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*Must Haves* for ANY Business The 2005 List
As a business consultant I get the opportunity meet hundreds of
professionals in every imaginable business each year. And time
and experience have taught me one thing there are a few *Must
Haves* for any modern business. My clients hire me to ensure
their business does well so the first thing I do is provide
them with a list of *must haves*. Here it is for 2005...
# 1 Computer and Information Security
Whether for small business, huge corporations or home-based
start-ups, this is the place where the most damage can happen in
the shortest amount of time. I can*t stress this enough but still
most people don*t listen until it*s too late. This year I*ve made
it easier than ever. Consider this... Imagine a computer security
solution that addresses the root of the problem, costs under $10
and can be implemented in about an hour. Computer Security in
the Workplace is a book that does just that. It was written by
two IT pros from Harvard but with none of the techno-babble you
might expect. It only takes about an hour to read and is becoming
THE guide of choice by a lot of savvy companies. You can get it
at http://www.ComputerSecurityBook.com. It goes quickly so don*t
miss this one. I bought a copy for each of my clients as a
holiday gift and the *thank you* messages continue to roll in
each time a disaster is averted, which is more than you might
imagine.
# 2 Proof of PR
If your name shows up in the media intentionally or otherwise
you NEED to know about it. Knowing about this can give you the
competitive edge to use fast-breaking positive media coverage
for publicity (much better than paid advertising) or help you
track who is printing your press releases. More than this
however, I began recommending *media clipping* services to
clients years ago as a way to make sure competitors are not
taking liberties with company or trademarked names or, worse
yet, running a slander campaign. There are a lot of services out
there today. Many of my clients use http://www.CyberAlert.com or
http://www.CustomScoop.com, which both offer free trials. If
this is not right for you, try entering the term in question in
quotes in http://Google.com and running an Internet search. The
*quotes around term* will isolate that phrase and return only
exact matches, greatly reducing your investigative efforts.
# 3 A Clear Plan
Times have changed. The *napkin plans* just don*t cut it anymore
and neither do the overly complex ones created by executives who
belong in a *Dilbert* comic strip. And by *plan* I mean ANY plan,
be it a Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan or even a
Project Plan. If this final tip does not apply to you, count
yourself among the lucky. If you feel like you could benefit from
a better plan, whether it is to obtain a bank loan, investors or
just for your own sanity, there are plenty of reasonably priced
software products out there that can do a great job for you.
Stop by your local office supply superstore or start online
with http://www.PaloAlto.com or http://www.PlanMagic.com.
Good luck. I hope this list helps.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Scott Jason is the director of SEOPM, a business consultancy
specializing in assisting Internet-based and *click-n-mortar*
businesses, primarily in the areas of online services. He can be
reached at mailto:scott@seopm.com or http://www.seopm.com/
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