Two focuses of my blog are Financial Literacy/Money and Business/Entrepreneurship. One of the aspects you have to learn when starting a business is protecting it. The following contributed post is entitled, How To Protect Your Business.
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As a business owner, your business will be your pride and joy. It will be the entity that you have poured your metaphorical blood, sweat, and tears into and you will, of course, be fiercely protective over it. The world of business can present many challenges and hurdles during its lifespan and if you want to safeguard your business and protect its viability you need to be prepared to face the challenges and have appropriate measures in place to withstand them. To help you to shield your business and its future then here are some considerations to make.
Photo credit Anna Schvets from Pexels
Unambiguous terms and conditions
If your business provides a product or service to clients or customers then it will be entering into a contract with these clients and customers. It is vitally important therefore that your business makes the terms and conditions of this contract abundantly clear to protect both the customer and your business. To ensure that the T&Cs are up to scratch they should be written in simple and straightforward language and should also be easy to refer to. Concise and attainable terms and conditions will not only add protection but it will make your business more user-friendly and help to develop strong and trusted relationships.
Employment agreements
If your business takes on staff then it is always good practice to crystallize the terms of that employer-employee relationship by way of an employment contract. Again this contract should protect both parties but will be an essential tool in safeguarding your business and its assets. Employment agreements should contain provisions regarding working hours, pay, holiday entitlement, place of work, etc but they can be extended to cover nuisances of your business. For example, if your business operates with confidential or sensitive information you can protect this information within clauses of the employment contract; you could incorporate conditions that forbid employees from divulging sensitive information.
Security
Many businesses now operate online, using cloud systems and sophisticated networks. All of which involve the handling of financial information and sensitive or confidential data. The result of this is that cyber security has never been more important than it is today particularly as the world of cybercrime is constantly evolving. More and more businesses are becoming susceptible to cyber-attacks and as such protecting your online business presence is imperative. Take actionable steps to ensure not only the basics in cyber security are understood such as secure passwords and regular backups but also consider whether professional services are required to enhance your cyber security and protect your business.
Personal conduct
As a business owner, you are able to buy yourself certain personal protections however it is important to remember that your personal conduct could have an effect on your viability to run your business. As such it is important to ensure your personal conduct remains within the confines of the law at all times. To help limit any damage or adverse exposure to your business as a result of your personal affairs, where appropriate seek professional advice. It might be tax or accounting advice or you may even need to speak to a criminal defense attorney, Personal conduct can expand beyond adhering to the law to ensuring that you maintain a certain level of ‘appropriate behavior’. You may not be breaking the law but if you are acting in a way that clients or customers take offense to this could also have a negative impact on your business.
Protect your intellectual property
Your intellectual property (IP) is anything that can be considered as ‘intangible property’ or put another way, anything that has been created using your mind. Examples of intellectual property include your business logo, designs, or business name. If you do not take steps to protect your IP then it will allow others to use it without your permission and this could have devastating consequences for businesses. There are different methods in which you can protect your IP such as copyrights and trademarks and it can become a complex process. If you have valuable IP that is specific to your business then it is always recommended you seek professional advice and take steps to protect your intellectual property.
Be the best on the market
While there are lots of practical and legal steps you can take to protect your business one of the best pieces of business advice is to simply, be good at what you do. If you have a sound business idea that is executed with professionalism and high standards you will be putting your business in the best possible position to succeed.
