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Cyber insurance for small businesses

March 4, 2020 by hannah cox

You might be interested in linking to a new guide about the importance of protecting your small business with cyber insurance:

https://www.creditcards.com/credit-card-news/cyber-insurance-policy/

To help small business owners ensure their consumers financial information is protected from cyberattacks, our experts created a guide outlining the process of obtaining cyber insurance. We break down things to consider when choosing a policy – such as which policy aligns best with each type of business and possible legal ramifications.

Check it out!

Filed Under: Financial and Small Business, Web Resources Tagged With: businesses, cyber, insurance, small

4 Tech Updates Small Businesses Can’t Afford to Overlook

November 20, 2019 by Katie Conroy

By now, you know what kinds of tech can help your small business thrive and how to weigh those tech costs against your business needs. What you may not know, however, is that there are some pieces of tech that can not only help your business succeed but can be so valuable that they end up paying for themselves with utility and efficiency. If you want to take your business to the next level, here are the essential tech elements you can’t afford to be without.

A Well-Designed Business Website

If you want to reel in customers and improve profits, your website needs to be ready to “wow” online visitors. Since this is such an important element of modern business, those with no real web design experience should leave this task up to more experienced professionals. If this sounds like you, know that CSS developers from Upwork have the coding and design experience needed to add that “wow” factor to your small business website. As Upwork notes, you should hire CSS developers who understand HTML and JavaScript basics is best, but also make sure your consultants have full knowledge of front-end CSS frameworks. Are you worried about taking on an additional employee? Well, the best part about using online job boards to find and hire tech help for your small business is that these professionals provide freelance business help, meaning you only pay for services as needed.

Integrative Payment Processing Tech

The costs of buying new tech individually to help with inventory management, sales forecasting, and payment processing can start to add up fast. So, if you are looking for new tech that can handle all of these essential business functions while essentially paying for itself with convenience, then you may want to update your POS systems. Because many of the latest point of sale tools for small businesses not only make securely processing credit cards and other payment types easier, but these helpful gadgets also include features that streamline inventory management and sales tracking. Plus, with an updated POS command, you can open your business up to profitable new payment options, like Apple Pay. Being able to accept digital payments can keep your business competitive, so look for payment processing that does it all.

Time and Project Management Tools

Think seriously about your small business for a second, and think about what you consider to be your most valuable asset. Many business owners and entrepreneurs may instinctively think about monetary assets when they answer this question, but valuing time is one of the keys to achieving sustainable success. That’s why so many small and large business owners are using productivity tools to prioritize tasks and manage their busy schedules. For instance, you can use apps like Freedom and FocusBooster to stay tuned in to a single task, or you can use apps like Slack and Chanty to communicate with others when working on team projects (these can even be useful for working with freelancers). Best of all, many of these tools are free, but paid apps can pay for themselves. Because saving time can save you money.

Self-Care, Health, and Wellness Apps

At first glance, that heading may seem out of place when thinking about business. When you take into consideration that many small business owners and bosses experience health issues related to the stress of running a business, then the helpfulness of these tech tools begins to make sense. If you are constantly under negative pressure when managing your own business, you are more likely to develop high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, and even substance abuse problems. Those health hazards can not only limit your life, which should be cause for concern, but the resulting burnout can also limit your professional abilities. So as you invest in critical tech for your business, be sure to look for self-care tools that will help you invest more time in your health. Because your business depends on you to thrive and survive!

Tech can be expensive, and this is especially true when you are trying to get a new startup off the ground. That’s why it helps to know which tech investments pay off sooner, as well as how to use those tools to boost your small business.

Filed Under: Business Products & Services, Health & Fitness, Internet Services, Technology, Web Resources Tagged With: afford, businesses, overlook, small, updates

Scammers Target Small Businesses: Are You Prepared?

February 9, 2019 by Amy Collett

There are dozens of ways that criminals can steal your cash or, worse, your customer’s information. From faux overpayments to tried-and-true phishing schemes, dangers are everywhere. As a small business owner, you are responsible for keeping your business and clients safe from any deceitful activity. Keep reading for a quick bit of information on common schemes and steps you can take to limit the chances of your business becoming a target.

If the Damage Has Been Done

If you found this post searching for information on what to do after an attack, know that all hope is not lost. Before reaching out to your customers and creating a sense of panic, contact a digital forensics specialist such as Secure Forensics who has the necessary tools to react quickly and help you fully understand the extent of the damage. A digital forensics team is experienced in the most common forms of fraud, theft, and other illegal cyber activities that target businesses. In addition to putting an end to the issue, they may be able to restore your valuable data and help you take steps to avoid another catastrophe.

Be on the Lookout

There is an almost unlimited supply of criminals, and they continue to get more creative. However, most tend to rehash versions of well-known scams.

Phishing schemes. Perhaps the most common form of scam, phishing takes advantage of you and your employee’s trusting nature. Usually an email or telephone call, a phishing attempt is disguised as communication from someone you trust and may request information or access to company files.

Directory inclusion. Some criminals claim to represent fake industry directories and request a small fee for your company’s inclusion. Afterward, they will charge you each month for a service that does not exist.

Tech support. Tech support schemes, according to the Federal Trade Commission, are disguised as potential issues with your computer or software program. A faceless criminal posing as a tech support agent may request access to your computer to fix the problem, which doesn’t actually exist. They can easily infiltrate your data and swipe your passwords, credit account information, and company records.

Overpayment. Overpayment scams are nothing new and used to be carried out by writing a check and “accidentally” overestimating the total amount due. Today, criminals tend to use online payment processing. They request that the overpayment be refunded, and may ask for sensitive information to prove that you are a legitimate organization.

Protect Your Business

Your best defense against criminal activity is a two-part approach that involves employee education and technology. Your employees are on the front lines, actively defending against scams. TowneBank suggests implementing checks and balances such as requiring more than one signature to approve expenses. Your employees should be taught to look out for emails with blatant grammar and spelling mistakes and to avoid giving out any information over the phone or online unless via contact they initiate with a known customer, client, or business affiliate.

Technology is also helpful, and your business should have up-to-date antivirus software, automatic data backup, firewalls, and other security measures running in the background at all times. If you don’t have an IT department, there are plenty of small-business-friendly cybersecurity service providers that can get you set up to combat 21st-century attacks.

When you become a victim, time is of the essence. Contact a digital forensics company so you know the extent of the problem, and take steps, such as employee training and upping your security measures, to prevent it from happening again. As a small business, you can’t afford to let criminals affect you and your clients/customers in such a big way.