Technology

Consumers aren’t the only victims of fraud. As long as there have been businesses, there have been a number of scams that have affected them, from directory and invoice scams to the bigger threat of data breaches today due to technology advancements. Everyone has heard about the large data breaches that recently affected large retailers such as Target, Home Depot and Neiman Marcus. But many small business owners don’t understand how fraud and scams could end up hurting their bottom line and don’t take necessary measures in order to protect themselves. In addition, new businesses may not have the resources they need in order to protect themselves.

Small business owners should be aware of the different types of fraud so they can better protect themselves, their employees and their bottom lines. The threat to your business data and your customer information should put your business on high alert for protecting what is your most valuable resource-your information. Protecting business information itself-corporate secrets, banking information, accounts receivable/payable, customer information-is imperative. The Federal Trade Commission has stated it is a business’s responsibility to provide security for their systems that will protect their consumer information. It’s critical to spend the time and the dollars to hire a forensics IT person to go through your computer system and check it for every possible way a hacker could use to get through it and providing a block and firewall to stop them. Continually review your security measures as hackers revise their methods. Here are some of the most common deceptive business practices.

Phony Invoices
For years, Better Business Bureau has head from businesses who receive fake invoices demanding payments for products or services that they never ordered or received. Sometimes it’s passed along to accounts payable because the amount is low enough that it doesn’t initially raise a red flag. It’s important to have a system in place to match your purchase orders to your invoices and then make sure you are paying the right people. Sometimes, phony invoices are disguised as solicitations. The business will receive an invoice that looks like you are renewing an online directory listing or an ad in the Yellow Pages, even when you don’t have any of those listings. When you look at the “invoice” closer, there is fine print at the bottom which is actually a solicitation for your to participate in one of these activities. Look carefully at bills because a fake invoice can look legitimate and you might accidentally pay for it.

Directory Scams
A problem that has plagued businesses for decades involves deceptive sales for directories. Commonly, the scammer will call the business claiming they want to update the company’s information for an online directory or the business owner will receive an “online directory” renewal notice. Scammers are counting on the fact that business owners are busy and will make these notices appear legitimate, local or industry-targeted. Keep a list of the directories you are published in and evaluate the values of those directories on an annual basis.

Stolen Identity
Here, scammers pretend to be a legitimate company for the purposes of ripping off consumers. When it comes to stolen identity, the company doesn’t necessarily lose money, but their reputation is potentially tarnished as angry customers who were ripped of by the scammers think the real company is responsible. They may set up a fake website and “hijack” your company address.

The scams don’t stop here! Read about the many scams that can affect your business HERE in the Fall/Winter 2018 issue of Tools for Success magazine. You can also pick up a print copy of the magazine at a Progress Bank location near you. Click for a complete list of LOCATIONS.

David Smitherman has been the President and CEO of Better Business Bureau serving Central and South Alabama since 2006. He leads the state’s largest business ethics organization, providing education and information to businesses and consumers statewide.

Fall is a great time to schedule projects to accomplish before the first of the year. One of the projects that I have recently scheduled is to work on our company’s Organic SEO. If you are not familiar with internet jargon, SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization and Organic means traffic that comes to your site from search engines that you don’t pay for. Since I was catching myself up on the latest trends and best things to do, I thought it would be a great idea to share what can be done internally to your website.

The Experience

The most important factor in determining onsite SEO is your website’s design experience. What your customers experience on your website impacts their trust in you as a reputable company, as well as reinforcing your authority while building your brand. All of these things impact your organic ranking.

In addition to the design, the layout of the site is important. Information that is readily available and can be found quickly and efficiently is significant to the equation. Simply put, the more clicking around your customer has to do, the more they get frustrated with your website and as a result, Google will penalize you.

Two other big SEO factors are the amount of time it takes for your site to load and whether or not it is mobile friendly. There are some free toolkits that your web designer can use to quickly make sure your website can be read easily on smaller devices. If your website is slow to lead, users are likely to go back to Google and pick a competitor.

Learn 2 more key aspects of search engine optimization by reading the full story HERE in the Fall/Winter 2017 issue of Tools for Success magazine. You can also pick up a print copy of the magazine at a Progress Bank location near you. Click for a complete list of LOCATIONS.

Allan Wilson has been in the IT consulting industry for more than 15 years and currently owns and operates a Birmingham-based IT consulting company, Wilson Computer Support, www.wilsoncomputer.com.

Cybersecurity continues to be a hot topic for small and medium-sized businesses (SMB). It’s not uncommon for smaller businesses to believe that because of their size, “there isn’t much to steal,” so cybercriminals will simply not target them. This assumption couldn’t be further from the truth. The 2017 State of Cybersecurity in Small & Medium-Sized Business Report conducted annually by the Ponemon Institute clearly debunks these ideas, showing that 61 percent of smaller businesses experienced a cyberattack and 54 percent reported data breaches involving sensitive information in 2017.

The reality of this situation is that cybersecurity criminals are very much aware of the flawed assumptions and the false sense of security residing within smaller businesses and actively seek to exploit them. It is easier for an attacker to compromise a smaller business that has limited budget and resources dedicated to cybersecurity than it is for the attacker to compromise a large enterprise with multiple layers of security effectively implemented and fully funded.

Smaller businesses obviously cannot match the spending on cybersecurity technologies or staff a full team of cybersecurity experts like their larger counterparts. Still, there are ways for smaller businesses to compensate for these budgetary and resource limitations to implement an effective comprehensive cybersecurity defense.

1. Do not tackle it solo.

Small businesses thrive by focusing on doing what they do best and when it comes to cybersecurity, this fact doesn’t change. Unless you’re a small business specifically focused on providing cybersecurity services it is recommended you seek out professional assistance.

2. Document your cybersecurity policies.

Most successful small businesses are extremely agile operating by word of mouth and intuitional knowledge, much of which is undocumented. Cybersecurity is one area where it is essential to document processes and policies and in many cases required by regulatory authorities to meet governance requirements.

The above is an excerpt. To read more cybersecurity practices, click HERE to read the full article in the Spring/Summer 2018 issue of Tools for Success magazine. You can also pick up a print copy of the magazine at a Progress Bank location near you. Click for a complete list of LOCATIONS.

Jeremy Conway is the Chief Technology Officer at MAD Security, a published author and renowned public speaker. With more than 16 years of experiences in the information security field, he is recognized as an industry expert and innovator and played a vital role in securing some of the largest networks in the world for customers such as NASA, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Department of Defense

As technology has changed the way consumers socialize, shop and interact, companies are finding that the marketing playbook has a few new and unfamiliar pages. When the marketplace changes, it only serves to reason that companies must begin to adjust the way they communicate marketing messages.

Today’s consumers have instant access to compare prices, research product reviews and, with the press of a button, can easily “skip” advertising messages. No longer can companies merely flood the market with their brand messages through traditional channels and see results. Even digital channels are now crowded with blinking banners and sidebar buttons all screaming for attention.

One marketing trend being integrated into the overall strategy is content marketing. In simple terms, content marketing is the focus on creating valuable and relevant content that speaks
to a clearly defined audience. It is putting aside the “salesy” messages in favor of resources and
information that educate the consumer. It is connecting rather than pitching. Engaging rather than selling.

In fact, this trend for using content marketing is on the rise. According to a recent study by
Boston-based software company Curata of more than 600 marketing organizations, 76% of those surveyed are planning to increase their investment in content marketing in the coming year.

WHAT DOES A CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGY LOOK LIKE?
Finding the right way to connect and engage with your target audience will depend on the type of business, resources available and determining the way in which your audience will be most receptive to receiving your messages.

Here are eight ways to start a content marketing strategy:
BLOGS – A great option for providing written resources, video feeds and images.
PUBLISHING – Whether it be cookbooks, magazines or a buyer’s guide, publishing can establish your credibility as an expert while keeping your name in front of an audience in an entertaining and engaging way.
VIDEO – With the rise of YouTube, the power of a good video is undeniable. You could provide step-by-step how-to videos or create a commercial that has viral potential.
WEBSITE – Today’s websites are responsive and can be designed with content marketing in mind. Add features to engage your audience as well as integrate other elements of your overall strategy such as a blog or videos.
NEWSLETTERS – Whether you provide in print or by email, a newsletter can be a great way to keep brand awareness with your customers. Provide relevant and meaningful content to increase its value.
BLOGGER REVIEWS – Connect with bloggers who have an existing audience that includes your target audience. Offer them free products in exchange for reviews and exposure to their followers.
SOCIAL MEDIA – Even with limited character space, you can still establish yourself as an authority in the Twitterverse and beyond. Don’t just blast your specials, but take the opportunity to really connect with your fans and followers.
INFOGRAPHICS – Clever graphics that tell a story or provide information have great viral potential. Provide information in this easy-to-absorb format and increase your exposure through shareable content.

Your content marketing strategy is only limited by your imagination. Ask yourself what your customers really want or need to know and then create the resource to provide that information in an entertaining way.

In simple terms, content marketing is the focus on creating valuable and relevant content that speaks to a clearly defined audience.

*Published in the Spring/Summer 2015 issue of Tools for Success Magazine.

Author: Bethany Meadows is the owner of Vertical Solutions Media Inc, a full service marketing agencies that specializes in helping small businesses build strong brands and increase revenues.

Keeping your business information confidential is an important part of your overall security. Is your company doing enough in this area? Below are five steps to help you keep your company’s business information confidential and out of the hands of your competitors.

1. Designate Information as Confidential. While this seems kind of obvious, this simple action will help categorize information important to your company’s security.
2. Develop a Policy Statement. A Policy Statement in your employee handbook will make employees aware of the confidential nature of information to which they have access, and how it should be handled.
3. Restrict Access. Sensitive information should be segregated from non-sensitive information.
4. Have Contractual Protections. Three types of contract provisions are common—non-competition agreements, non-solicitation agreements, and non-disclosure agreements. You should consult with your human resource and/or legal professionals to help you determine which agreements fit your particular needs.
5. Protect Electronic Data. Internet, E-mail, databases and other electronic communication methods are common in most workplaces, and for some, have replaced traditional paper communication and files. In order to protect confidential information and trade secrets, many of the same concepts discussed above should apply to electronic media as well.

Author: Charles Wilkinson, SPHR, is CEO of Human Resource Management, Inc., a management consultancy and outsourced administrative services organization. Learn more at our Contributors tab.