How Startups Can Prevent Cyber Attacks

As a startup owner, your main priority is probably the growth of your company. You are dealing with long working hours, payroll, and the many hassles that come with building your own business. Most likely, cyber security is not on top of your mind­, but it should be. According to security firm ThreatMetrix, startups are considered to be an especially easy prey for hackers: in 2014, 85% of all data breaches were directed at small businesses and startups. Here are some of the best ways to protect your startup from cyber attacks:

(Curated from Tech.Co)

First, make sure all of your business passwords are protected, and don’t share them with other people. Doing so gives anyone and everyone unlimited access to your startup’s documents, which would be very bad for business. Create strong passwords by using lower and upper case letters, numbers, and symbols.

“Also, periodically changing passwords keeps your device safe from intruders who are out there predicting your easy to guess code.”

It’s also a good idea to back up all of your files in order to prevent damage to important information, which can cost proportional loss to your company. Making copies of important data periodically can protect your files from natural calamities, device failures, theft, and loss due to technical glitches.

“Though cyber attacks are often associated with hi-tech infiltrations carried out from an external location, don’t fall into the trap of letting important information walk out the door on a USB stick or compact disc.”

Make sure that your employees are properly educated -- if they don’t comply with IT best practices, they may unintentionally cause safety issues in your organization.

“Because employees provide such an open pathway to your business, it is recommended to conduct training about the importance of information security and the dos and don’ts. Security threats like phishing and social engineering can easily be prevented when everyone is aware and alert.”

Protect your computers and networks by installing a good anti-virus software. Did you know that it’s illegal to use free anti-virus software for business purposes? A free anti-virus software comes with no guarantee and is seldom or never updated to catch latest viruses and malware.

“The price paid for enterprise anti-virus software is far less when measured against the value it delivers. It is updated periodically to prevent your business against the latest threats.”

Always use a secure internet connection. These days, public and free internet access can be found virtually everywhere. However, a device with crucial information like credit card numbers, usernames and passwords, business data, or anything else important should not be used in conjunction with public Wi-Fi.

“Intruders may get access to your device and ultimately all your information once while your device belongs to a public network. A secure connection is set up with a username and password, and only authorized users can enter that system, this way we can easily trace back in case of any discrepancies”

What other cyber security tips do you have for startups? Let us know!

Here’s What to Consider When Managing Millennials

As more and more baby boomers retire, millennials are becoming the majority of the workforce. What does this mean for business owners? Well, before hiring a millennial, it’s important to consider that this generation’s upbringing has been entirely different from the generations before them. With exposure to technology at a young age, their skill-sets and the expectations placed on them may differ from those that were placed on someone who entered the workforce 20 years ago. When it comes to managing millennials in the workplace, here are some important things to consider:

(Curated from Pittsburgh Business Times)

Provide Exposure

It’s important to millennials that they be exposed to all areas of a business. They want to learn the ins and outs and gain a deeper understanding of the way the business operates.

“One way to do this is by offering internships or hiring college students part-time. It also serves as a prime opportunity to vet a potential future full-time employee’s work style. Doing so also benefits the business greatly as the millennial's unique perspective may provide some guidance on new ways to reach their generation that you may not have otherwise learned.”

Be Flexible

Millennials by nature don't really like rules. If you press too hard on them to comply with the company's position on things like hours, attire, or workspace, you could very easily find yourself losing a good employee.

“Allowing millennials to create their own hours means they’re happier and working more efficiently. Rather than setting hours based on face-time, moving to task-oriented or project-based work and evaluating performance in real time fosters improved happiness in the workplace. As far as the physical workplace, the setup of the office should be evaluated as well. Creating a space that is a collaborative working environment means removing the cubicle walls and eliminating private offices. Having an open office with different workspaces for teams creates a sense of camaraderie, rather than a feeling of being isolated in cubicles.”

Stay Tech Savvy

Millennials are a generation that was exposed to technology from day one, so they will expect their employer to have the most up-to-date technology. They’re also used to being able to work any time of the day or night while having access to what they need at their fingertips.

“Taking advantage of this knowledge will prove beneficial to a small business when it comes to knowing how to select, use and learn software. A great way to get them more involved with the business is to consider getting millennials involved with your social media presence, as it’s generally a strong suit of theirs.”

Give Feedback

Millennials want feedback on how they are doing, they want that feedback often, and they want it right now. Remember to coach and provide a learning opportunity for millennial workers when developing a leadership and feedback style for them.

“Developing a structured feedback style where check-ins are done on a regular basis — perhaps weekly — creates an understanding of what is expected and provides the necessary space for exploration and learning as well. Coupling this with a rewards or recognition program and aligning benefits with the company’s core values and beliefs provides millennials with motivation and the right tools to succeed.”

Though managing millennials can certainly be challenging—particularly for managers who have no experience in this area—it can yield many benefits as they are smart, creative, tech-savvy, and resourceful workers. What other tips do you have for managing Millennials?

How to Stay Productive When Working from Home

Working from home has several benefits, but is increased productivity one of them? While some people find they are more productive when working from home, many others experience difficulties that those in an office setting don’t. Fortunately, there are a number of ways you can be just as productive at home as you are in the office.

(Curated from Entrepreneur Magazine)

Avoid Sleeping In

Rather than sleeping in until the minute you have to start working, try getting into the routine of waking up early, as if you were actually going to work. The reason? It takes about two hours for your body to fully wake up and adjust to its best concentration level.

“In the morning when you first hop out of bed, your melatonin levels are still relatively high, which is often the reason for early morning grogginess. Jumping right into work when you haven’t given your mind and body the appropriate amount of time to adjust can inhibit your productivity.”

Make a To-Do List

Working from home can make it difficult to keep important tasks at the forefront of your mind. Creating a to-do list of important tasks will help keep you on track and reduce your ability to procrastinate. It’s also a good idea to schedule 5-10 minute breaks in between tasks to keep your level of focus up.

“When you schedule your breaks, you also tend to stress out less about taking those breaks. You give yourself more of an opportunity to truly relax in those 5 minutes rather than hitting yourself over the head for wasting time.”

Stay off the Couch

Working on the couch may seem tempting, but the problem that often occurs is that one can get a bit too comfortable.

“You should set aside some space that is solely for the purpose of work. If you work from home and you don’t have a separate space or office, you should at least have a desk. A huge part of productivity is getting into a focused mindset.”

Make Plans After Work

The majority of people go home to get away from work. When you work from home, you don’t have that option. Try making plans after working from home whenever possible to avoid turning into a recluse. This doesn’t mean you have to do something extravagant, but give yourself a reason to get out of the house.

“Being alone every day and isolated in your own living quarters can have negative psychological effects. Just because you are working from home doesn’t mean you should work on the couch in your pajamas every day. It’s important to structure your days and separate yourself from your house if you truly want to be productive.”

How do you stay productive when working from home? Share your tips with us!

How to Boost Creativity as an Entrepreneur

To be successful, entrepreneurs need to be innovative, and that requires a lot of creative thinking. Unfortunately, even the most innovative thinkers run out of ideas every now and then. Next time you suffer from a creative block, use the following techniques to hack your brain into being more creative and productive.

(Curated from Tech.Co) 

For entrepreneurs, being surrounded by art is a great way to find inspiration. Unfortunately, the approach to business can be rather clinical in nature, and therefore very restricting when it comes to creativity and innovation. Adding some artwork to your workspace can give you the creative boost you need.

“There is a real tendency to opt for sanitized, lean workspaces, designed to encourage staff to just get on with their work and avoid distraction,” psychologist and researcher Dr. Craig Knight says. “If you enrich a space people feel much happier and work better; a very good way of doing this is by using art.”

Spending too much time in your office can also have a constricting effect on your creativity. Every once in a while, it’s a good idea to switch things up by rearranging the layout of your workspace or working in a different location altogether.

“A change of scenery can completely alter how you get through a day,” says Deborah Sweeney, a proponent of switching offices on a rotating basis. “Maybe you work best when working by a window, or you need to be in the back of the room where it’s less noisy and there’s less foot traffic.”

Another great way to spark creativity is to spend some time outdoors. Being surrounded by nature can make entrepreneurs more receptive to new ideas and creative thoughts. Next time you feel like you’re stuck inside your own head, go for a walk.

“Don’t assume that you have to wander through a national park to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors. Even a walk around a crowded city block can yield fantastic results. The point is that you are getting out of your bubble and stimulating your senses.”

One of the best (and often most difficult) ways to ignite innovation is to get out of your comfort zone. Deviating from your normal routine and trying new things takes a lot of work, but it can do wonders for your creativity.

“Make time for getting out of your comfort zone. Schedule weekly networking events. Meet with people who are different from you. Find something that scares you and chase it. This is how you stumble upon new opportunities.”

Creative thoughts can be hard to come by. Whether you do your best thinking after your morning cup of coffee or late at night in bed, it’s always a good idea to write your ideas down.

“One tangible tip is to always have a creativity notebook nearby. This is a physical notebook that serves no other purpose than scribbling down ideas. By training yourself to put ideas on paper as soon as they appear, you can ensure you don’t overlook anything.”

What other tips do you have for entrepreneurs to boost their creativity? Let us know!

How Social Media Can Help Your Business

Over the past few years, social media has become increasingly important. Businesses all over the world have been discovering the ways it can contribute to success and growth of their companies. And while traditional marketing can get expensive, social media marketing is pretty low-cost and gives you a direct line to current and prospective customers. Here are five ways your company can benefit from social media.

(Curated from Tech.Co)

Social media allows you to increase your brand awareness and leverage real-time engagement with prospects or potential customers.

“When
 a client has a question or issue, they can voice it on social media, and you can respond and solve it in a timely manner. As a small business marketer, identify the social networks where your customers spend time as soon as possible and actively engage with them.”

Create community value within your industry by identifying keywords, hashtags, and customer interests. Then start offering
 valuable insight to the niche communities in your targeted social platforms. Social networking sites like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn have very active communities.

“In a short period of time, your authority in that community will increase gradually and you will be seen as an expert in your
 niche. Once you have earned trust and goodwill, you can start referencing product or services that will solve their problems. This can work
 wonders if implemented with the right planning.”

Content marketing is an important tool that can also drive results for your marketing strategy. Creating useful and relevant content and distributing it across targeted social media platforms can attract people in your industry, improving brand awareness and user engagement.

“First, understand your sales funnel (the process you want your customers to experience as they go from prospect to lead to the client to repeat customer) and then create targeted content for your audience that addresses their needs at each step of your funnel. This can be a very useful technique if you follow a well-planned content strategy.”

Using social media is a great way to build relationships with influencers in your industry, who often have a strong following. If influencers get the word out about your business, then you are likely to gain attention from their followers.

“You can build relationships with influencers on Twitter by commenting
 and re-tweeting their content, share their blog posts on social media, make useful comments on their blog, etc. You can also invite influencers to sample your products and services for free
 and request a review or quick feedback (i.e. a testimonial) and then share it in your marketing and press efforts.”

If you have a small marketing budget, then social media paid promotion is a great option. Many times, paid social media campaigns can yield better results than other types of traditional media. Almost all established social media networks offer paid promotion for businesses and brands.

“Facebook advertising offers a highly targeted paid promotion opportunity that has the potential to increase leads. You can reach people who are more likely
 to engage with you and your content.”

Do you have any other social media tips for business owners? Let us know!

How to Market Your Startup on a Budget

One of the biggest challenges that many startups face is effectively competing with the massive marketing budgets of major brands that often spend millions of dollars on advertising per week. Thanks to the internet, however, marketing has gotten much easier and cheaper. Here are three low-cost marketing techniques for your startup:

(Curated from Tech.Co)

Begin by incorporating blogging into your marketing strategy. Statistics show that businesses that blog generate 67 percent more leads than businesses that do not.

“A notable case study on the effectiveness of blogging for startups is the popular social sharing app, Buffer: with a combination of blogging and guest blogging, without advertising, Buffer gained its first 100,000 users within 9 months. Buffer has millions of users now, and it easily generates millions of dollars in annual revenue. All this is thanks to a foundation built on a smart blogging and marketing strategy.”

Involve influencers in your startup to bring in both quality traffic and conversions for your startup. Because influencers have built up their reputation and following over the years, their recommendation will generate a lot of high quality, highly engaged users.

“Having industry celebrities, thought leaders and popular blogs and publications endorse your startup can go a long way in getting the attention you deserve without spending a pretty penny.”

Startups can benefit greatly from implementing a smart email marketing strategy. Get the right leads by using funnels and segmentation to guide prospects towards the right product or service that your startup has to offer them.

“In a recent study that analyzed over 500 million shopping experiences, Monetate came to the shocking realization that email marketing beats search and social media combined when it comes to conversion. It isn’t surprising then, that most startups and publications report email as their top source of traffic and leads.”

In today's competitive business economy, marketing your startup is undoubtedly difficult, but with these three low-cost marketing techniques, you can make sure your business gets a fighting chance at success. What other low-cost marketing techniques do you have for startup companies?

How To Boost Old Business Relationships

Networking and building relationships with partners and other businesses is an essential part of success. But things happen and you may find that you’ve fallen out of touch or lost a valued partner over some miscommunication in the past. What can you do to win back those organizations you’ve accidentally alienated? Here are some tips on rejuvenating old business relationships to help you:

(Curated from Pittsburgh Business Times)

Start by demonstrating how you’ve grown as a company and how they will benefit from re-establishing the partnership.

“To rejuvenate a relationship that will come back and stay back, think about how you can make the re-connection beneficial for them. This can be a new product that meets their needs better than what you had before. It could be a change in personnel on your side if there was a problem with one of your staff. Be creative and find ways the other party will benefit by investing the TIME to rekindle a dormant or lethargic relationship. The advantage of “new” can bring a fresh dynamic to rekindle great opportunities.”

Recognize that they’ve grown as well and don’t resort to helping them the same way you did in the past. You’ll have to learn about the new them just as they will learn about the new you.

“Don’t assume that everything is as it once was. Business and life probably have changed for both of you. Do an assessment of where they are now. Explore new opportunities to help them. Be open to new possibilities that didn’t exist before.”

Do your research and find a problem they have that you can solve better than anyone else. They’ll appreciate that you put the time into learning about them and trying to help them.

“Find ways to give them value like never before. Solve problems they have and create new opportunities for them to grow their top and/or bottom lines. See yourself as a partner to help them and you’ll have a much greater chance to rejuvenate relationships.”

Go beyond offering them the same benefits they received before when you were partners. Give them new reasons to rejuvenate the relationship.

“Create compelling new reasons that the rejuvenation will benefit them. You want to have more than a “let’s just get back together” focus. It will be entered with new enthusiasm (important) if there is a bonafide reason like a new product, a new idea to benefit them or something that profoundly helps them.”

Now good luck rejuvenating your old business relationships and remember to maintain it this time!

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