Navigating the I.T. Minefield » small business

3 Common Sense Tips to Choosing an SEO Expert

admin — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 16:41:18 +0000

More and more people are hanging out their shingles as SEO (search engine optimization), SEM (search engine marketing) and PA (persuasive architecture) experts. Some people pick up a book at their favorite store, read it and declare themselves experts.

They all sound great. Many firms promise a high placement in the search engine results for your site. You’re not interested in the intricacies of how they achieve the result. You want the result! However, you need to separate the hype from reality before you part with your money.

Before signing that contract, remember:

First, no one can guarantee your site’s placement in the search results. If they do, run!

Second, ask these questions of the firms you are considering:

May I have three references for your work? The proof is in the pudding.
By how much does your clients’ placement in the search results improve?
By how much does your clients’ sales conversion rate improve?
Most importantly, what was their return on investment (ROI)? Without getting into the complexities of ROI, very simply, how much did revenues increase and expenses to create the sale decrease as a result of the strategy you implemented?

If they can’t answer these three questions – RUN!

Third, interview their references. Get their perspective on the success of the vendor’s efforts.

Did they get more visits to their site or higher quality visitors? You want more people who are part of your target market visiting your site, not just a high number of visits.
Did their sales conversion rate improve? Were more visitors making a purchase?
What was their ROI?
How long did it take before they noticed results? The strategies are usually not overnight success stories. They take time, monitoring and adjustment to ultimately be successful.
How did they feel about working with the vendor? Was it a pleasant experience? Did they meet deadlines? Would you recommend them to someone? Why or Why not?

You can probably come up with more questions you would like to ask, but these should get to the heart of the matter: Is this person really an expert? Or did they read a book and open their business? Doing your homework may take time, but it will also save you money.

Wishing you safe passage through the I.T. Minefield!

___________________________________________

Leslie Knight is a small business advisor with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology management in Fortune 500 companies. She applies her experience in Corporate America saving them millions to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield.

For more information on Picking an SEO Provider, purchase your copy of Navigating the I.T. Minefield @ http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Fakeware – Be Aware!

admin — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 16:12:02 +0000

Fakeware (fake security software) is a popular security attack. The virus, trojan or spyware masquerades as software that is useful, trying to help you protect your computer. Its headline looks official. You will see a pop-up saying something like this: “Your computer is infected. Would you like to remove these infections?” It might even show a list of infected files to get your attention.

Of course! You click YES. The next thing you know, windows are popping up all over the place saying your computer is infected. When you try to launch your browser it takes you to a malware site seeking to extract a payment. At that point you really are infected.

The version my clients have seen uses the title XP Antispyware 2010 (last year it was 2009). Titles can change. The first question you should ask is “Did this message come from my security software?” If you are running AVG, Norton, McAfee or whatever, the pop up message should have their banner. If the answer is NO, try to close the popup window. Call your support professional.

How did this virus sneak past security? It didn’t. It happens when you visit a website that is infected or has a malicious intent. The fakeware launches through a pop-up window that suggests you need to take action now.

What can you do to prevent this problem?

Block popups in your browser.
Be wary of websites you visit. If a deal that attracted you is too good to be true, it probably is.
Don’t click on links from people you don’t know.
If your business can afford it, invest in hardware and software that will limit the websites you and your employees can visit. I know that sounds harsh, but many of the infestations come in because people are just surfing the web.

What if you become infected? In this case, we downloaded free software from Malwarebytes which cleared the infection. Understand, that once your browser is compromised, you won’t be able to download a solution. Just turn off the computer and call for help.

The lesson: Be wary of the websites you visit. Not all of them are as friendly or as innocent as they seem.

Wishing you safe passage through the I.T. Minefield!

___________________________________________

Small business security is discussed in greater detail in Navigating the I.T. Minefield – Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise.

Leslie Knight is a small business consultant with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology management in Fortune 500 companies. She applies her experience in Corporate America saving them millions to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield. If you’d like to purchase a copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Who Do I Recommend for Data Backup?

admin — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 04:58:31 +0000

Good question. The honest answer is that I don’t recommend any particular vendor. I’m not an affiliate for any service provider. I do this in order to maintain my objectivity…to do what is best for the client, not my wallet.

The solution that is appropriate for a solopreneur might not be appropriate for a law office. What is appropriate for a law office might not be the best choice for a small manufacturing concern. Even among industries, solutions will likely differ.

In 5 Essential Practices of the Best Data Backup Services I described what you should look for in a service provider. Before you start looking for service providers you need to take a look at your data. Here are 4 things I consider before looking at a particular service:

Where is the data stored? Are the files stored on a central server or are they dispersed at various computers?
How is the data used? What percentage of the files are mission critical (business can’t run without them) versus those that are kept for archive purposes?
Does your industry have any special security or backup/restoration requirements (e.g. the ability to recover a single email)?
How long can you be without the data before your business begins to suffer?

Other considerations will arise as you or your service provider examine your data, but these are a good place to start. All of them will impact the cost for data backup. Choose the solution that will best support your business.

Wishing you a safe passage through the I.T. Minefield!

________________________________________________________

To download the sample chapter “When Disaster Strikes” from Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise, go to http://bit.ly/zAcdl . To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Launching an Application for Your Clients

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:20:56 +0000

I have recently spent time talking with early stage companies about application development. They’re all gung-ho to launch their application as a service. They’re giving the developers part ownership in the company. They’re talking to potential clients. You know the excitement!

WHOA! I find that several areas are often overlooked during the development process that leave the business vulnerable.

Define the finished application and determine the cost to develop it. Compare that cost to your estimates for compensation for the developer as an owner. An ownership position in the company may be significantly more compensation than you would have paid to just develop the application. You may be fine with that…just be aware and don’t give away the farm.
Before bringing the developer on as an owner, be sure this person is someone you can work with as an owner. Ending the relationship with an equity partner is not as easy as a Vegas divorce. It can be very messy and painful.
Be sure the application becomes the property of your company, a work for hire. Why? This is to protect you in the event of problems with the developer.
Demand the application developer provide you a copy of all files, processes and documentation for the application. You must protect your business and your clients in the event the developer’s business fails. The documentation must be clear enough that you could hand it to another developer and they could begin supporting your business.
Whether you are hosting the application or it is hosted by the developer, ensure your client’s data is protected (safe from hacking, encrypted, etc.)
If you are not hosting the application on your own servers, ensure the developer or the company hosting it has a disaster recovery plan that has been tested. A SAS70 Type-2 audit shows they have actually tested their plan. A Type-1 audit says the plan works on paper. You need a Type-2 audit.
If you are hosting the application you need a disaster recovery plan. You must protect your clients. If you lose their information you can be subject to a lawsuit.

These are just a few of the areas that can leave a business vulnerable.

Wishing you safe passage through the IT Minefield!

Are You Your Business’ Worst Enemy?

admin — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 05:07:04 +0000

It is common knowledge that employees are the source of most computer problems in office computers. As a business owner what are you doing to reduce the opportunity for infestations that could take down all of your computers?

Hardware appliances can reduce the possibility of infections by eliminating spam and blocking website access. However, protection also includes putting policies and procedures in place to govern usage of company computers and network.

Whether you have two company computers or twenty you should establish policies for:

Personal Web Surfing. Do you want your employees checking out porn or a new job or shopping for lingerie on company time? Some of these web sites are also the source of viruses that will infect your computers. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
Personal emails. Personal emails are another source of viruses. Their friends and family may not have strong anti-virus protection. Do you want them infecting your business computers?
Non-employee use of company resources. Do you want your employees’ children using your computers or network? What will they expose your business infrastructure to when they visit their favorite websites?
Taking home company data. What data should you allow to leave the office, if any? Keep in mind that it is easy to lose a USB flash drive. If you want to allow employees to take work home, what type of encryption should be used to protect the data if the drive becomes lost?
Downloading and installing non-business software. Non-business software consumes the limited resources of your computer, particularly memory. This software can also be a source of viruses and other malicious attacks.

Think carefully about the access you want to grant to yourself and your employees. Seek your employees’ input so that the policies protect the company without hindering their ability to conduct company business. Then set the policy. Communicate it. Work with your I.T. service provider to establish it. Enforce it.

As the owner, you need to set the example for your employees, adhering to company policies and procedures. You also need to enforce company policies, even if the violators are members of the family. If you don’t enforce them equally, then expect your employees to ignore the policies and procedures as well.

Wishing you safe passage through the I.T. Minefield!

__________________________________

This topic is discussed in greater detail in Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Preparing for 2010

admin — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 21:18:30 +0000

Tulsa still has a great deal of snow on the ground and roads…and it is not likely to melt away soon. I decided to venture out in my car this afternoon. As I drove to my destination I noticed several pods of cars on the side of the road.

Judging by their positions, I suspect that one car lost control and the others tried to avoid a head-on collision. They were probably moving along just fine; nothing looming on the horizon.

What struck me as I drove is that this often happens to small businesses of all sizes: solopreneur, small home office, small office or small business with fewer than 20 computers. They are simply not prepared for unexpected events. It always happens to the other guy.

So as we get ready to start the New Year, is your business prepared? A relatively “small” incident can destroy your business. While you cannot plan for everything, you can do several things to mitigate the risks and reduce your time to recover. Here are a few different things to consider:

1) Do you have adequate insurance to replace computing and other equipment?

2) Do you have a hardware and software asset inventory to facilitate discussions with the insurance company and your I.T. support personnel?

3) Do you have a good data backup provider?

4) Have you tested the backup by restoring the data?

5) Have you identified the critical processes in your business and created plans that will allow you to function if a resource becomes available?

6) Is your security software up-to-date?

7) Do you have a disaster recovery or business continuity plan?

Take the time to assess your current situation and contact your favorite managed service provider or computer repair technician if you need help. If you don’t have one, feel free to ask questions of @ITMinefield on twitter.

To download the chapter, “When Disaster Strikes” from Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise, go to http://bit.ly/1VAZRX.

Best wishes for a prosperous 2010.

Wishing you safe passage through the I.T. Minefield!

___________________________________________

If you’d like to purchase a copy of Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

My Laptop Has been Stolen!

admin — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 19:38:44 +0000

A savvy young executive left her laptop in the room at a hotel she stays at regularly while traveling. It was always safe in the room. She knew the housekeeping crew by name and they knew her (so did hotel management). The laptop was sitting on the desk in plain sight while the housekeeping cleaned the room. The door was open. A man, who apparently was walking up and down the hall looking into rooms, pretended to be her associate. He walked into the room, picked up the laptop and walked out.

Gone. Without a trace.

Laptop theft is more prevalent than you might realize, particularly doing the holiday period. All you (or an employee) have to do is turn your back for a few seconds and a backpack or briefcase will disappear. Sometimes after you’ve done everything right to secure your laptop it will still be stolen. Your data (company/personal financial information, sensitive communications, client communications, and intellectual property) are now exposed to the world. What can you do to protect yourself?

1) Set passwords for accessing the computer. Make it hard for the thief to access the accounts on your computer. Some laptops come equipped with a finger print scanner…consider using it.

2) Set passwords for accessing documents with sensitive information. In Office 2007, you can do this by selecting the Prepare Option, Encrypt Document.

3) Encrypt your data. You can purchase a separate program that will encrypt data on your hard drive, separate and apart from what is available in MSOffice.

4) Backup company data to a remote site. If the only copy is on a laptop, you’re in trouble.

5) Install a program such as Laptop Lojack. There’s a chance you might be able to get your laptop back.

If your laptop is stolen and you didn’t take any preventive measures, then invest in LifeLock or one of the other identity theft protection products.

All it takes is a few minutes and a little forethought to save yourself a lot of future pain.

If you have questions, contact your favorite IT service provider or feel free to DM me @ITMinefield on Twitter.

Wishing you safe passage through the IT Minefield!

___________________________________

This topic is discussed in greater detail in Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Leslie Knight is a small business consultant with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology management in Fortune 500 companies. She applies her experience in Corporate America (saving them millions) to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield- Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise.

Motivating Your Employees – Listen to Them!

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:06:29 +0000

Many leaders are considering how to motivate their employees in the current economic conditions. Bonuses, additional benefits and pay raises are out of the question for most small businesses…not because they lack the desire, but they simply can’t sustain the cost for a prolonged period. Increases in the cost structure today may result in lost jobs tomorrow.

It is time to look for opportunities to motivate that don’t add to a business’ fixed costs. Economic downturns are the perfect time to listen closely to our employees, to thoughtfully consider their input and take action. Your employees know where efficiencies can be obtained and money can be saved.

When was the last time your employees brought suggestions to you about cutting costs? You can’t remember? Hmmm. That tends to happen when we:

1) Listen from a context of “whiner” or “complainer”. Most cost savings are couched in employee “complaints” about conditions or circumstances that hinder their ability to perform to their best ability. These complaints are really expressing a commitment to you but you hear a “whiner” talking. Change the context from which you listen from “whiner” to that of an employee committed to your success.

2) Prepare our “We can’t do that because” list while they are talking to us. Be focused on what they are saying, not how you are going to respond. You job is not to say “No”, but “How can I help.”

3) Fail to act on their suggestions. Why should they be committed to you (help you drive down costs) when you are not committed to them (fail to act)? After a few failures to act on your part, they simply quit bringing the ideas. Be committed!

You can reduce costs and improve morale if you will follow this simple process:

1) Ask your employees: “How can we become more cost efficient?” or “How can we reduce the cost of ____________________?”

2) Provide “constraints” for their solutions (e.g. We have to use existing equipment. The total cost can’t be more than $x”. Whatever is appropriate to your circumstances.)

3) Commit to implementing their solution if it meets the constraints.

4) Get out of their way and let them be creative in designing the solution.

5) Implement the solution.

6) Celebrate their success.

In this way, you have acknowledged them by expressing Trust (in their judgment), Respect (for their expertise), Appreciation (for their contributions), Interest (in their thoughts) and Listened with an intent to act.

Best wishes for your success!

Leslie

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TRAIL (Trust, Respect, Appreciation, Interest, Listening) is a concept developed by Scott Degraffenreid in Blazing a TRAIL to Success – The New Art & Science of Acknowledgment which is available through www.NecessaryMeasures.com.

Leslie Knight is a trusted advisor to small businesses. She has over 20 years of experience in Corporate America which she applies to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield – Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Holiday Computer Deals – Are They Really a Good Deal?

admin — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:26:05 +0000

It’s that time of year again. Halloween is over. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and so is Black Friday, the Friday after Thanksgiving where most retailers make up for flagging sales during the year. Pretty soon, the computer manufacturers will be coming out with their deals of a lifetime (or at least the year). Many computers are also coming off lease and will be available on eBay and through other re-sellers.

Are those deals really good deals? Many of them have some” gotchas” you should consider:

1) Re-sellers provide the computer to you “as is”. If it comes with Windows XP it may not be a good deal if the recipient of your gift expects Windows 7. By the time they add in the additional cost for Windows 7 ($299 – $319), additional memory, and software upgrades they could spend as much as you did for the gift. If the computer cannot be upgraded with additional memory, you gave a gift with a short lifespan. Do your homework first!

2) Netbooks (mini-notebooks) are the latest rage, designed to provide the user with mobile access to the internet. They are small, great for someone who is on the go and doesn’t want to carry a lot of extra weight, and relatively inexpensive. The downside: they are not really designed for much else.

Memory is limited to 1GB (gigabyte), the minimum required for Windows 7. After a few service pack or anti-virus upgrades, they could see performance degrade and the recipient of your gift will be looking for a new computer.
Most netbooks come with limited software. You may need to purchase an external CD/DVD drive for additional software installs (particularly if downloading software over the internet takes too long). Keep in mind the more software you install, the more memory you will wish you had.

The message is simple. Before you purchase a computer as a gift, understand the recipient’s needs and usage expectations. You don’t want your gift to become the “white elephant” used as door stop or paper weight.

If you have questions, contact your favorite IT service provider or feel free to DM me @ITMinefield on Twitter.

Wishing you safe passage through the IT Minefield!

___________________________________

This topic is discussed in greater detail in Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Leslie Knight is a small business consultant with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology management in Fortune 500 companies. She applies her experience in Corporate America (saving them millions) to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield- Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise.

My Last Upgrade was in 2000. Am I OK?

admin — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 05:13:42 +0000

OK. Time for all you small business owners and non-profits to fess up: How many of you have an application that is old? I mean really old, say 1999 or older. I know there are more of you out there than the few I visited this year. One client was upgrading 1999 QuickBooks to 2009. We had to send the database to the vendor for help.

All right, I’ll start. I have a desktop that still runs Windows ME with Quicken 2004, Office 2000 and a few other older applications. Norton is out of date, so I don’t connect it to the internet. This computer serves one purpose only…it balances my check book. It also has a couple of other programs that are no longer available. My travelling laptop does not contain financial or sensitive data.

As you can see, I’m not necessarily an advocate of upgrading just because an upgrade is available, but I understand the consequences of my choice. I know that if something really ugly happens to Windows ME or the hard drive I could continue to conduct business.

Every business owner needs to be aware of the ramifications of their choices. I generally don’t recommend ten years between upgrades for anyone. Here are three questions to consider:

1) Is the application stable? If yes, you may choose not to upgrade. It is not impacting your ability to conduct business. However, understand that most vendors only support the two most current versions of an application. If it breaks, they will not feel obligated to provide a fix. You will be forced to upgrade and it may not be as easy as buying the new version and installing it.

2) Is there a special feature in the application that simplifies the tasks performed by my employees or provides us with a competitive advantage? If yes, then upgrade and enjoy.

3) Is the application part of a “mission critical” business process (a process without which your business cannot function)? If yes, then staying current is important for disaster planning purposes. You want critical processes back up and running as quickly as possible.

Often the reason for delaying an upgrade is financial. That’s OK. Just be aware of how your choices impact your ability to do business.

If you have questions, contact your favorite IT service provider or feel free to DM me @ITMinefield on Twitter.

Wishing you safe passage through the IT Minefield!

___________________________________

This topic is discussed in greater detail in Navigating the I.T. Minefield: Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise. To purchase your copy, please visit http://bit.ly/SNL4W.

Leslie Knight is a small business consultant with over 20 years of experience in Information Technology management in Fortune 500 companies. She applies her experience in Corporate America (saving them millions) to smaller entrepreneurial enterprises. She is also the author of Navigating the I.T. Minefield- Straight Talk for the Small Enterprise.