Just a quick note hoping everyone is enjoying the season and is not inundated with end of the year woes. Wishing everyone a Happy New Year!

Security Refresher

After a long hiatus, I am back. Let's just say that life has a way of throwing things at you, sometimes all at the same time. That said, let's get back to business.

It seems like a good time to remind ourselves about internet security. No one expects to be a victim of a computer virus or identity theft. The perpetrators are unseen, they don't jump at you from behind a building. Their crimes can be as devastating, however.

A quick refresher on best practices when using your home or business computer:

1. Use a firewall: Most Windows systems come with a firewall. Make sure it is set to "on" unless your security software has one of its own that conflicts with the Windows firewall.

2. Use anti-virus software: With the availability of free anti-virus packages, no one should be without protection. Business owners should invest in anti-virus software because most free packages are for personal computer users only. They are not designed for business use.

3. Be smart about email attachments: If you receive an attachment, do not open it unless you were expecting it. This type of trick is innocent looking because typically it appears to come from a friend or business associate. In fact, it may have. That's how many viruses work - they send themselves to email addresses in an address book. Before opening an attachment, contact the person who sent it and find out what it is.

4. Email is not private: Never send any confidential or private information in an email. Email is not a secure medium.

5. Create strong passwords: Tempting as it is, don't use the dog's name. Use a combination of letters, both lower and upper case, numbers, and, if permitted by the web site host, use a special character or two.

 These are just a few of the security measures that help to keep your home and business systems safe and secure. Security requires a many faceted approach, but with the right tools you can lessen the possibilities of becoming a victim.

Part 2 - Do I Still Need a Business Web Site?

As we saw in Part 1, in spite of the popularity of social networking sites, a business still needs a web site to survive online. That's just the beginning, though.

Fresh content is essential for web site success. New content keeps visitors coming back and is important in search engine rankings. Below are some ways to keep your web site from becoming dead weight:

* Change the content on your home page periodically
* Keep operation hours and addresses updated
* Add a blog to your site and add new posts at least twice a week
* Add informational content for customers that is related to your product or service

Never, never, never load your site with key word repetition and fluffy content. Google has recently implemented an upgrade that is, at the time of this writing, severely penalizing sites that use such practices. Be smart, write for your audience, and update your content often.

Why It Matters

Some business owners lead double lives. They have a separate set of "business" ethics, apart from their personal lives. For some, anything goes when trying to make a buck. It's okay as long as they go to church on Sunday.

Small business owners sometimes engage in activities that harm or deceive customers. Stretching the truth about products, pushing the envelope when it comes to truth in advertising, and making promises that cannot be kept all seem like standard business practices. The problem is that running your business in the "standard" way is not good enough, not for you and not for your business.

There are fundamental ways of treating people, whether it is during the course of business or in our personal lives. Telling the truth, showing respect, making things right, and caring are as important in business as they are anywhere else.

Part I - Do I Still Need a Business Web Site?

As each new trend appears, others take a back seat. Facebook and Twitter have far outdistanced MySpace as the top social networking sites. Entrepreneurs are obligated to keep up with trends and turn each into a marketing tool.

Using social media as a way to connect with customers, small business owners may question the necessity of having a web site. Is the web site concept outdated? Does a business owner still need to spend money having a site developed and updated?

The simple answer is yes. A web site serves a different purpose than social networking. Social networking is great for personal interaction with customers. A web site is the more professional side of a company. A smartly developed web site with informational content is the online version of a brick and mortar store. It enhances the perception of a solid, trustworthy business.

The majority of online businesses are still found through search engines. A business web site with enriched and useful content has a better chance of being highly listed and more easily found in the list of results. A first page search engine listing will increase your exposure.

A web site is a low-cost form of advertising that can reap wide dividends. A simple, informational, and easily navigable web site is an "always on" marketing broadcast, where people learn about your company, products or services, and discover why they should buy from you.

That said, a web site must update regularly or it will lose status with most search engines. In Part II, we'll talk about ways to keep your web site fresh, the search engines happy, and get returning web site visitors.

Have a Back Up Plan

My mother passed away on January 26, 2011. I was unable to work for two weeks as I traveled to Illinois to attend to family matters and the funeral services. As a freelance writer, being gone for two weeks meant contacting clients and explaining my absence. I don't have employees depending me. What if I had, though? How would my company have survived during those two weeks?

Life throws us all kinds of curves. Small business owners must be prepared. If you had to be absent for any length of time, how would your business continue? You cannot make yourself so indispensable that your business would collapse if something happened to take you away for a while. A contingency plan must be in place before the unexpected happens. Trusted employees must be trained in all aspects of the business. Small business owners tend to be a controlling lot. That is what makes for success. It's difficult to give up the idea that, as the owner, you are the most important cog in the wheel. While that's true in essence, ensuring that your business can run without you is vital.

No New Articles for a Few Days

There will be no new articles for a few days so I can attend the funeral services for my mother.