor. Indoor or outdoor trash cans and recycling containers should not overflow or impede foot traffic. Reception areas and waiting areas can offer tasteful décor to make guests or customers feel welcome. Wall hangings, floral arrangements, and reading material or informational signs need to be neat and functional rather than overbearing. Even the mailbox, if visible, can be updated and kept clean to project a positive image.

Furnishings

Outdoor tables, chairs, or displays ought to be stylish and in good working order. Avoid displaying anything that has chipped or scratched paint or rust. Indoor furniture is expected to be clean, comfortable, and suitable to the business. A small company that boasts expensive furniture may seem to be operating over its budget, which can be alarming to some customers. Conversely, a large organize with cheap furnishings may cause visitors to question whether the company’s money is being managed effectively. The overall image should suggest quality without being ostentatious.

Maintaining a business structure does not have to be expensive or time consuming. Thoughtful planning, a methodical approach, and a low-cost budget can do wonders to keep the company looking its best.

Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700

Guest Post: How to Better Understand Your Business’s Big-Picture Finances

When you are a business owner, there are many important tasks that you need to be able to participate in. One of the most important areas of any business are the finances and as an owner you will need to constantly understand your business’s finances. There are four tips that can be followed that will help you to better understand the finances of your business.

Hire Accountant

One of the best things you can do to better understand your business’s big-picture finances is to hire an accountant. When you hire an accountant, you will have someone that is able to prepare financial records and then present them to you in a fashion that is easy to review. At the same time, you will be able to receive a report and analysis that can explain to you why certain trends are occurring and what can be done to change them.

Use Software Programs

Another great thing that you can do to better understand the finances of your business would be to use a software program such as aggregatespend.com. When you have a software program for your business finances and to help with agrregate spend solution, you will receive a variety of reports that can help to make it easy to pull financial data. This will allow you to stay on top of your business finances whenever you need to have access to them.

Open Communication

It is very important that you have full communication with your company at all times. You should make sure that you are speaking with all department heads to get a better understanding of current performance. If things are trending in the wrong direction, you will want to make sure that you have time to react.

Stay Involved

Most importantly, you need to stay involved with your business. Depending on the size of your business, you may have to rely on other people to run certain functions of the organization. While you can hire people to do certain things, you do still need to stay involved with the company. It is important that you understand what is going on with your company on a daily basis. This will help you to better predict financial outcomes and understand your business finances.

When it comes to understanding finances, no two businesses are the same. Because of this, you will need to truly be connected with your organization in order to fully understand it. This will allow you to stay on top of the company and continue to do well.

Meghan Belnap is a freelance writer who enjoys spending time with her family. She loves being in the outdoors and exploring new opportunities whenever they arise. Meghan finds happiness in researching new topics that help to expand her horizons. You can often find her buried in a good book or out looking for an adventure. You can connect with her on Facebook right here and Twitter right here.

Guest Post: Overexertion Leads to 34% of Workplace Injuries: Top Tips to Keep Employee Exhaustion at Bay

Workplace injuries are jarringly common, and according to the National Safety Council, 34 percent of these injuries are connected to overexertion. While you do need your employees to complete tasks during the day, you also want to prevent exhaustion. Implementing some useful strategies into your workplace can combat this serious issue.

Provide Ample Sick Time

Some of your employees are likely overexerting themselves because they are fearful of calling in sick. In other words, they worry about the loss of pay that results when you don’t allow for sick days. While you need not permit an excessive amount of sick days per employee, you should establish a plan that does not penalize employees’ pay for calling out sick a reasonable amount of times per year. You should also establish a protocol for doing so. For example, make it clear whom employees should contact and when they should do so if they need to call out. Giving employees the time to recover allows them to recharge and come to work fully energized.

Create a Workplace of Wellness

Encouraging wellness is about more than having a sick-days policy. If the break room is loaded with sugary snacks, you probably have a number of employees who crash by middle of the afternoon. Offering healthy foods can give your employees the necessary boost to attend to their tasks and to fuel their bodies. Depending upon time constraints, considering allowing for wellness breaks at work. For example, you might encourage to relax and rejuvenate with a meditation session shortly before or after lunch.

Stagger Computer-Related Tasks

The American Optometric Association notes that Computer Vision Syndrome is an issue that can come with spending too much time on the computer. Some of the effects include headaches and blurry vision. Consider how tired a constant headache or blurry eyes can make you feel. By staggering computer-related tasks and getting your employees away from the screen, you can notice a more productive work environment.

Organize Yourself

Part of the problem might be that you don’t give employees enough time to complete their tasks because you’re behind yourself. Dedicate a day this weekend to getting caught up. Before you assign more work to your employees, ask how long you would realistically take to complete the task. Setting up reasonable deadlines means that you’re employees aren’t going to be working late into the night and early in the morning to meet your demands.

An aggressive problem with employee exhaustion at work could lead to injuries, consultations with lawyers, and requests for funds. Instead of creating more of these issues, work to fight against employee exhaustion.

Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, CA. She enjoys kayaking and reading books by the lake.

Guest Post: How to Successfully Run Different Types of Businesses

Becoming a business owner is a dream that many people share. For those that are successfully running a business, expanding it or starting a new business is often a great option. In many cases, it can make sense to open up a new business that is in a completely different field as it will allow someone to diversify. When you are looking to run different types of businesses, there are a variety of tips that should be followed.

Stay Organized

Being a successful business owner will require you to be organized and efficient. This is even more important when you own more than one business that is in a variety of different fields. When you own multiple companies, you should be able to develop a strategy to follow that could help you to be organized.

Hire People You Trust

If you want to own multiple businesses, you are ultimately going to need to rely on other people that work for you. When you are growing your business empire, you should be able to identify the people that you trust and that are successful. These individuals are extremely important and will be necessary to grow your business going forward. It is important that you continue to employ the people that have helped you grow and develop and that you find ways to ensure that they want to continue to work for you.

Outsource Necessary Tasks

Another tip that you will need to follow if you want to be successful in owning multiple businesses in different industries is to be able to outsource necessary tasks. All businesses today have a variety of different professional needs that most business owners are not able to handle on their own. Some of these services can include accounting, information technology, manufacturing, medical product kitting, and a variety of other services that are extremely necessary. By outsourcing these services, you can be assured that they are done well.

Have a Plan

Most importantly, you need to have a plan whenever you are looking to grow and develop your business empire. While you can be excited to start a new company, you need to make sure that you have an exit plan. This will allow you to continue to have goals and look forward towards the future.

Overall, when you do run multiple types of businesses, it is important to remember what helped you to be successful. More than likely, you were able to work off of one of your top skills and develop a business around it. By continuing to do this, you should continue to do well in the business world.

Guest Post: How to Increase Sales Using Social Media

Learn how you can better market your ecommerce business through Facebook, Instagram, and Pintrest. These 5 simple tips will teach you how to increase sales using social media.

The Power of Social Media

Cherilyn and I were next door neighbors ten years ago. Since that time, we have both moved–she moved to a different state and I moved to a different city. Despite the distance of two hundred and forty miles between us, I know that Cherilyn recently started her own online business selling beauty products.

How do I know? She announced it to me and all of her other friends on Facebook. In addition, I know when she’s having specials on certain products or running promotions. And it has all been done without a cent of her money being spent on marketing.

What’s the secret? The secret is social media. Viewers of social media know you and trust you because you have a relationship. According to DEI Worldwide, 70% of consumers use social media as often as they use firm websites to gather information about products. In addition, 60-70% of people believe that recommendations from other people online are “valuable, credible, and honest.”

Consumers Online

81% of the developed world now has internet access. Essentially that means that of the countries with expendable income, 81% can be reached from anywhere in the world. Global accessibility has never been greater than it is at this time. But with that accessibility also comes an overload of information and products.

Social media can help shoppers sort through it all. Social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, allows business owners to build relationships with their prospects, as well as use existing relationships to turn friends into customers.

Think about how many adults use social media while at work–just to get a mental break from their jobs. They may be on a coffee break, scrolling through their Instagram feed, when they see your business’s post. With every social media post your business makes, you’re reaching prospects during a time or place that television, radio, and print ads often cannot.

A Boost to Businesses

When a viewer sees a post, it can be almost like magic. According to Forbes contributor Jayson DeMers, “studies have shown that social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing.” And an IDC study released in 2014, found that buyers that use social media have 84% larger budgets than buyers that don’t. That’s a powerful formula!

Most of the developed world has internet + social media users have larger budgets + 100% higher closing rate = success!

Social media can bring you more leads and more sales without investing a fortune in marketing. However, social media marketing often falls flat. So I’ve gathered five tricks to help you successfully connect with your customers.

5 Tips to Increase Sales Using Social Media:

Post Often – By spending at least six hours per week, 66% of marketers saw a benefit from social media in lead generation.
Use Images – Place an image alongside your text on Facebook. Posts with images have 2.3 times more engagement than stand-alone text.
Learn to Pin – Pinners spend 50% more on purchases through the social media channel than users of other social media platforms, yet only 40% of marketers use it.
Photograph People – When posting on Instagram, use photos of people. Studies show that photos with faces get 38% more likes than those without. So place your products with a person for a more positive response.
Make a Video – Close to half of all internet users look for product related videos before visiting a store. Even though you may not have a brick and mortar storefront, put this statistic to work for you. Create simple videos about the products or services you sell and place them on your website as well as Youtube. Shoppers who view a video are almost twice as likely to make a purchase than shoppers who did not view a video.

(Thanks Hubspot for these great stats!)

So next time you are searching for a way to boost your sales, take a closer look at social media. It’s a great way to build your brand and boost your sales.

About the Author: Mike Giannulis

I am an entrepreneur & coach specializing in business growth and digital and direct response marketing. I run a small coaching & consulting firm (OnlyOneMike.com) helping businesses achieve maximum profits. In 2012, I was on a weight loss TV show called Extreme Makeover: Weight Loss Edition.

Guest Post: How HR department can improve your business

Many small business owners spend countless hours developing human resource (HR) policies and procedures, especially those lacking an HR department. If this statement defines you, as an entrepreneur, you’d probably instead focus on other elements of your business such as your clients and customer service.

Human resources consulting firms take on the challenges you face as an employer, and in these days of recruiting, hiring and retention, HR support is a necessary must! Still, many businesses fear the costs of consultants when in reality the benefits outweigh the expense.

Not depending on the business industry and its employers’ numbers you have an HR consultant or department can help in some of the following ways:

Recruiting – The entire recruiting and hiring process can be harsh and lengthy. One must be savvy in assessing, interviewing, the legalities of pre-employment screening and background checks and compensation packages. HR experts can handle this entire process to improve employee retention and satisfaction.
Policies & Procedures – If you don’t have a set of HR policies, you will be in for a tough time when it comes to labor disputes, employee warnings, and terminations and general company rules. HR specialists can develop your policies based on your needs with your input and also ensure they follow federal and state guidelines.
Forms – Do you know if your job application, written warning forms, and required employee posters are legal and current? HR consultants will ensure they are.
Voice of the Employee – By utilizing employee engagement surveys, HR professionals can gauge the likes, dislikes, and needs of your employees and tell you how to use their feedback to increase motivation and productivity.
Training – Employees want training; they want to be able to advance in their careers. Human resources consulting firms can create training programs and help you implement them onsite or off.

Safety – OSHA requires every employer to ensure a safe workplace environment. It comes with specific policies and procedures, safety meetings and employee awareness. HR experts are versed in these policies and can provide a plan suitable for your needs.
Benefit Packages – These can be complicated and expensive, but HR consultants can help you design benefit packages within your budget. Today’s workforce seeks companies that offer benefit plans to cover health, employee assistance programs (EAPs) and retirement benefits.
Performance Reviews – Along with training, offering annual performance reviews is second in line when it comes to employee desires. They want to know if they’re improving and where they’re strong and weak areas lie. HR professionals can also help you create performance reviews designed for your industry and help you implement employee guidance plans—even mentoring programs.

These are just a few of the ways an HR consulting firm can improve your business—and the employer/employee relationship. Small business owners are knowledgeable about their product and services and know what their target markets are. They also know their customer’s wants and needs but many lack knowledge in the employment arena.

Perhaps the most significant contribution HR advisors can offer taking care of the “human” management side of your company. Employees are not just numbers, and HR experts are educated professionals that can provide a range of services to choose from or take care of all your HR needs.

So, doesn’t matter what kind or size of business you have, for any company it’s essential to have the HR specialist or department. With the help of their correct work, you will gain only impressive results for your company as increasing of the KPI, productivity, and quality of all staff job and growing of your business.

About the Author: Carol James is a writer and senior editor at writing service, so you can order essay template on any topic from EssayLab. She has MA degree in social sciences and writes articles, reviews on the different actual subjects. So, if you have any questions regarding the writing, feel free to ask her.

Guest Post: Key Ways To Help Reduce Your Risk Of Bankruptcy In Business

Your business is still new. It has been operating for only two years, but you’re very happy with the progress you’re experiencing. You contribute the success of your business to all the precautions you’ve done in the past. You’ve been very careful about who you hire, what processes you implement in the business and who should you work with as your suppliers. Sure, you might have been very keen on all of those things, but have you ever considered the possibility of your business heading towards bankruptcy? Your business is still new, and this makes it very susceptible to bankruptcy, and of course, you would never want that to happen to your business. Along with the precautions you’re doing right now, the tips presented below will also help reduce your risk of bankruptcy in business:

You should prioritize debt repayments: If you’re a sole proprietor, you must have acquired debts to start up the business. This usually comes in large amounts, which makes it difficult for you to pay one time to all of your creditors. But since your business is now operating, you should prioritize paying these debts. You can start paying secured creditors and pay those with the highest interest rates first. With your unsecured creditors and vendors, it’s best that you treat them all equally and pay them all something. You should not play favorites with your creditors. But if you still have problems with your debt payments after doing all of these, you should talk with your creditors and ask for possible repayment terms.
You should always maintain an updated business plan: Before you started your business, you should have a business plan. This document is vital to ensure that you know where your business is going and how you could possibly achieve that goal. Your business plan should also include everything about your financial decisions and the business’ cash flow, capital-expense budget and other business expenses. It will also aid in executive decisions to keep expenses and revenues in equilibrium.
You should be accurate and proactive in reviewing financial results: You might have hired employees to help you run your business, but you shouldn’t solely rely on them when it comes to financial decisions. You should take the time to review all of your business’ financial reports and journal entries so whenever you can notice something is off, you can immediately take measures to prevent it from worsening. Time is always crucial for any business.
You should budget for all expenses: Similar as to how you handle your personal expenses, your business expenses should also be budgeted. You should put funds for your quarterly, seasonal and annual expenses as well as additional funds for more unexpected expenses. Doing this will help you ensure that you’ll not be caught up in the expenses of your business and you know where your business’ expenses are actually going. If you haven’t done this in the past, you can start by writing down all of your possible infrequent expenses and make them part of your regular budget. You should be very conservative with your profit margin. You should also make sure that you have a “cash cushion” for your business.
You should consider purchasing accounting software applications: Almost all of the business processes can be done using an application and you should consider purchasing one for your accounting processes. Once things are done using an application, there’ll be less human intervention, which can mean less mistakes in the long run. This can work wonders for you, especially if your business is very young. You’ll not only ensure that your finances are on track but you can also generate accurate reports from these applications. Using these reports, you’d know which to improve in your business.
You should hire a consultant: Since this is your first time to handle a responsibility this big, chances are you don’t have in-depth knowledge of the ins and outs of the business especially when it comes to the finances. If you want to be sure of every decision that you make, hiring a consultant for your business might work out well for you. They’re the best people to ask for help because they have years of experience on the things that you’re doing now. Once you have a consultant working for your business, you’d be able to focus on your business operations while ensuring that you’ll not head towards bankruptcy.

Your business is basically like your child. You’ve exerted your time and effort into it, and that’s why you want your business to grow and operate for the longest time possible. You don’t want everything to go down the drain, and being careful of your financial decisions to stay away from bankruptcy is one way of ensuring your business’ long-term success. These precautions might be new or tedious on your part, but as a business owner you’ll be able to realize that all of these will be worth it in the end. You don’t want your business to head to bankruptcy, right?

This website will provide you more information on how your business can stray away from bankruptcy.

Gail Wilson has more than 12 years of experience under her belt when it comes to business, which she is currently sharing with her clients and peers as part of the law industry. She writes pieces on various law topics that she hopes could help the common reader with their concerns. A family oriented, Gail loves spending time with her husband and two sons during her free time.