Many small business owners are very protective of their company, and even see it almost as a child. It needs time, energy, and a nurturing approach. The last thing anyone wants to think about is their business struggling or being attacked. Unfortunately, though, these things do happen, and it would be short-sighted not to acknowledge that and be prepared for any eventuality. Below are three ways that your business could suffer, and some ideas on how to combat the effects.
Bad Publicity
“There’s no such thing as bad publicity.” Whoever first coined that phrase (most likely P.T. Barnum) clearly wouldn’t have lasted long in modern business. These days, reputation and publicity are everything. Even huge companies like Amazon can’t hide from its impact following a tweet from President Trump in August caused their market value to drop by $5.7 billion. Hopefully, your business never has to deal with bad publicity, but if it does, it’s best to deal with it as soon as possible, much like in the case of the Online Success Academy Scam accusations. The longer you leave it unaddressed, the more damage it could potentially cause to your business. Avoid stooping to the level of petty rebuttals and stick to the facts. Dealing with the negative spotlight with grace and dignity could be an opportunity to showcase what kind of company you run.
Online Fraud & Hacking
You’ve brought your business into the 21st Century, and so have the crooks. With many companies now operating largely (or exclusively) online, it makes sense that the criminals will have moved their operations too. Ransomware, phishing scams, and false links are all active and operating in great numbers. As the fraudsters become more and more sophisticated, it makes sense to protect your business’ computer systems from unlawful access. A simple anti-viral software will help protect your network from general level infiltration, but won’t stand up to more focused attacks. It is advisable that you consult with a specialist who can scrutinize your network and optimize its built-in protection.
Property damage or theft
It’s a technology-driven world, but some people still do things the old-fashioned way. If your business has premises, it’s likely they could be a target for thieves and vandals. You can prevent against this by having good quality locks, an insurer approved alarm system, and CCTV set up at the entrances to your premises to deter wrong-doers. However, despite all these preventative measures to business threats, you could still find yourself a target. If that is the case you will be relieved to remember that you took out an insurance policy for just such an occasion; if you didn’t, you will be kicking yourself and will never make that mistake again.
Good business owners insurance should cover any damage caused by the break-in, the cost of the materials or goods taken and, crucially, the loss of earnings that comes with such an event taking place.
Conclusion
While not intended to unnecessarily frighten you, this short list of possible threats should highlight the precautions that you, as a responsible business owner, should be considering to protect the longevity of your company.
I hope you enjoyed this article about security or public relations threats that could threaten your small business.
Interested in more articles about business security and reputation?
Read My Related Posts:
- Data Protection & Backup Best Practices
- How Artificial Intelligence Will Cut Down On Cyber Crime
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I hope you enjoyed this article about security or public relations threats that could threaten your small business.
Interested in more articles about business security and reputation?
Read My Related Posts:
- Data Protection & Backup Best Practices
- How Artificial Intelligence Will Cut Down On Cyber Crime
More Bootstrap Business Blog Below
