I hope you find my writing and business tips and observations useful. My business and blog are dedicated to helping businesses communicate clearly and reach their potential.
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Naming publicly
The naming and shaming will probably prove to be the greatest punishment. Chris Jackson
…we will name their names and shame them as they deserve to be shamed. Bob Dole
The above quotes got me thinking – is being named publicly for some wrong doing a bigger punishment than something like a fine or restriction? Do people who do the wrong thing actually deserve to be identified?
I don’t know that they deserve to be named and possibly humiliated by that naming, but I can see that naming them may protect others. For example, someone convicted of fraud isn’t someone I want to hire as an accountant or financial advisor, and having people who don’t pay for services they request listed may protect other businesses from being mistreated.
Some wrong doers appear to feel no shame and repeat their “crime” over and over; these are the ones people most need protecting from so making their names public seems somewhat just. With the internet, it is obviously mush easier to get names in front of a LOT of people instead of a smaller audience. For example, you can contact any magistrates court and ask for finding of any case which limits the access, but you can now also visit a website and see the outcomes for yourself.
What do you think – should wrong doers be publicly named as a punishment, to protect others, or not at all?
Part 2 in a couple of days…
Free ads can still cost…
In my recent post about saving money in business, I noted that ineffective free ads could be too expensive to run.
While that may seem strange (a free ad costs nothing, right?) it is true.
By free ad I mean any advertising you do that doesn’t directly cost you anything so it may be a free directory listing, adding an email signature, using social media or having a banner in someone else’s newsletter. Free advertising is great for cashflow obviously, and has a number of advantages, but it isn’t always good for business or truly free.
So even free ads need to be reviewed and considered for their value. Consider these examples of how free ads can be much more costly than they first appear…
- social media is certainly free in that you don’t pay any fees to join or use those sites. However, you may pay for supporting software and you do pay in time – and the smaller expense of electricity, computer wear and tear, etc. If you are spending hours tweeting every week (and have done for months) and have never had a sale through Twitter, it is becoming an expensive, ineffective exercise
- directories that need regular updating but return nothing are probably not worth the effort, especially as many are only viewed by other business people updating their listings!
- notice what response the ad is generating – an ad that brings in a lot of queries but no sales is probably in the wrong place or missing the target. In this case the free ad is costing you in time to answer queries rather than giving you time for genuine customers. Try tweaking to ad or just stop using that free option
- ads in disreputable places may also not have a price to add them or take time to maintain, but if they are giving your business a bad image they are very expensive ads. Negative associations are hard to measure as you can’t see which people consciously didn’t come to your website. Just be careful where you are listed, and review sites every so often as they may change over time
Chain reactions…
I came across a blog post about the domino effect and it got me thinking.
Obviously, one little thing left undone can cause another little thing to happen and so on until there is a problem – for example, miss one weeks back up of your computer doesn’t seem like a big deal until you have missed many weeks back ups and then your hard drive fails…
This is where contingency plansand attention to detail are important. Sometimes we get busy and it is easy to leave things until later (and the reality is that with only 24 hours in a day, some things have to be left until later) but we need to watch out for the important things not being forgotten. Maybe a set time each week to review important things could be a valuable use of time.
Here are five things I think should be regularly checked before they become a problem:
- overall safety – broken chairs, loose power cords, overloaded power points, faulty machinery can cause serious damage if left to get worse
- back up systems of data and software
- suppliers – little issues may build up until you are left unable to fulfill client needs so check suppliers are on track before it gets critical
- customer service – if you have staff, are they treating customers the way you want? are you keeping your word on things like sending out newsletters? how long does it take to reply to emails?
- accounts – is data processed with some regularity? do you pay invoices on time every time? are you aware of those customers who are slow payers?
Of course, not all domino effects are negative, so I’ll post about that tomorrow!
What contact details to give?
If you are looking for something online, what form of contact details do you like to see? What difference does it make to you if it isn’t there?
I have often read about offering a range of contact methods to give clients options and their preferred choice. I believe in the value of certain options being offered, too. So it was very interesting to read Danielle Keister’s view on contact details.
Her argument is that someone who really wants your services will use the contact details your provide; if they won’t follow your system (in her case, completiong of a specific form to get a quote, etc) then this forms a process fo weeding out clients you didn’t really want in the first place.
I like the concept – it is impossible to please everyone so I can make my business run the way that best suits me. My contact pagedoesn’t include my mobile because I don’t think anyone’s writing project is so important I need to be contactable all the time, and it doesn’t include my email address to avoid spam. On the other hand, it does encourage an email contact form as the preferred means of contacting me.
I could delete my phone number from the site altogether, but I think there is a certain credibility attached to having a phone number available. Please tell me if you disagree!
My postal address is rarely used by anyone I don’t have an existing business relationship with, but I include it because it helps identify my location – I know I hate not knowing where a business is located if it isn’t clear (my .au domain and about us page do make it clear I am in Australia, and my exact location isn’t very relevant to clients so the contact page is less critical for me).
Away from my website, I generally use my URL and email address for contact information.
And I guess it works as the majority of clients and prospects do contact me by email – at times I wonder why I have a business phone at all!
Do you offer all your contact details or do you tailor it to your business preferences? How does that work for your business?
Website hosting security
After getting hacked earlier this week, I thought it might be timely to cover some things to look at for security through your web host – and as I am not a technical expert, I’d love to hear your tips too so we can all have the best chance of avoiding these time wasters.
So here are some tips from me…
- who are you sharing a server with? Dedicated server hosting is the most secure option but also a lot more expensive. My host has servers just for their clients which I see as the next best thing as at least I am not sharing with just anybody and my host has put some precautions in place (such as minimum 70 strength passwords)
- does your host/server have a SSL certificate? This may be shared with everyone on the sever but it certainly beats no certificate at all!
- where are the servers located? The recent flooding in Victoria shows the value of storing servers somewhere high (on top of a mountain isn’t quite what I mean though! Off the floor and preferably in a room protected against flooding to some extent). Are they protected from other physical dangers too?
- what physical security applies to the servers? Are they in locked cupboards in secure buildings? Is there 24 hour security (guards, cameras, sensors) turned on?
- what routines and programs does your host use to monitor the servers for attacks and errors? For example, my host now constantly runs a security scan and a program that detects prohibited activity
- does your host offer suitable privacy protection? Your information and your payment details should be kept private and safe
- who can access the server shells? This is the core of the operation and is where real damage can be done to websites – ideally very few people even within the host company can access this
- what back ups does the host do? where do they store these back ups (on site or remotely)? I’m glad to say my host does daily and weekly back ups so were able to reinstall everything from a back up after Tuesday’s attack – and they did a more recent back up of the databases, too. I would not have wanted to replace all that work and data myself or have lost it completely.
I have discovered that not many hosts cover this information on their website so I suggest you ask them questions. It is easy to just trust them and even to take the cheapest option but think about the consequences of loosing your website (for an hour, a day, a week…) or of having your website damaged and perhaps clients’ information breached. Makes asking a few questions a small but critical task doesn’t it?
According to WAtoday, the threat of an attack on a medium sized business has grown by 54% in the last year. That makes it a pretty big risk and something to be aware of in business budgeting, planning and contingency. I hope it never happens to you.
What steps have you taken to secure your website hosting?
Not fun being hacked…
Yesterday, my site was one of many attacked by a well known hacker (called the Turkish Hacker or Iskorpitx according to the messages left behind). Over a period of about 5 days he apparently hacked over 30,000 sites, mostly by getting into host servers (as happened in my case).
So my first message today is sorry if you tried to visit my site or send me emails yesterday. Although I did rectify my site reasonably quickly once I knew, my host later took down all their sites and reinstalled their servers so my site was offline.
I won’t make my second message what I think of people who have nothing better to do with their time than annoy people around the world just because they can.
Here are my top tips to minimise the hassles of being hacked…
- have a great password – your surname, business name or kids’ initials really aren’t good enough
- back up your site regularly so it’s easier to replace it as needed – or even move to another host
- choose your host carefully – look for their security, how they will deal with issues and how much they will help you
- if you need to give a password to someone else (eg a web designer) be careful how you tell them – certainly don’t put it in an email with the subject “website password”
- remove anything from your site that isn’t needed if it is sensitive in any way
- use the most recent version of any software on your site (e.g. the software to run a blog) as it will have recent security developments included and probably has fewer successful hacks set up
Do you have any additional tips?
Top 10 business saving tips
Lately I’ve heard a few business owners talk about ways to save money in their business so here are my top 10 tips for saving money without scrimping on product/service quality.
- review your recurring costs (such as website hosting, bank fees, phone rental and internet service) – it amazes me the difference in prices for the same service so it can be extremely worthwhile to compare what’s available
- look for energy efficient options – even if you don’t think the environment is an issue, low energy light bulbs, efficient heaters and the like can save you money especially if you have big premises and/or a lot of staff. This includes things like adding curtains or blinds rather than have temperature gains/losses through windows
- compare suppliers periodically – they don’t all adjust prices the same way at the same time and some will offer you great ‘honeymoon’ rates but not be as competitive later. Even if you don’t change suppliers, it will keep you in touch with reasonable industry rates as a reference and negotiating tool
- consider who you outsource to – the cheapest price is not always the most cost effective option (putting aside cheapest isn’t always best!) If Sally charges $100 an hour and Mary charges $80 but Sally is twice as fast, paying Sally will probably be the cheaper option. If Sally can also do another task it may be cheaper to use her for both as she knows your business and is already working for you.
- send statements and reminder invoices soon after an invoice is due – you will generally get better results for less effort if you ask for money when the project is fresh. Debt chasing is a waste of your resources
- buy cheaper when it doesn’t impact on quality. For example, if store A and B sell the same product at different prices with the same level of service, buy from the cheaper store. Likewise, buying 100 pens is often cheaper per pen than buying 10 of them.
- recycle and reuse as much as possible. In bigger companies, a fortune can be saved if you use old letterhead or with compliment slips as staff note pads; use the back of envelopes for calculations and scribbles instead of paying for notepads; print drafts on the back of old papers; use incoming packaging to package your products.
- turn everything off! Make sure the last person out turns off the lights, get everyone to turn off their computer and monitor at the end of the day, turn off monitors when away from your desk for more than 10 minutes, turn off printers and scanners overnight, and so on – you may be amazed at how much this can save over a year
- be prepared and communicate clearly with suppliers and service providers – wasting their time will cost you money
- monitor your marketing – if an ad isn’t helping your business then it is a waste of money (and that could include free ads!) Even ads that are working may be made less expensive (smaller size, less frequent use, etc) so try and compare the results
What other ways have you used to save money in your business? How much did it save you?
Document registers
Does your business have a document register?
It sounds a bit dry and perhaps a bit overly interested in details, but a document register can save a lot of time and keep things simple and consistent – I’ve certainly seen this in action as Communications Manager for companies with many forms and standard letters.
What is a document register?
A document register is simply a list of every document the business uses as standards. It can include forms, letters, marketing flyers, information guides, fact sheets, website banners, promotional articles, stationery items and eBooks.
If there are many documents, it is usually worth dividing into categories (list all the forms then all the flyers for example).
Document registers can also be a handy way to communicate with new team members – they can see what exists to help them learn about the business and ensure they don’t ‘reinvent the wheel’.
How does a document register work?
In its simplest form, the register just lists the documents so it’s easy to see what exists.
More complicated but infinitely more useful are registers that include a code for each document. These codes are changed each time a document is updated so the register becomes a reference for ensuring you have the most recent version of something.
And a record to spot any documents that are perhaps a bit old and overdue for a refresh.
Document register tips
Here are a few points I’ve learned from using document registers in different companies:
- have only person with access to change the register – someone senior may also have access as a back up but limit updates to one person for control
- keep the register easily available for all staff to view and occasionally remind people to check they have recent versions of documents
- include everything, even if you don’t add a document code to it
- add a notes column so you can note details about who designed or printed each document
- keep it separate to stock records
- make sure you use clear names for each document – ‘product guide’ or ‘insurance letter’ are a bit vague so ‘whatsit product guide’ and ‘accept insurance letter’ communicate more clearly
- have a procedure that includes regular reviews of the documents register – both to ensure it is kept up to date but to note any documents that haven’t been updated in a while. use the notes column to record reviews even if documents aren’t actually updated
Any questions on who to make use of a document register?
Document codes
Do you manage a lot of documents? Do you worry about old versions getting confused with new versions?
This is why you see a document code on many documents, especially those from major organisations. They make it easy to tell one version from another at a glance – this is known as version control and can save a lot of problems.
Where do document codes come from?
There is no central system for giving documents codes – each business makes up its own system and introduces it as it is the business who needs to use the codes.
What does a document code include?
While there is no single coding system, most codes will include the date as that is the simplest way to determine how old a document is.
Other than that, it is up to you how the code is created. The complexity of your code will also depend on the number of documents you deal with – a few documents can be numbered 1 to 20 for example, but a large number of documents may be better divided into types and then given a number (e.g. F1 is form 1 and L24 is letter 24).
Tips for creating document codes
Here are a few tips from the systems I have created and used in the past:
- include a version number so it is easy to refer back to previous versions. Particularly useful if two versions come into the same date period!
- leave a gap between numbers so it is easy to add related documents later. For example, application form is F1 and change of address form is F5 so you can later add an increased cover application as F2
- use dots rather than slashes to separate sections of a code – slashes can be misinterpreted by scanning software. So try 09.2010 instead of 09/2010
- group like documents for simplicity, and consider naming them differently
- if documents change fairly regularly, use month and year, not just the year in the codes
- choose a consistent spot to place document codes – e.g. bottom left corner of the last page. It won’t work for all documents but it helps to have a starting point
- record the document codes so it is easy to update them and to know which version is the most recent
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