As a business consultant, I have the opportunity to meet hundreds of professionals from many industries each year. And time and experience have taught me that every modern firm needs a few "Must-Haves." Because my clients hire me to ensure that their business succeeds, the first thing I do is compile a list of "must-haves." So, here's what's in store for 2005...Computer and information security are ranked first.
This is where the most harm can be done in the quickest amount of time, whether for tiny businesses, large corporations, or home-based start-ups. I can't emphasize this enough, yet most people don't pay attention until it's too late. So I've made it easier than ever this year. Consider the following... Consider a computer security solution that solves the problem at its source, costs less than $10 and takes less than an hour to implement. The book Computer Security in the Workplace does precisely that. Two Harvard IT professionals wrote it without any techno-babble you may expect. It takes around an hour to read and quickly becomes the go-to resource for many forward-thinking businesses. You
Many intelligent businesses use this handbook as their go-to resource. You can visit at www.exchangebuz.com for more information.
http://www.ComputerSecurityBook.com is where you can obtain it. This one will go fast, so don't miss out. As a holiday gift, I purchased a copy for each of my clients, and the 'thank you' messages continue to pour in each time a crisis is averted, which is more often than you might think.
# 2 Proof of Publicity
Whether purposefully or unintentionally, you must be informed if your name appears in the media. Knowing this can help you get a competitive advantage by allowing you to exploit breaking positive media coverage for PR (far better than paid advertising) or track who is printing your press releases. More importantly, I've been recommending media clipping' services to clients for years to ensure that competitors aren't misusing a company's or trademarked names or, worse, launching a smear campaign. There are numerous services available today.
Many of my clients, for example, use http://www.CyberAlert.com or http://www.CustomScoop.com, both of which provide free trials. If this doesn't work for you, try typing the term in quotes on http://Google.com and searching the Internet. The 'quotes around term' feature isolates that phrase and returns only exact matches, saving your investigation time significantly.
#3 A Well-Defined Strategy
The world has changed. The 'napkin plans' and the overly complex ones devised by executives who belong in a 'Dilbert' comic strip don't cut it anymore. And by 'plan,' I don't mean just any plan, such as a Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan, or Project Plan. If this last piece of advice does not apply to you, consider yourself fortunate. Many reasonably priced software products may perform a great job if you feel like you could benefit from a better plan, whether for obtaining a bank loan, investors, or just keeping your sanity. Visit your local office supplies outlet or go to http://www.PaloAlto.com to get started.