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Our last blog focused on company culture and the effect it could have on your brand. Your company’s culture, positive or negative, shows up in your brands reputation. We talked about methods to assess the cultural health of your business, but just how do you give your company a cultural facelift?

The first step is to ask yourself a few questions to get an idea of the “feel” you want your organization to have:

• What qualities would you like your company’s environment to convey? Originality, respectfulness, acceptance, fun, etc.
• What are the primary values or focus of your company? How do you make that prominent in the culture?
• Who controls the flow of information? How and what is distributed to the staff?
• Do you reward employees and how? 
• Does everyone in the company feel heard? If not, how might you improve this?

More questions than answers may arise, so brainstorming with your co-workers is a great approach to finding creative answers. Below are a few suggestions to start with:

Suggestion/Thought box – Allowing individuals to anonymously share their feelings or opinions about the day to day in the office can result in a more open feeling in the company. These concerns can be brought up in company meetings if they relate to everyone.

Empower employees – Give people control over their jobs by treating them like peers rather than peons. You can achieve this by being more transparent; don’t just communicate when you have successes, let them know when things aren’t going perfectly. It will create a team full of mutual support.

Flexible hours – Trusting your employees to get their work done is key. Don’t constantly hang over or micro-manage them. Trusting your employees to get their jobs done gives you less anxiety, as well as result in the general company culture more respectful.

Dress code – Today it is rare that individuals have to wear suits and ties on a regular basis.  Giving employees freedom to express themselves using their wardrobe is a simple strategy to make them feel accepted for who they are. To take this one step further, consider themed days: silly hat day, bright clothing day, 80’s day, etc. It’s astounding how important self-expression can be.

Celebrate – You are all part of the same business and hopefully share the same goals. Celebrate this by having a monthly movie day, a team outing after work, or a lunchtime game day – something fun that gets the group doing something together.

For some added fun, here are a handful of things real companies do to improve their culture:

• Spontaneous Nerf gun wars
• Painting inspirational quotes on the walls
• Hitting a loud gong when there is a success to let the whole company know
• Foosball tournaments
• Lunchtime Yoga
• Lunchtime Crafting Club
• Monday Mad Libs, whoever wishes to contribute, does, and then the completed Mad Lib is emailed to the company

Strategy and finances are not the only aspects of a successful company, but they are usually what companies concentrate on. It may not seem apparent, but company culture plays an essential role too. It can affect your branding, marketing, and day-to-day operations, and how the public views your company. For example when we consider brands like Apple, Google, and Starbucks, not only do their logos and products come to mind, but a variety of positive qualities: warmth, efficiency, fun, excellence, etc. These characteristics are thanks in part to each company’s positive business culture.

Why Culture is so Important

If people work in a place where they feel ownership, pride, and empowerment they will put their hearts into the work they do. They’ll take more risks and be more willing to think outside of the box. A healthy culture encourages creativity and innovative thinking. When people feel like they are being stifled by their work or they have no control over their jobs, they will do the work assigned to them with no additional effort. This can not only lead to a sad individual but a sad environment where every task put toward your brand is given the minimum amount of effort. Instead, you want a energetic and alive environment so that your brand sticks out from the rest. Nurturing a healthy culture is the responsibility of everyone in the company, from the CEO to HR to the receptionist.

A healthy culture has several benefits. Take a look at a few and the reasons why they can have such a significant impact.

• Focus – Keeping employees dedicated to the same goal helps a business run with efficiency. Getting people to care about the goal comes with having a healthy focus. If your employees feel like they are an essential part of attaining that goal they will be more likely to push themselves. When individuals feel like they have no influence on the main goal, they loose focus, and can become cynical.

• Cohesion – Healthy culture can bring about strong communication in good and bad times. In a place where there is unhealthy culture people may frequently resent being told what to do because they don’t feel their views are heard or appreciated. Whenever a problem occurs they may avoid pointing it out because they fear backlash.

• Motivation – It’s simple; motivated people achieve more. This may seem apparent, but in companies where the culture is suffering, productivity may also suffer.

Measuring the Cultural Health of Your Company

Cultural health should be assessed regularly. So how do you evaluate the cultural health of a company? First, look at how people are supervised, are they just given a task with no input or do they have some control over their work? Are repetitive tasks distributed so everyone has the opportunity to be challenged? While a few people may never be happy, if you find the overwhelming consensus to be negative it may be time to look at making a few changes in how the business is run to improve the culture and the overall health of the company. Visit again soon to learn some helpful tips on creating a positive work environment.

Chances are you started your company because you love what you do. You opened your doors because you have a solid product that you believe in.  You probably did not start a business because your paperwork abilities were unmatched.  Paperwork is a vital and necessary evil for any business owner and accurate invoicing cannot be ignored. We all need cash flow to keep our businesses adrift, so employing a good invoicing system can help us keep cash in the bank and our clients happy!

Invoicing help online

Online invoicing services abound these days that make the financial side of business much more manageable. Online services make the laborious task of paperwork much quicker.  Depending on the service you use, the communication to the client can also be automatic! Let’s take a look at some of the most reputed online invoicing services available:

A free but powerful invoicing service

BillingBoss has a big advantage: It’s free. This online tool lets you set up automatic invoicing of repeat customers and send out once-off invoices to those customers who aren’t regular. Don’t be misled because this service is free. It should be plenty effective enough for the vast majority of small business owners.

A power tool

AcceptPay from American Express is unquestionably for the power user. For only $30 a month, users of AcceptPay can connect with QuickBooks, collect online payments from clients, and set up a wide array of customizable automatic invoices. It seems a pretty small price to pay for such a effective tool.

Invoicing for the tech-savvy

Lastly we’ll look at the most customizable option of the bunch, BambooInvoice. This open source program is hosted on your own servers and can be easily customized for your business’ needs. So if you require more control and are a little tech-savvy, BambooInvoice might be your best choice.

These are only a few of the available options online. Most services are free or extremely cost-effective. If you need to take the reigns on your invoicing process, think about using an online solution.

It looks as if Microsoft is ready to do its part to discourage cyber crimes. Microsoft intends to offer real-time feeds that partners can use to analyze potential cyber threats and take the proper steps to boost their defenses against these attacks.

Microsoft has already had success in taking down botnets. In doing so, the company collects a great deal of useful data about the threats these botnets pose. The process works like this: Microsoft essentially swallows the botnets. This, consequently, sends botnet-infected hosts to addresses that are under Microsoft’s control. This captures the contaminated hosts and takes them offline.

This collected data is now shared with ISPs, private and government agencies, & CERTs. While real-time data may not lessen the quantity of attacks by malicious code, the impact of sharing this data will most likely be quite extraordinary. IT security companies should be able to respond more quickly to these threats and therefore be able to decrease the level of damage they can cause.

Even more importantly than a decline in damage, a live threat feed could mean that the IT security industry as a whole will start to share more information.  It has been a long-standing belief that sharing confirmed threat data may lead to copycat attacks. However, this isn’t a valid concern. Cyber criminals are already sharing tips and tricks and ways to get around security systems. It only makes sense for the IT security industry to be sharing their knowledge of how to battle these cyber criminals.

Let’s hope that security professionals soon realize that sharing information is more useful than secrecy. And let’s hope that Microsoft’s move is a first step in this change of attitude.

The cloud has been a blessing for small business owners battling through tough economic times. Instead of purchasing expensive enterprise software, business owners can save their dollars by accessing powerful computing programs in the cloud, everything from high-end word processors and project-management tools to spreadsheets and Photoshop alternatives. But, the cloud isn’t perfect, especially when it comes to security issues. Business owners need to be aware that their documents, presentations, and marketing materials can be damaged when they are stored in the cloud.

Password issues

One of the biggest security issues when dealing with the cloud is password protection. This is also one of the primary security issues outside of the cloud.

You should always carefully select passwords to your projects stored in the cloud. The more complex your passwords are the harder they are to guess. A great way to achieve this is to use a mixture of numbers and letters in your passwords. Also, you should not share these passwords with many people.

Hacker alert

A few serious problems that will not soon disappear for everyone who uses a computer are hackers, malware, and spyware. As business owners have little control over how secure the cloud is this part of security can be very frightening indeed. Companies like Microsoft and Google must create their own security measures to protect the data stored in the cloud.

Common sense protection

There are a couple common-sense practices that will help protect small business owners who choose to store information in the cloud.

First, think about the type of information you’d be storing in the cloud. Whatever is incredibly sensitive may not be the best to store in the cloud. It might be safer to back up this information on a personal system and find a more secure way to store it.

Secondly, business owners must stay vigilant about who they allow access to their cloud-stored data, documents, and reports. Owners are careful about whom they allow to access the files on their desktops and laptops and they should be equally careful when it comes to granting others access to their cloud-hosted information.

There are many advantages to cloud computing. Backing up important data makes it readily available to everyone in your company and frees up space on your servers. You probably have several questions about cloud security and may be wondering if cloud security will protect your client’s data and adhere to HIPAA, PCI or Sarbanes-Oxley regulations.

Do cloud storage solutions follow these regulations? Are they required to? If they haven’t spelled it out in their privacy policies, it is safest to assume they are not compliant. We will explore this more below.

Compliance

More and more companies are turning to the cloud for storage. For obvious reasons, it is a very cost effective way to go. However, improper handling of your client’s information can harm your reputation and result in a loss of business for your company. If your company requires that client data be handled in a controlled way, you must first learn how secure the cloud service is and what regulations does the cloud service providers abide by. If a company has not specifically said they comply with certain regulations, it’s safe to assume they don’t.

Who is responsible

Who’s shoulders does the responsibility fall on? There’s no law requiring that cloud service providers disclose the degree of security they maintain. While they probably do have a respectable amount of safety protocols in place, the safest option is to take their privacy policy at face value. In this case, if you wish to stay in compliance with HIPAA, PCI or Sarbanes-Oxley, cloud computing may not be for you. That said, if your industry doesn’t require tight regulations, then you might make use of the benefits cloud-computing offers. 

Ultimately, as there is no current law that states that companies must reveal how tight their security is, the responsibility is in your hands. You must weigh the advantages and disadvantages of cloud storage to determine if it’s suitable for your business. 

If you are a business owner, you’re probably aware that disasters can happen. Disasters can come in many forms. What if there is an earthquake, flood, or other natural disaster that damages all of your data? What if a well-meaning employee mistakenly erases an important file? Suppose you download a virus that destroys important documents? All of these what-ifs can have you dizzy and worried. That’s why it’s imperative that you establish a strong disaster recovery plan.

Decide What’s Important

The first step is to determine what data is vital to your company. What data must be recovered quickly for your company to run? This will tell you what you need to back up.

Make a Plan

Your next step is to think about what steps you need to take if something happens. Start with the worst possible scenario and create a plan for that. What technology do you require if everything is destroyed, what data, and what systems need to be back up ASAP? Write down all of these in order of importance.

Know Your Workflows

I’m sure you have an overall idea of the way your company is run, but knowing each and every process is virtually impossible. That’s why you have employees. Have your employees document their workflows so that any team member can perform the tasks in the event of an emergency.

Decide Who is in Charge

Many people panic when disaster strikes. To make sure the panic doesn’t make things worse, put someone that has helped you create the plan in charge of executing your data recovery plan. This way you are free to reassure everyone and oversee the company and you can be the strong leader your employees need in time of crisis.

Disaster can happen to anyone! So before it does, develop a good plan so that you know what to do. It will make both your employees and you feel more secure.

The name Segway is synonymous with tech failure. After all, inventor Dean Kamen once thought that his two-wheeled scooters would become a substitute for cars. He pictured a future where people buzzed to the supermarket, library, or work on their Segway PT scooters.

We are all aware that didn’t happen. The Segway is still around and it isn’t an entirely unusual site to see someone taking a Segway out for a “drive” around the block.  For a “failed” technology, that is a pretty impressive feat!

But just how do these two-wheeled scooters work? Electric motors hold the key.

Powering the Segway

Electric motors fueled by phosphate-based lithium batteries power the Segway. The scooters are easily charged by just plugging them into a standard electrical socket. Due to a combination of two computers, special software, tilt sensors, and five gyroscopic sensors the Segway remains upright and doesn’t fall over.

Making the Segway Move

The sensors register if the user shifts their body weight to change the direction and speed of movement. In other words, when you want to move forward at a quicker pace, you would pull the handlebars closer to your body and lean forward slightly. The Segway’s present top speed is 12.5 mph and is best suited for areas with plenty of wide, flat sidewalk space.

Lowered Expectations

Experts touted that the Segway would become a bigger deal that Internet. Plainly the device did not live up to that level of hype!

Of course, we all know what happened. The Segway looked strange, and people looked bizarre riding it. Which was enough to prevent the Segway from taking off as its promoters anticipated.

The the probability is good that you, as a small business owner, are juggling several projects at once, and the chances are equally high in this age of virtual workers that several freelancers and consultants dispersed throughout the country are working on these projects. It can be challenging to monitor the progress of these projects, and it can be equally hard to assign new tasks, share essential documents, and request updates from these far-flung workers.

Project management solutions

Luckily, for small businesses, there are various project management options.  These tools can provide assistance to keep projects on target, and employees and clients connected. Here are a few of the top rated project management tools available:

Basecamp

Basecamp is still one of the most popular online project management tools for entrepreneurs. There’s a simple reason behind this: It features an easily understood interface that lets you quickly manage any of your small business projects. You can tap into the system to communicate with project managers, assign new tasks, give your okay to submitted documents and marketing materials, or schedule meetings. You can even allow your clients to access Basecamp so that they can provide feedback on the work that you and your team have already completed.

Quickbase

From the creators of Inuit, Quickbase is pretty comparable to Basecamp with its capability to serve both large and small businesses. It provides a simple and easy to use interface.

Huddle

Some projects require more creativity than others. This is where Huddle really shines. This project management tool is intended precisely to handle the more creative marketing and advertising projects that small business owners must occasionally take on. Huddle contains a power live-conferencing tool that can make holding impromptu meetings an easy task.

Deskaway

This is an excellent tool for updating team members on a projects progression. Easily create blog posts, congratulatory messages, and quick updates.

There are many other choices for project management tools, each with their own benefits for individual businesses. Make sure you look for the one that will help your business manage your projects and personnel the best.

Have you ever thought your company should go paperless? We’ve seen the potential of a paperless office grow over the past few years, but you’d be hard pressed to find an office that is truly paper-free. Is a paperless office even possible? The simple answer? No. We’re moving that direction, but it will take us quite a while.

The advantages of paper

Digital copies of documents and communications are nice, but paper continues to be useful in many cases. Even those who work at the most eco-friendly offices, with reduced paper use policies, find a need for paper. Paper can be extremely portable and quick. You can easily write down a telephone number on a sticky note and slip it in your pocket or leave your cubicle neighbor a quick note saying the boss stopped by. If you’re responsible for going over important documents prior to release, hard copy editing can be much easier than editing on a computer screen. Sometimes it is easier to spot small typos on a physical copy.

Less paper than ever

Paper isn’t disappearing, it is becoming steadily less important. While we still need paper for certain tasks,  most offices are using less paper than ever before. Most writing is performed on a word-processor and correspondence is done via email or Skype instead of fax or letters. Meeting notes, company schedules, and whole marketing campaigns are stored digitally on our computers and smartphones.  So while paper is not yet obsolete, the sticky note is no longer king of the workplace.

The future

Clearly the future of the workplace is using less and less paper, but will it ever be really paperless? Will notepads and sticky notes go the way of the milkman? Potentially. Let’s look at the milkman: some still prefer to have their milk hand-delivered to their homes, but the majority of us just pop out to the store and pick some up when we want it.

Paper will likely end up the same. As we turn to business solutions like the cloud, smartphones, and computers for invoicing, writing and spreadsheets, there will always be those who prefer the physical  feel of pen and paper.