Be Prepared: The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Hurricane Season

Be Prepared: The Small Business Owner’s Guide to Hurricane Season
New Samsung “Phablet” Set for Debut
How to Use Criminal Background Checks and Not Get Sued
Is Network Congestion Choking Your Mobile Experience?
Ways to Market Without Sales Hyperbole

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 04:00 PM PDT

guide to hurricane season

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that 2013's Atlantic hurricane season (which runs June through October) will be busier than average, with up to five major hurricanes. As we enter the period that typically sees the most storm activity (mid-August through October), it's crunch time for small-business owners who might be affected by major storm activity – which in recent years has encompassed the entire Gulf and East Coasts.

But here's the kicker: Your business doesn't have to be based on the Atlantic seaboard to face economic fallout if and when a hurricane hits. If any of your clients, suppliers, or remote contractors lives or works in hurricane range, your business could be negatively impacted by a storm. With that in mind, here's a guide all small-business owners, regardless of location, can use to weather the weather at hand.

Small Business Guide to Hurricane Season

Phase 1: Protect Your Property

When most of us think of hurricane damage, we see rain-lashed palm trees, boarded-up buildings and floods. Maybe some rubble thrown in for good measure. But these camera-ready images only tell one part of the story. When planning to keep your property safe from hurricane winds and rains, be sure to consider:

Securing Your Building or Office Space

This requires getting materials handy ahead of time: Plastic tarps, duct tape, boards, tools, a generator, etc. If you rent your office space, communicate with your landlord about your expected duties for preparing the building. If you own the space, track NOAA alerts about how to prepare for the storm. In addition, make sure your gutters are clean, your drains are clear, and you've repaired any preexisting leaks.

Storing Your Merchandise and Equipment

Nonperishable inventory requires flood-proof storage, while perishables might demand that you purchase a generator to prevent power outages from ruining your supplies. Remember, too, that equipment like cash registers, computers and furniture should be protected from potential water damage.

Storing Company Vehicles and Other Outdoor Gear

Signs that can be knocked or blown over should be secured and company cars should be stored where they won't risk flooding.

Having Cleanup Materials on Hand

Lots of small-business owners forget to prepare for the recovery phase of a hurricane. If you'd rather get your storefront or office back in order than wait in line at Home Depot for cleanup supplies, get yours beforehand: Suction hoses or pumps, trash bags, protective gloves, a carpet fan, a dehumidifier, shovels and other essential gear.

Phase 2: Protect Your Team

Whether you rely on part-timers, contractors or full-time employees to help you run your business, one of your most important duties is to keep them informed when a serious storm hits. You can ensure that your team is safe and ready to get your business back to normal after a storm when you:

Encourage Employees to Prepare their Families

If your workers don't have personal emergency plans in place, they'll be scrambling to find food, water and shelter after a major storm – which means they'll rightfully be focusing on their families and homes rather than returning to work for you. Encourage them to stock up on the necessities and develop a personal emergency plan to protect themselves and their loved ones.

Establish an Emergency Plan

What if cell phones can’t be charged or towers are overloaded with calls?

This happened after Superstorm Sandy last year, making it tough for people to get in touch with each other. Put an emergency plan of action in place and review it with your team. It should outline expectations for reporting to work, starting cleanup operations, and making contact after a storm so that you're not struggling to give directions when you have no signal.

Stock Up on Provisions

Should weather prevent you or your team from leaving your business premises after a storm hits, you want to be prepared with emergency provisions at your office or storefront: Bottled water, canned food, flashlights and batteries, a first-aid kit, basic tools, etc.

Follow the News

Today, you have lots of options for staying up-to-date about the latest hurricane watches and warnings. If you don't have TV or radio access, get one of the hurricane tracking apps that send updates about weather conditions, evacuation warnings and other essential storm info directly to your mobile device.

Phase 3: Protect Your Assets

Securing your physical property is only half of the storm prep you'll need to do to safeguard your most valuable assets. The other half involves making sure your non-tangible assets are safe:

Invest in Offsite Backups of Important Documents

Payroll information, accounts receivable, planning docs, contracts, insurance policies, leases and other essential documents should be stored in multiple formats so you can access them even after damage. Backing up documents on a cloud, such as Google Docs, is an excellent way to storm-proof your most important files.

Make an Emergency Contact List

If the power's out, you won't be able to scroll through your contacts to get in touch with your employees, clients, suppliers or insurance company. Print essential contact information and be sure everyone on your team has a copy.

Update Your Insurance Policies

Most standard Property Insurance policies specifically exclude coverage for water damage, floods and hurricanes. If you think your business could be affected by a storm this season, call your insurance agent and ask about updating your policies. Ask specifically about Business Interruption Insurance, which replaces income you are unable to earn when you're forced to shut down because of a covered property event.

For those with suppliers vulnerable to hurricanes: You can even get a policy called Contingent Business Interruption coverage, which provides payments when one of your suppliers is affected by a major storm.

Create and Have Available Emergency Action Plans

When you're focused on cleaning up a flooded building, it's easy to forget about the big-picture tasks that need to be done. So print out emergency action plans that outline your primary responsibilities: Steps for documenting property damage and submitting insurance claims, protocol for ordering supplies or canceling orders, instructions for starting your generator, steps for contacting a backup supplier if your primary contact is offline because of the storm, etc.

Record Damage

Having robust insurance is important to ensure a speedy recovery from a major storm. Make the claims-submission process go as smoothly as possible by having a camera ready to document any damage for which you'll be seeking benefits.

Hurricane Photo via Shutterstock

The post Be Prepared: The Small Business Owner's Guide to Hurricane Season appeared first on Small Business Trends.

New Samsung “Phablet” Set for Debut

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 01:30 PM PDT

new samsung galaxy note 3

[Samsung Galaxy Note 2]

If you can’t decide between the large screen features of a tablet and communications functionality of a smartphone for your business, there is an answer for you.

Devices larger than the average smartphone but with the ability to make regular calls like any other phone are called “phablets” by the media and in tech circles. But what is important is what these devices offer you.

Introducing the New Samsung Galaxy Note 3

The latest of these devices is the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 scheduled to be announced tomorrow at Samsung’s “Unpacked” event in Berlin.

Little detail is available about the new device said to feature a 5.68 inch screen and be only about 2.2 mm thick.

Images of the device’s display assembly leaked recently on ETrade Supply, a consumer electronics ecommerce site, have been bouncing around the Web. Another tech leak site SonnyDickson.com has also released similar images.

CNET speculates a 13 megapixel camera might be among the device’s features. There’s also anticipation of a choice of 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage.

The cost of the new Samsung Galaxy Note 3 device has not yet been released. But pricing for the 16 GB version of the device’s predecessor, the Galaxy Note 2, are currently priced around $500 on Amazon without contract from a mobile carrier.

Also expected to be announced at tomorrow’s event is the Galaxy Gear smartwatch. See a review of the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, the predecessor of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, below.

Image: Samsung

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How to Use Criminal Background Checks and Not Get Sued

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 11:00 AM PDT

criminal background checks

The EEOC has put companies in a difficult position regarding the use of criminal background checks to screen job applicants. This is because companies are obligated to screen out criminals, but now they face potential liability for doing just that. Here I will explain the reason for the conflict and how companies can best protect themselves.

Why Companies Use Criminal Background Checks

Criminal background checks are used by 70 to 80% of companies according to the Society for Human Resource Management. Federal Judge Roger Titus recently noted that even the EEOC uses criminal background checks in its hiring process. Companies use criminal background checks for several reasons and listed below are the top three:

1) Most companies simply do not want to employ dangerous or dishonest people.

2) Companies can get sued for negligent hiring and retention if they employ a person with known criminal propensities.

3) Some companies are legally required to screen out criminals for certain positions.

The Case Against Using Criminal Background Checks

There is a risk that the blanket exclusion of convicted criminals in employment screening will have a discriminatory impact on minorities. Racial minorities have disproportionate conviction rates.

For example, African Americans make up approximately 13% of the general population, but they account for 40% of the incarcerated population. The U.S. Department of Labor offers statistics and an explanation of the EEOC’s enforcement guidance. The concern advanced by the EEOC and civil rights organizations is that a blanket exclusion of those with criminal records will exclude more minorities and create a risk of employment discrimination.

The EEOC’s Solution and Attempts to Enforce It

The EEOC has launched an aggressive campaign against the use of criminal background checks. They sued a number companies, including BMW and Dollar General, over their use of criminal background checks. The EEOC charged these companies with discriminating against minorities for excluding all applicants with criminal records. The EEOC contends that companies cannot exclude all applicants with a criminal records. To do so, they say, will discriminate against minorities.

Instead, companies should assess each situation individually and determine if the applicant’s criminal record presents a genuine disqualification.

A Set Back for the EEOC and Confusion for Businesses

A federal judge recently dismissed one of the EEOC’s background check cases and sharply criticized the EEOC for filing the case. The court found that there was no evidence of employment discrimination. The judge stated that the companies use of criminal background checks was “reasonable and suitably tailored to its purpose of ensuring an honest workforce.”

The company in that case, Freeman Companies, screened for convictions that had occurred in the last seven years and did not screen for arrests. The judge rejected the EEOC’s argument that this screening process would adversely impact minorities. The Wall Street Journal offers more details on the judges ruling.

How to Use Background Checks and Stay Out of Trouble

Now that the courts have rejected the EEOC’s position on background checks, how should businesses use background checks to screen job applicants? The safest course of action is to follow the EEOC’s rules because they may continue their enforcement efforts .

Here is a summary of best practices:

Conduct Background Checks Only After a Conditional Offer of Employment is Made

The best way to control risk is to reduce the number of background checks. Do not run background checks on all applicants. Instead, make your employment offers conditional on passing a background check.

This will dramatically reduce the number of background checks and avoid numerous other thorny issues as well (background checks often reveal other sensitive personal info that could create other grounds for suit).

Modify the Use of Criminal History Information

Only search for criminal convictions, not arrests. Arrests do not mean much so exclude them. Consider limiting convictions to 7 to 10 years. Conduct an individualized inquiry into each case to determine the nature of the crime and how it relates to the position.

For example, if an applicant is applying to be a truck driver and he has driving related offenses, you can safely exclude that applicant. However, if the applicant has a 30 year old conviction for disturbing the peace, then that offense should be ignored because it does not relate to the applicant’s ability to drive a truck.

Also, allow the applicant an opportunity to explain the situation. The point is to use the criminal background information in a reasonable individualized manner instead of a broad policy of systematic exclusion.

Have a Consistent Policy

It is essential to have a consistent policy in how criminal background checks are used. If people are treated differently, the company would be open to allegations of employment discrimination. This puts employers in a conundrum because the EEOC wants companies to look at each criminal history finding on an individual basis. This makes it almost impossible to have a truly consistent policy because subjectivity will creep into the individualized inquiries.

Companies will need to document each case and explain the basis for each decision. As long as a logical basis exists for each decision, the company should be able refute any allegations of discrimination if they arise.

Conclusion

The EEOC is putting employers in a difficult situation with its aggressive enforcement efforts over criminal background checks. No perfect solution exists now. The EEOC should modify its position and issue clear realistic guidelines for companies.

In the meantime, companies need to walk a fine line and keep accurate records to support each decision involving an applicant’s criminal history.

Background Check Photo via Shutterstock

The post How to Use Criminal Background Checks and Not Get Sued appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Is Network Congestion Choking Your Mobile Experience?

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 08:00 AM PDT

Sponsored Post

byod congestion

It used to be that businesses could plan for a one-device-per-user ratio in their networks. But that time is quickly passing us by.

With the proliferation of mobile devices and the "bring your own device" to work trend ("BYOD"), today's employees may be using multiple devices. Companies themselves are now issuing multiple devices to employees. As a result, you may have an employee using a desktop computer and a laptop. Then he or she might use a tablet to take notes during a meeting. Oh, and during the day that same employee sitting in traffic may be using a smartphone with multiple apps.

On top of that, you need to consider all of the other devices that are moving into the wireless access space, such as printers, scanners and even projectors. Finally, don't forget the increased reliance on cloud computing and the powerful cloud apps that devices connect to and use.

As you can see, it's a perfect storm brewing.

That can put strain on traditional wireless and VPN/Point to Point network bandwidth infrastructures. In fact, some small and mid-size businesses may have hundreds of devices connecting to their local networks creating a throughput nightmare for IT management trying to rely on a traditional Wi-Fi network configuration.

But what if you could increase bandwidth to your access points without any significant hassle? A few advances in technology, such as Managed Ethernet, can help reduce those infrastructure costs and offer scalability in a manner previously not possible.

How BYOD and Increased Devices Impact Network Capacity

IT managers run into wireless network bandwidth performance problems in part because a typical Wi-Fi connection can really only support between 15, maybe as many as 25 devices. Each has a limitation based on its hardware — any more than that and the connection signal strength begins to deteriorate in a very noticeable manner. A typical tell-tale sign is when someone is attempting to watch streaming video, and the video stutters as video packets are lost due to network congestion.

A router device is still a type of computer which requires processor and memory power to perform its functions. Among those functions is the division of bandwidth at the MAC layer in the 802.11 wireless networking standard, which divides available bandwidth 1/n (where n represents the number of nodes attached to the device).

For instance, a single wireless access point, permitted 4MB of bandwidth with 20 devices attached simultaneously would have roughly 200k of bandwidth to use per device. That's not sufficient for doing much more than basic Web surfing in today's high speed world.

In a typical BYOD atmosphere, you have a ratio of 3:1 devices to users. Taking that into consideration, you can see that a different approach to configuring a network is crucial in order to make this work.

A study by Gartner, Inc. suggests that by 2015, 80% of recently-installed corporate wireless networks will become obsolete because of poor infrastructure planning.

BYOD Has Its Benefits – Proper Planning Will Increase Its Effectiveness

When using their own devices, employees experience higher job satisfaction, increased mobility, and improvements in efficiency and productivity. In organizations that welcome employee-owned devices, IT teams can focus on more strategic initiatives, rather than spending the majority of their time dealing with help-desk tickets.

Using their own devices cuts down learning curves, and support issues while allowing the employee to use tools that make them comfortable.

A study by ZK Research suggests that BYOD will soon become the norm for IT. Further, the number of wireless devices will continue to explode as it reaches a 7:1 ratio by just 2016. That's less than 3 years away!

These numbers give you a taste of the amount of internet bandwidth you may need from your ISP and also the amount of bandwidth you will need on your corporate network to share resources, in the near future.

In multi-site applications where the management of both internet traffic and business resources need to be shared from the main hub to satellite locations, consider strategies such as business Ethernet networks. With the ability to use your service provider to share all of your network resources and internet over existing infrastructure, you relieve your IT dept of considerable support burden. Just as importantly, you ease the burden of the financial and technical costs of doing business. Your Ethernet Service Provider will create the point-to-point shared connections over its network, creating a seamless multi-site “LAN” without all the additional internet connections and equipment typically needed to connect each site.

Ethernet has come a long way in the past decade — under the work of the Metro Ethernet Forum, services have become standardized.

Ethernet can offer increased wireless network bandwidth, better port speed, more access points and better available coverage. It offers scalability to accommodate your business growth — and the growth in devices. It is flexible and affordable, because you use what you need, without having to invest in a much larger than needed network today just to account for future growth. Best of all, it takes strain off the IT Department. Look for providers with a high-capacity backbone that can be scaled up easily, to meet your growing needs.

By anticipating and addressing employees' needs for multiple devices and more cloud access demand, you will position your company’s IT infrastructure to embrace whatever the future brings. You'll keep productivity high, enable business continuity, reduce IT help desk tickets, and make things easier for all involved.

BYOD Photo via Shutterstock

The post Is Network Congestion Choking Your Mobile Experience? appeared first on Small Business Trends.

Ways to Market Without Sales Hyperbole

Posted: 03 Sep 2013 05:00 AM PDT

sales hyperbole

Under a constant barrage of advertising, customers simply don't like pushy marketing. They don't trust it, they don't like it and in the end, super pushy, hype-filled sales hyperbole marketing is only going to make your brand seem a little bit desperate – not exactly the best way to win anybody over.

Marketing without sounding "salesy" can take a little bit more thought and creativity, but in the end, it's worth it, thanks to better sales and an improved brand image. Find yourself slipping into cliché and sales hyperbole a little too often for comfort?

Below are three things that you can do to shape up.

Chuck the Sales Vocabulary Out the Window

You know what I'm talking about. The words that make you cringe a little bit when you see them on someone else's ads (and let alone as part of your own). They just scream sleazy, salesy, trying-to-sell-you-something. I can't think of a single business owner I've met who wants to have that image.

Some words you might want to permanently ban from use include amazing, life-changing, revolutionary, cutting-edge, awesome and fantastic and there are countless other ones that I'm sure you have your own qualms about.

Steer clear of buzzwords, too, whenever you can. I know I can be guilty of swinging around ROI (return on investment) and "grow your business" like there's no tomorrow, but it's never too late to adopt some new vocabulary.

Say What You Mean When Using Limited Time Offers

Brief sales are a great way to drum up urgency and get people buying, but you have to follow through. Otherwise, things get a little bit “boy who cried sale,” once you start sending out emails that look something like "Limited Time Offer!" or "1 More Day of Limited Time Offer!" or "Limited Time Offer Extended!" and "Act Quick, Limited Time Offer Still Going – But Barely!"

Catch my drift?

Limited time offers can easily become overblown and all hype if you don't cut the sale off when you say you will. Extending it might work the first time or two, but eventually your customers will stop jumping on sales because they know it's really more like constant pricing.

Ride the Waves

Keeping an eye on trends can help you better position your own product or service within part of a larger movement. After all, a potential consumer might not trust what you say in your marketing materials, but a big trend can essentially do your marketing for you.

Then, all you need to do is alert the general public to the fact that your business fits their wants and needs.

Sales Exaggeration Photo via Shutterstock

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