Proactive Ways To Protect Your Business In 2023

Business owners face an array of challenges and obstacles. Running a company is never easy. As a director, it’s natural to want to safeguard your investment and lower risks. In this informative guide, we’ll share some proactive ways to protect your business in 2023. 

Insurance and surety bonds

Buying insurance policies for your business is critical to avoid financial losses, but there are other steps you can take to protect your company, including obtaining surety bonds. Check your insurance plans to ensure that your business is fully compliant and then search for additional policies or features to enhance coverage. It’s wise to invest in the most comprehensive policy you can afford. Business insurance can protect against everything from natural disasters, theft and fire to public liability claims and employee mistakes. If you work with other companies or contractors, it’s beneficial to explore the possibility of protecting yourself with a surety bond. Commercial bonds are contracts between three parties. If you’re working with a construction company, for example, and they don’t complete the job, you can avoid financial losses by claiming on the surety bond. 

Cybersecurity

Cybercrime is one of the most potent and dangerous threats to modern-day businesses. We often read about multinational corporations and brands that have millions of customers being targeted by hackers or scams in the newspaper, but small businesses are the most common targets. Every company owner should be aware of the risks. Prioritize prevention by investing in robust defenses and cybersecurity. Implement workplace policies, seek expert advice if you don’t have a dedicated IT department and upgrade systems and technologies. A survey by Gartner revealed that 98% of companies lose an average of $100,000- $540,000 per hour during periods of downtime. As well as lost sales, businesses also have to cope with damage to their reputation. 

Physical theft

Commercial properties are an enticing prospect for thieves because they often contain high-value items, which are sought-after by consumers. If you run a physical shop or store, you own or lease a warehouse, storage or office space, you own a salon, restaurant or bar, or your service business has a central base or multiple offices, it’s crucial to invest in security. From CCTV and alarm systems to strengthened windows and doors, outdoor lighting and security guards and foot patrols, there are solutions to suit every budget. Try to deter thieves. Visible deterrents make business premises much less appealing to burglars and vandals. It’s also important to avoid storing large sums of cash on the premises and to consider buying a safe or adding extra security if you sell expensive items, such as designer clothing, bags or shoes, jewelry and electronics.

Business owners face a raft of challenges and hazards in 2023. From theft, natural disasters and cybercrime to financial losses and being let down by other companies, there are all kinds of dangers to try and avoid. Being proactive in protecting your business can go a long way to reducing risks. Invest in comprehensive insurance, consider obtaining surety bonds and make sure you have robust policies, procedures and measures in place to prevent cybercrime and theft.

Future-Proof Career Ideas for Millennials to Consider

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It really is a worrying time to be a human who needs to work for the next few decades. The future really is upon us and more and more technology is taking over the work that would normally be assigned to us. 

That’s why, if you are really smart, you will be looking towards the future when working out your career goals. As a millennial, you still have a long working life ahead of you and by being proactive and gaining skills that will always be in demand, you can ensure that you are always high on the shortlists when looking for a new position. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the most future-proof careers you might want to pursue:

Cybersecurity professional

Now that we do most of our… well everything online, it is pretty safe to say that cybersecurity experts are always going to be in high demand. Cyber hacks can bring businesses down faster than almost anything else, and of course, hacks on our personal data can be devastating too, so although the role may grow and change over the years, cybersecurity roles are almost certainly here to stay.

Healthcare professional

Although it is highly likely that robots will be carrying out various medical procedures in the future – if you look at Robotunits you will see that robotic technology is already being used very effectively in various other sectors – however, it is very unlikely that robots are going to take over healthcare altogether. After all, humans are best placed to take blood, check the patient for symptoms and ensure that all procedures are carried out carefully, so again, it is fair to say that most healthcare roles, especially at the highest levels, are here to stay.

Data scientist

Whether we realize it or not, data plays a huge role in our day-to-day lives, It helps insurance companies make decisions about our cover, it enables businesses to target their marketing efforts to the best people, and it allows us to identify trends in healthcare amongst other things. Although technology is sure to play a continuing role in collecting and analysing data to some extent, data scientists are always going to play an important part in the process by giving a human eye to the various tasks associated with extracting data and making sense of it.

Delivery logistics

Now that so many of us buy so much stuff online, the world of delivery logistics is likely to be a pretty safe bet careerwise. Yesk we will probably have automated vehicles and drones delivering our packages in the future but humans will still be needed to oversee the whole production and ensure that any kinks are ironed out and problems solved as effectively as possible.

If you train for any of these careers, chances are you will have a long and pretty stable career while others around you struggle to adapt to the world of the future, so at the very least, please do consider them.

A Business On The Road Needs A Few More Safeguards

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Nowadays, it’s much easier to start a business just about anywhere, whether it’s your own home, your garage, or even your car or van. There are plenty of businesses, including landscapers, pet grooming, and other service providers that can run almost entirely from the road. However, the road can be a risky place in more ways than one, and your business will need a little extra protection while you’re out there.

The costs of being on the road

You might think that not having to spend a lot of time in an office and perhaps not even needing office space is saving you money. You might be right, but you should also consider how driving around a lot can eat into your costs. You can save the costs of driving around by looking at sites like https://www.fuelman.com that can help you get the cards needed to cut down on the running costs.

Protecting your most vital assets

Insurance is always recommended when it comes to the assets that allow your business to operate. When you’re running ab business on the road then, clearly, your vehicle is going to play a huge role in the profitability of the business and should be protected. With providers like https://cjfig.com/business-insurance/business-auto-insurance/, you can make sure that should anything go wrong, you’re able to get back up and running as quickly as possible. Whether that means repairs or hiring a replacement car, you can protect yourself from too much downtime.

Securing the vehicles, too

Of course, insurance can help protect you financially but if you were to actually lose a vehicle or any of the equipment inside it, the frustration would go deeper than hitting just your wallet. As such, you should make you look at your options when it comes to protecting company cars. Having safe premises to park them is number one, of course, but additional security measures like GPS tracking devices and alarm systems can make it a lot less likely that anyone who breaches the car is able to get away with it.

Driving around with data

Aside from the risks of being on the road and how it can affect you financially, you also have to consider how you run your business on the road. It’s likely safe to assume that it’s going to involve being connected to local internet connections, but you have to be wary of what local connections can mean for your data security. Investing in cybersecurity in the form of professional-grade anti-malware software and virtual private networks is essential. You can’t gauge the safety of any networks you’re connecting to outside your own property, so you have to keep your guard up.

Every business comes with its own specific types of risks, so don’t be too worried about the “dangers” out there. If you were in any other field of business, you would be reading about different risks, instead. However, you should be taking steps to address them, so get working on it.