A Guide to Protecting Your Small Business

If you want your small business to get off the ground smoothly, you need to know how to protect it accordingly. Many things can go wrong when starting up a business, and even small businesses are liable against claims. No matter how big your business, follow these essential steps to ensure your small business is fully protected.

Secure Your Website

If your website isn’t secure, hackers could access personal data input by customers as well as the business’ personal data. A secure system is critical for success, and customers simply won’t trust your business if it has been part of a cyber-attack. There are plenty of risks. While you may think that as a small business, you are safe, many small businesses are victims of cyber-attacks as they don’t have the necessary security in place. If you need some help securing your website, follow this tutorial. 

Background Checks

Before hiring an employee or making a business deal, you should carry out vital background checks that could prevent you from going into business with the wrong person. Employees may be hiding something from you, and hiring an employee that was fired from their previous job for stealing personal information probably won’t go down too well. Before going into a contractual agreement with a new company, perform checks such as accessing bankruptcy archives and conducting a criminal background check. You should always know exactly who you are going into business with if you want to keep your small business safe. 

Managing Your Online Reputation

Your online reputation is one of the most important things you need to be aware of, as one bad post could put you out of business for life. This includes reporting any false claims made by fake profiles, and ensuring any employees posting on your behalf are aware of what to avoid and how to post culturally appropriate content. Start from where you first made social media accounts and backtrack your posts, to make sure they are all suitable. Once something is posted on the internet, there is no going back. Be careful with copyright infringement laws too, as posting something you don’t have permission to post could result in a claim. Consider content marketing for your small business to limit mistakes. 

Get Insured

While you can do all of the above to protect your business, there is still the chance that something will occur that is entirely out of your control, or you or an employee may make a mistake. If you want to rest easy knowing that even if the worst happens, you are covered, get small business insurance. This insurance is made specifically for small businesses and can protect against theft, natural disasters, workers compensation claims, and professional errors. If you want small business insurance that covers you for this and more, check out The Hartford and get a small business insurance quote today. 

Your small business is of the utmost importance, and keeping it safe means running background checks, managing your online reputation, and having a secure website. Insure your business as a back-up, in case the worst should happen.