Having a small business-sized budget shouldn’t mean cutting corners on security. With the right approach, you can protect your online data, secure your storefront, and keep your business safe—without breaking the bank. Take a look at these six areas of business security and what you can do to make them even safer.
1. Keep Your Business Safe with Insurance
If your business has a brick-and-mortar storefront, you’ll need to protect it against things like theft, damage from severe weather, and other unexpected catastrophes. A robust business insurance policy can help. If you settled for a cut-rate insurance plan in an effort to stay on a budget when you first opened up shop, now is the time to upgrade.
That crack in your ceiling may seem like part of your shop’s architectural charm, but it could lead to serious damage after the next thunderstorm rolls through. Slippery ice outside your door may not seem like your fault, but an injured customer armed with a lawyer might disagree. Take a second look at your policies, which likely include workers’ compensation, general liability insurance, errors and omissions, cyber liability, directors and officers, and employment practices liability.
You should also consider your relationship with your current insurance broker and if they’re the best option for your industry. Reflect on how responsive, reliable, and experienced they are. Your broker options may have felt overwhelming when you first went into business; now that you’re more familiar with your needs, it may be time to revisit.
2. Protect Your Business Data with the Cloud
For some business owners, protecting digital property doesn’t inspire the same urgency as protecting physical property. Don’t give in to the impulse to procrastinate. Arm yourself with a secure cloud backup solution.
Google Drive and Dropbox are great for cloud storage, but they don’t quite count as cloud backup. Cloud storage is suitable for sharing documents and resources, but a cloud backup system is better equipped to protect vital databases and servers. Familiarize yourself with the ways cloud backup can minimize the risk of data loss, which includes sophisticated encryption, restoring earlier versions of important files, and much more.
3. Make an Emergency Plan
Both physical and virtual workplaces face risks like power outages, internet outages, and severe weather emergencies. Smart business owners set emergency plans before disaster strikes. A comprehensive plan can minimize risk to your employees, risk to your storefront, and revenue lost to time spent closed for business.
As the boss, it’s your job to create a system for informing employees and customers when your business shuts down for the day. Allowing employees to work remotely is a great solution for emergency scenarios, but be diligent about security in these cases as well—personal devices and connections may not be as secure as those inside your shop. Encryption, secure file storage, and clearly articulated employee guidelines will make your business data less vulnerable to attack in these situations.
Sites like the Red Cross’ ReadyRating.org offer additional information on keeping your business as prepared as possible.