Monthly Archives: April 2020

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, most businesses have slowed down. A recent Goldman Sach’s survey found that more than 50% of 1,500 small business owners said they couldn’t continue for more than 3 months at current rates. Rather than wallow and wait, though, take the opportunity to do those things that you never have time to do. Here are nine things that you should do now so that you’re ready to excel when this crisis is over.

1. Maximize your security protocols.

New security threats pop up every day. Even amidst COVID-19, hackers developed phishing attempts to prey on peoples’ thirst for news surrounding the virus. What happens when a hacker gains personal information from one of these attempts? Often, the value isn’t in the initial data theft or financial potential therein. Hackers really don’t care what your password to one particular site is. Instead, they sell the information on the Dark Web. Take the opportunity to lock down your security protocols, now. Start with determining if your information is on the Dark Web, then set up ongoing monitoring to maintain awareness. Beyond the Dark Web, make sure you have a security plan in place that includes your firewall, antivirus, and protecting remote connections.

2. Write your compliance plan.

There are new privacy laws popping up all over the world, including data privacy laws across the US. How are you going to be compliant with customer, prospect, and website visitor data? In addition to website compliance, take a look at PCI, NIST, and HIPAA (if applicable) compliance. We can help you review your current compliance and create a plan to overcome challenges.

3. Update your hardware.

While you cannot use any PPP loan funds to cover hardware upgrades, if you received a PPP loan, you may have some cash available to upgrade your hardware to be prepared as business picks back up. Even if you weren’t lucky enough to secure funding in the first round of loans, still look at upgrading your computers systems. While you likely want to avoid the hefty expenses of a project, consider Hardware as a Service as an option to pay monthly for your hardware, lowering initial outlay and turning your hardware expenditure into an operating expense rather than a capital expense.

4. Refresh your website.

Creating your company website was probably a major undertaking. From writing the content to agreeing on design, it’s one of those projects that probably does not bring fond memories. The challenge is your website should be completed renovated every three to five years, while content updates every quarter. Dig back in and address your website, making sure you’re highlighting your most recent offerings and addressing SEO effectively.

5. Clean up your leads list.

Databases get old and sloppy really quickly, especially if you don’t undergo regular upkeep. Who has time for regular upkeep? Now is the time to get everything straightened out. Audit your prospect and client lists. Remove duplicates, re-classify types, as necessary, and create a plan for ongoing upkeep so that you don’t have to undergo a major cleaning project again.

6. Create a strategic plan/ Determine Your Next Offering

If this crisis hasn’t shown you that you need to be agile, nimble and always have a plan for what’s next, I’m not sure what will. Brainstorm your next product offering, or your next marketing moving. Create a plan for the next 12-18 months. Strategic planning often hits the back burner but is critical for ongoing success. You’ve just been given a great gift – time to plan.

7. Collect testimonials and case studies.

If you’re doing your jobs well, customers are likely sending you emails of appreciation, anecdotes of quality customer service, and sharing accolades about your team. Unfortunately, when you’ve got a lot on your plate, these tend to be fleeting messages in your inbox with a mere “thank you” response to the sender. Dig those out and position them as testimonials, case studies, and customer shout-outs for your website.

8. Educate yourself and team.

One of the biggest reasons business owners avoid training their teams is that it involves taking time away from the business. Immerse yourself and your teams in training so that they’re armed with best practices when business begins to rebound.

9. Update your standard operating procedures.

Documentation gets behind when you’re in the thick of day-to-day business resulting in standard operating procedures that are several years old and woefully out of date. Have your team take a look at your current standard operating procedures. Work through them one-by-one ensuring that you have the latest version on file and that you’ve removed any superfluous processes. Work toward a complete business manual to help any new hires and to ensure standardization across your team.

We have every hope that the country will begin to safely open up very soon. In the meantime, though, make the most of this business downturn by prepping your business for resurgence.

Unfortunately, due to COVID-19, most businesses have slowed down. A recent Goldman Sach’s survey found that more than 50% of 1,500 small business owners said they couldn’t continue for more than 3 months at current rates. Rather than wallow and wait, though, take the opportunity to do those things that you never have time to do. Here are nine things that you should do now so that you’re ready to excel when this crisis is over.

1. Maximize your security protocols.

New security threats pop up every day. Even amidst COVID-19, hackers developed phishing attempts to prey on peoples’ thirst for news surrounding the virus. What happens when a hacker gains personal information from one of these attempts? Often, the value isn’t in the initial data theft or financial potential therein. Hackers really don’t care what your password to one particular site is. Instead, they sell the information on the Dark Web. Take the opportunity to lock down your security protocols, now. Start with determining if your information is on the Dark Web, then set up ongoing monitoring to maintain awareness. Beyond the Dark Web, make sure you have a security plan in place that includes your firewall, antivirus, and protecting remote connections.

2. Write your compliance plan.

There are new privacy laws popping up all over the world, including data privacy laws across the US. How are you going to be compliant with customer, prospect, and website visitor data? In addition to website compliance, take a look at PCI, NIST, and HIPAA (if applicable) compliance. We can help you review your current compliance and create a plan to overcome challenges.

3. Update your hardware.

While you cannot use any PPP loan funds to cover hardware upgrades, if you received a PPP loan, you may have some cash available to upgrade your hardware to be prepared as business picks back up. Even if you weren’t lucky enough to secure funding in the first round of loans, still look at upgrading your computers systems. While you likely want to avoid the hefty expenses of a project, consider Hardware as a Service as an option to pay monthly for your hardware, lowering initial outlay and turning your hardware expenditure into an operating expense rather than a capital expense.

4. Refresh your website.

Creating your company website was probably a major undertaking. From writing the content to agreeing on design, it’s one of those projects that probably does not bring fond memories. The challenge is your website should be completed renovated every three to five years, while content updates every quarter. Dig back in and address your website, making sure you’re highlighting your most recent offerings and addressing SEO effectively.

5. Clean up your leads list.

Databases get old and sloppy really quickly, especially if you don’t undergo regular upkeep. Who has time for regular upkeep? Now is the time to get everything straightened out. Audit your prospect and client lists. Remove duplicates, re-classify types, as necessary, and create a plan for ongoing upkeep so that you don’t have to undergo a major cleaning project again.

6. Create a strategic plan/ Determine Your Next Offering

If this crisis hasn’t shown you that you need to be agile, nimble and always have a plan for what’s next, I’m not sure what will. Brainstorm your next product offering, or your next marketing moving. Create a plan for the next 12-18 months. Strategic planning often hits the back burner but is critical for ongoing success. You’ve just been given a great gift – time to plan.

7. Collect testimonials and case studies.

If you’re doing your jobs well, customers are likely sending you emails of appreciation, anecdotes of quality customer service, and sharing accolades about your team. Unfortunately, when you’ve got a lot on your plate, these tend to be fleeting messages in your inbox with a mere “thank you” response to the sender. Dig those out and position them as testimonials, case studies, and customer shout-outs for your website.

8. Educate yourself and team.

One of the biggest reasons business owners avoid training their teams is that it involves taking time away from the business. Immerse yourself and your teams in training so that they’re armed with best practices when business begins to rebound.

9. Update your standard operating procedures.

Documentation gets behind when you’re in the thick of day-to-day business resulting in standard operating procedures that are several years old and woefully out of date. Have your team take a look at your current standard operating procedures. Work through them one-by-one ensuring that you have the latest version on file and that you’ve removed any superfluous processes. Work toward a complete business manual to help any new hires and to ensure standardization across your team.

We have every hope that the country will begin to safely open up very soon. In the meantime, though, make the most of this business downturn by prepping your business for resurgence.

With the ongoing situation in the world, there are many people who are either furloughed or have been outright laid off from their jobs. Those of us who can work from home are very fortunate to be able to keep working through all of this, even as business slows down.

Although some companies have been hesitant to let their employees work remotely, there is a slew of benefits that might keep employees working from home even after the COVID-19 crisis settles. There are some unique challenges that come alongside remote work, though. Here are some new issues that may arise and what can be done to lessen the blow.

Keep in Touch

When you work in an office with your employees, you may take that proximity for granted. Even if you don’t have daily meetings, how often do you stop by for a minute just to see how things are doing or for a quick update on a project? This creates a relationship beyond just instructions from a faceless email.

Make sure to take the time to check in daily with your team, perhaps even a couple of times a day, and make these connections on video. There’s no shortage of free or low-cost programs (such as Skype, Teams, Zoom, GoToMeeting) that can help you stay in touch without wasting too much time. The more often you do these meetings, the more efficient the process will be for everyone. We recommend a 15-minute huddle in the morning, as well as something to close out the day.

Stay Positive

Working from home sounds great, but it can be an adjustment, especially if you’ve been forced into it like many are today. People may find themselves getting claustrophobic and uneasy since they no longer have a routine of getting ready for work, traveling, and just getting out of the house. For many, this can be a source of anxiety and stress.

Keep meetings informative, but uplifting. Don’t just talk about work — have everyone talk about a positive thing that happened. It could even be something as simple as finding a new series that they like or their children making breakfast for the family etc.

Make it Personal

In addition to group meetings, make it point to meet with employees one-on-one at least once a week, more if you have ongoing projects that need attention. When you’re home alone or with the family, it gets really easy to be sidetracked compared to working in the office.

Remember that, for some people, the office is their main source of socializing, so this connection could be a lifeline to them as they’re isolated at home. Younger employees also appreciate more frequent feedback from their superiors. Without this, they can get easily distracted or disheartened.

Be the Fun Boss

Don’t fool yourself into thinking that your employees are going to work 8 solid hours a day at home. As long as they are getting their work done at a high level of quality, it’s best just to leave that be. In fact, encourage downtime and even create games or challenges for your team. With everything going on, if you don’t give them the occasional distraction, they’ll find something on their own that could end up keeping them off tasks for longer.

Keep Their Heads in the Cloud

Since they are no longer in a physical location that you have control over, make sure that your team’s data is backed up properly is crucial. While most companies are using a cloud storage solution on some level, others rely mostly or entirely on server storage. Find a way to make sure that all your employees’ work is backed up safely and efficiently. This type of data solution will also allow employees to work on a project simultaneously even if they’re physically separated.

Hardware and Software Checks

The last thing you want is for your employees to have nothing to do because the don’t have the proper tools! Whether you provide them with their equipment or they’re using their own, make sure that your team always has everything they need to do their work. To avoid progress interruptions, keep all software licenses for programs such as Microsoft Office or any other industry-specific apps up to date.

Lastly, don’t forget security considerations. This is especially important if they’re using their own equipment since what works at home computer may not cut it for your business needs.

We were all forced into a new work environment very quickly, but we think this shift is just a picture of times to come. In fact, some predict that 20% of the workforce will be fully remote within the next two years. That’s why an MSP might be your best option to help in these trying times. We have the tools, resources and experience needed to take care of all these considerations without ever having to step foot in your office. Contact us today and we can show you how we can start to implement your perfect solution for your business.