Should You Move Your Small Business Data to the Cloud?

What to Think About before Going Digital

It is no secret that many small businesses struggle with how and where to store data. With limited hard drive, email and other storage space available, moving to a cloud service may seem like a great option to free up in-office storage capacities and help improve computing capabilities. But, before jumping into “the cloud” there are some important points that small business owners should consider and risks that should be closely evaluated – moving important and sometimes sensitive business information to a cloud vendor is a huge move that should not be taken without some serious thought.

Make Yourself Aware of Legal Liabilities

Many businesses have internal auditing rules that govern how important or sensitive information is handled. One of the first things to consider before moving to a cloud service is whether or not using this type of service violates any of the internal standards that are set for the organization. It is also important to identify whether or not your business operates within a regulated industry or handles transactions with a government agency – these types of business transactions are often subject to different restrictions as far as data handling and management goes. Make sure to gather and understand any and all pertinent information before signing on to work with a cloud services vendor.

Find the Right Cloud Services Vendor

It is relatively easy for different vendors to offer cloud services. This gives businesses a choice between larger, more established vendors and smaller, start-up vendors. When choosing a cloud service to work with, consider what the business’s comfort level is – although smaller vendors may be perfectly able to provide services, are you comfortable being one of their first clients? It is important to consider aspects such as customer reviews, references and performance before choosing a vendor. Reliable and fast service is critical to cloud storage since this vendor will quickly become your business’s information technology department. Above all else, make sure you are comfortable with the vendor you choose.

Consider Back Up forms of Storage

It is very likely that the business’s data will be safe and secure on a cloud service – many professionals and business have been using cloud services for years and have reported few problems. But it is also important to consider the worst case scenario and consider putting a backup plan in place for important information. One way to put this safeguard in place is to periodically backup data that is being stored in the cloud. This can be done through exporting the information from the cloud to an external storage device or some vendors offer cloud backup services – these vendors allow businesses to keep copies of their cloud on local servers. This simply adds another layer of security for important business data.

Using local computer hard drives or server software is the most traditional way for businesses to store their data. Although this is effective, large amounts of data can often slow down computer and network performance, frustrating both the business owner and their employees. Luckily, technology has made it more possible for businesses to store data in places other than local hard drives – while clouds have made business life easier it is not without much consideration that many organizations choose to use this service. If you are considering cloud services for your small business, make sure to look at the big picture and seriously contemplate whether this technology is right for your company.

Moving to the cloud is just one decision a small business owner must make. If you are struggling to turn a profit with your legitimate home business, you may need some help or just a better opportunity. To find out how Stacy O'Quinn can help you like he has helped dozens of other business owners, click here.

*Photo Courtesy of Elvert Barnes via Creative Commons License

Make Your Small Business More Manageable

How to Use Technology to Streamline Your Business

With so much going on in today’s business world, it is becoming more and more important for owners and employees to start working smarter instead of working harder. While some business processes have been in place for decades and there is really no way around doing things right, there have been some advancements in technology that can make day to day business operations and tasks faster and more efficient. These new technologies help to increase the productivity of a company and its employees which in turn helps to give the business’s profit margins a huge boost.

Monitor Business Connections and Networks Wirelessly

Most, if not all, small businesses utilize the internet in some way, shape, or form to complete day to day transactions and tasks. Because of this, making sure the business has a strong, reliable Internet connection is key – time that is wasted messing around or repairing a wireless connection is money right down the drain. Media routers can be a great solution to this problem by helping to minimize traffic on a wireless connection and granting the capability to turn most power sources into possible connections. Additionally, some of these devices also offer cloud services to help a business owner or IT personnel monitor what websites are being viewed and any possible attacks to the network.

Manage Your Technology Footprint

While technology definitely makes business easier, having to carry around multiple devices to get the job done can be a hassle. While laptops and computers are often essential for day to day business operations, tablets and smartphones have also become an important tool to use while doing business on the go. Instead of having so many devices, consider equipping the business with one device that acts in multiple capacities – many computer manufacturers have introduced a tablet and computer combo device that offers the business savvy of a laptop with the mobility of a tablet or smartphone. This will help to simplify employees business lives and also has a much smaller technology footprint.

Get All Your Phone Calls in One Place

It is not unusual for business professionals to have multiple phones on which they can be contacted  – desk phones, business cell phones, and personal cell phones all ringing at once can be a lot to juggle, not to mention a huge hassle. But, the newest phone and Bluetooth technology can make jumping between phones a thing of the past. Desktop speaker phone devices have been created to help connect all of your phones together in one place. These devices use Bluetooth to connect cell phones, a wall socket hook-up for desk phones and even a USB port to link the device into a computer. These devices can even be equipped with a clip on microphone or headset so you will never miss a call.

Today’s business world is moving at a pace that can sometimes be hard to keep up with. But as the pace quickens, so do the advances in technology that make every day working life that much easier. By updating your business’s technology and streamlining how your employees operate day to day, you can have a huge impact on their productivity, your profits, and more importantly, their happiness on the job. So link up those multiple phone lines, ditch the old laptop and tablet routine and upgrade your business and your business’s success today!

Now that you have the right technology tools for your business, could you also benefit from some small business training? Stacy O'Quinn has helped many work at home professionals improve their productivity and more importantly, their profitability. To find out how he can help you, click here.

*Photo Courtesy of Siddartha Thota via Creative Commons License

Manage Employee Performance to Improve Your Business Production

Tips for Reviewing and Evaluating Employee Performance

For businesses both large and small, managing employee performance is key to establishing a productive workplace. The challenge that many small business owners face is the lack of a human resource department, specially trained in evaluating the performance of associates. Although hiring a human resource professional may not be in the budget, there are some small, simple yet highly effective ways for business owners to begin to successfully managing employees’ performance.

Establish Regular Performance Reviews

One of the first items to accomplish when beginning to formally review employees’ performance is setting a performance review schedule. This will help to keep the owner and the employee on track as well as keep a routine for when the employee will be reviewed. Consider a review schedule based on the business – many businesses do three reviews a year, one to set the goals for the year to come, one to check on progress toward the middle of the year and one to review the entire year’s performance. Your business and industry will help determine how often you review an employees’ performance.

What to Cover in Performance Reviews

It is also important to establish exactly what items will be covered during a performance review. While a lot of the topics that are important are again determined by the type of business, there are also some general items that should also be included. Some general items include talking about and setting objectives and/or goals that the employee can complete in their given position, establishing and explaining how the employee’s performance will be rated, assessing performance and work in their position and toward their goals and also allowing the employee to provide their own feedback.

How to Determine When an Employee should be Terminated

Despite our best efforts, there are going to be times when an employee is not performing up to the business’s standards. Performance reviews are a great tool for uncovering when associates are just not properly matched or capable of doing their job. When it comes time to terminate an employee, there are some basic guidelines that will help keep the process smooth and civil. During performance reviews and any other interaction with the employee, make sure to keep accurate records of how they are performing so there is supporting evidence to justify and explain why the employee is being let go.

It is very important to make sure that there is a written and understood procedure in place for how terminations will be processed. Make sure that all employees are aware of this from when they get hired onward so there are no surprises if they should be terminated. Finally, make sure to approach the employee in private, with another manager or supervisor in the room for support and have all the necessary paperwork ready for the associate to sign so they are free to leave at the end of the meeting. Having these items in place makes the process less painful for both you and the associate.

Employees’ performance is vitally crucial to how a business operates. By setting up a formal performance review process and having the proper procedures in place if an employee should need to be terminated it can help to nurture and grow a culture of high performance within the business. Always make sure to give employees the opportunity to give their input during a performance review and let them know that their good performance is important to how your business operates.

Making critical business decisions is vital to any small business or work at home business owner. If you are struggling with your business management skills, Stacy O'Quinn can help! Stacy was once like you, but used Dani Johnson training tools to turn a struggling home business into a six figure income. To find out how Stacy can help you do the same, click here.

Engage Your Customers and Improve Your Small Business Sales

Important Tips for Engaging Your Target Market

One aspect of business that some smaller organizations struggle with is engaging and connecting with their customers. The relationship between engaged customers and sales is not a secret – customers who feel they are important to a business and who are communicated with regularly tend to make more purchases and have more interactions. Some small business owners may find it difficult to make this connections simply because they lack the resources that some, larger organizations have. Luckily there are some great ways for small businesses to truly engage with customers and help grow sales.

Offer Customer Something in Return for their Attention

Customers like to know that they matter and that their business is important. A great way to show customers that a business cares about them is to engage them in contests and giveaways. This concept may seem overwhelming – not many small businesses have it in their budget to give away big ticket items – but there are ways to use contests and giveaways on a smaller scale that yield the same results. Consider giving away a service or product from within the business instead of purchasing an item. Doing this helps to keep the contest firmly tied to your business and instead of something unrelated.

Additionally, use the giveaway to gather more information about the target audience. For example, customers who sign up to receive the business’s email newsletter are entered to win a product or service. This helps to engage customers in two ways – drawing them in with an offer and then using the information they themselves provide to interact with them again in the future. This approach is a creative way to build a strong email list for a newsletter and any other promotional messages. Doing something of this nature on a regular basis will have customers coming back again and again.

Make the Business’s Website Interactive

Many small businesses have the resources to develop their own website, whether it is professionally designed and sustained or created in-house. It is important to use this vital marketing tool to its utmost potential. An interesting way to engage customers through the business’s website is by making it interactive. Include online voting tools, polls and comment areas in your website to help encourage customers to interact with you. This will also work for building your email contact list – customers who wish to comment or vote will generally need to register or login to the website in order to participate.

Some of the most successful businesses have mastered the art of engaging their customers. While most of these businesses use professional services to do so, it is completely possible for small businesses to make the same, or possibly a larger, impact. By interacting with consumers and making them feel important to the business, it will help to drive their confidence and even sales margins. Using contests and interactive features on the business’s website will help to make consumers feel included and also help the business to build a solid contact list as well as strong relationships with their customers.

If you are just starting out with your own legitimate home business, you may need some addition help to get the sales rolling. Whether you already have an opportunity or are looking for one, Stacy O'Quinn can help! To find out how, click here.

You are Never Too Old to Chase Your Dreams

How to Cash In on Late-Life Entrepreneurship

They chased their dream and made it a reality!

A large number of people have the dream of opening their own business. While this may be an easy goal to achieve for younger individuals, those in their later years of life may be hesitant to begin the process believing that the business-ownership boat has already sailed for them. The truth is that there are some cons to starting a business after the age of 50, but there are also some great pros. Before making a decision whether now is the time to start your business, take a look at some of these suggestions.

You Have the Experience and the Network

One of the biggest pros of opening a business in the later years of life is that these entrepreneurs already possess the skills and experience needed to make the company a success. Individuals who have already worked for a number of years, whether in the same industry or many different industries, have gained the real-world, tangible knowledge and experience that can help them in starting their own business. On top of that experience, many older individuals also have a wider network of contacts to help begin and maintain the business from the start. This network includes not only close family and friends but also a slew of professional contacts in which to ask for advice and even do business with.

Old Habits Die Hard

Although the pros of opening a business after 50 may be enough to convince someone it is possible, there are also some cons that should be considered. One of these downfalls is that, as an older person, you may be set in your ways and not open to changing how things are done. Part of opening a business is learning how to grow and adapt with the market – if you are unwilling to embrace the change, opening your own business may not be the best choice for you. Additionally, technology is constantly growing and changing from the cell phones we use to the cash registers we see at different stores. Staying up to date with the latest and greatest can be tough – are you sure you’re up for the challenge?

You Have the Time and Finances Needed

Another important pro is that you will have the time that needs to be committed to the business! Many young entrepreneurs are juggling children, husbands or wives, sports, family, and friends while also trying to get their business off the ground. Older individuals are usually free from younger children who need care, meaning they have the time that is needed to make a business a true success. Additionally, older individuals usually have more or better access to the required financial resources for a business – stocks, bonds, collections and retirement accounts are all financial assets that younger individuals simply do not have to fund their business which can be a huge advantage to older business owners.

It is clear to see that the pros of opening a business later in life in outweigh the cons. While business ownership is not for everyone, it is important, regardless of age, to chase your dreams and make them a reality. By using the experiences that were gained throughout your working life and utilizing the professional and personal network you have created, opening a small business over 50 is almost a no brainer. It is important, however, to be open to change and harness the power of those changes. With determination, hard work, and a little luck, anyone, regardless of age, can become a business owner.

Are you ready to chase your dreams? Then give Stacy O'Quinn a call to find out how you can have your own legitimate home business with the possibilities of creating a six figure income! For more information about Stacy and his opportunities and training techniques, click here.