Business Continuity Plan for a Home-Based Business
September 2, 2010
By Yvette Vignando, www.happychild.com.au
The subject of organisational resilience and business continuity is not my area of expertise but through my executive coaching clients and colleagues I have learned some of the jargon and theory behind it. You may have heard of business continuity experts – they are people who advise businesses on anything from disaster recovery and insurance to identifying business outputs and risks to them, and how to keep revenue flowing if there is a disaster or crisis. A business continuity plan sets out how your business could recover from a disaster or a major disruption to its operations.
Lately I have been thinking that I should have my own business continuity plan – one that consists of more than just backing up my hard drive from time to time, when I remember. It might sound a bit too grand for a home-based business but I think that a home-based business is particularly vulnerable to catastrophic failure because it usually relies on a small number of people, a limited amount of critical technology and a small number of systems. A house fire, an illness, a house robbery or even a toddler or pet could cause permanent and catastrophic business disruption to most home-based businesses.
If you have not read my ABN blogposts before, I have recently started an online parenting magazine and I am currently running it from home. I have a small number of contractors and volunteers I rely on to develop my business and the vast majority of information I “own” is stored in computer hard drives in my office and in mysterious things called “servers” and ”hosts” on the other side of the world. So I have decided to add a business continuity plan section to my business plan.
For an overview of the elements of a business continuity plan, I found a simple guide on a Queensland Government website . I also found this very helpful pdf guide to Business Continuity Management from the South Australian Government.
It can be expensive to engage a business continuity expert but if you would like to find an expert in Australia, here are two places to look: Continuity Forum and The Australian Chapter of the Business Continuity Institute .
The essential areas that need to be covered are:
Prevention: what do you do now to prevent or reduce risks to your business?
Preparedness: what do you do now to make sure that you could quickly respond to and recover from a business disruption?
Response: when you are confronted with a crisis, what will you do to minimise its impact?
Recovery: what actions would you take to reduce the time it takes for your business to recover from a disaster?
So I have been thinking about my parenting website, the systems behind it, the people I rely on, the insurance I am choosing and the technology I use. I have spoken to a colleague who is an expert in this area and trawled the internet for information. You should consider getting professional advice on some of these individual issues but here’s a quick synthesis of what I have learned:
- Have a plan (and follow it) for regular back-up of your technology-based and hard-copy based information, systems and records. For a great example of what can go horribly wrong, read about Janet Beckers’ experience when her website host went missing.
- Work out where and how you would run your home-based business if your home was no longer available.
- Make sure that you are fully insured against all risks – that usually means comprehensive Professional Indemnity and Public Liability cover and making sure that your home insurance policy covers valuable items in your home office (e.g. your computers, software, cameras, phones). As part of this process, it’s a good idea to make an inventory of the items you own that would require replacement.
- Create a back-up of all the contact information you need for critical service providers to your business and store it off site and/or online in the technological “cloud”. (Some of this may be stored in your computer’s hard drive and some may be in items such as address books or business card folders, for example – and don’t forget to back up/regularly synchronise your mobile phone or PDA. Create a backup of your social media contacts, ‘friends’ and ‘followers’.
- If you have an e-commerce website – make sure that you have reliable back-up of all customer and order information.
- Try to set aside an amount of cash for an emergency; you may need to use it to replace items, obtain urgent services or pay for extra assistance from a consultant.
- Update your business continuity plan regularly and make it a part of your written business plan.
Looks like I have some work ahead of me!
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY YVETTE VIGNANDO
- Can a Mumpreneur Really Crush It? 5 Tips to Myself.
- 3 Tips for New Business Success
- 5 Twitter Tips for Entrepreneurs
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Yvette Vignando - www.happychild.com.auYvette is pursuing her passion – to take action that helps children develop great social and emotional skills as a foundation for a happy and successful life. Formerly a lawyer and then successful executive coach specialising in Emotional Intelligence, Yvette was encouraged by her experience of MentorNet to launch her business – a website for parents that publishes practical and engaging information about raising children with emotional intelligence. Yvette looks forward to sharing the challenges and successes of her experience as she navigates her way through the adventures of launching a website, and tackles online sales and marketing, an evolving business plan, and the growing universe of social media. Yvette hopes that by following her personal and professional development as an entrepreneur you will also be inspired to follow your passions.
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Guerrilla Social Media Marketing: Engagement is Key…Simple Enough?
August 17, 2010
By Laura Thomas, Intern at Australian Businesswomen’s Network
Do you think of yourself as a Guerrilla Marketer? During the 3 August BOOKED for Lunch webinar, Guerrilla Social Media Marketing, Jay Conrad Levinson and Shane Gibson expanded on how social media is changing the game of guerrilla marketing, how to measure your return on investment of social media and four important weapons for social media marketers.
Over the years, guerrilla marketing tactics have changed and evolved. Television was the beginning of guerrilla marketing tactics, then came the Internet, and now social media. Guerrilla marketing tools work at an accelerated pace with social media. Two very strong concepts for using social media as a tool for guerrilla marketing are patience and imagination. Without both, companies will find their results from using social media are disappointing.
Most people believe social media guerrilla marketing is mostly about marketing, but those people are wrong. 90% of social media marketing is about listening and engaging with the community, while the other 10% is about actual marketing. Social media marketers are leaders that know how to build a community.
Do you want to measure your return on investment (ROI) of social media to make sure it is worth all the time and energy spent on it? To begin, start by looking at the number of hours put into social media tools. A tool that can help you measure the effectiveness of social media tools is Google Analytics. Of course, any ROI can only be identified in time (it takes 18 months on average to measure ROI), so be patient. If you have been consistently engaged with the community, you should have nothing to worry about.
If you are completely lost about where to start, Guerrilla Social Media Marketing, by Jay Conrad Levinson and Shane Gibson, has an equation for measuring the return on investment of social media.
Social media marketers need to remember and use four important weapons:
1. Information – understanding guerrilla tactics for yourself and your competitors is crucial.
2. Imagination – you have to stand out to be recognised. Remember: if you sound like everyone else, you’re not a leader.
3. Innovation – realising how to market better and more efficiently is the key to cutting costs.
4. Community – (MOST IMPORTANT) engaging the community is vital because they are the ones who build up your brand.
I have given you a very brief (and I’m not exaggerating when I say brief) overview of the wonderful advice from Jay Conrad Levinson and Shane Gibson. To listen to the whole recording from 3 August BOOKED for Lunch, click here.
See Jay Conrad Levinson LIVE in Australia!
Jay Conrad Levinson joins a team of international marketing legends at the Wealth from Marketing event in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane in September. Presented by Universal Events, this one-day program is valued at $597, but yours is free: http://www.wealthfrommarketing.com.au/?af=CLS1043088
MORE GREAT BLOG POSTS BY LAURA THOMAS
iPad. It’s not just a boy’s toy
August 16, 2010
Not only is the iPad not just a boy’s toy – but it’s not just a toy. Recently I was interviewed by The Herald Sun for a story titled: IPad not just a boy’s toy.
Since I got my first iPad (confession – I have two) it’s allowed me to be more mobile and productive. Unlike a laptop it fires up in a few seconds, has an exceptional battery life, fits in the most girly of handbags and has been adopted by may businesses as a way to better connect with clients, streamline work flow processes and market their businesses.
FREE WEBINAR – IPAD AND SMALL BUSINESS
On 17 August at 10.30am the Australian Businesswomen’s Network presents iPad: The Impact and Opportunities for Small Business, a free 90-minute webinar, designed to show small businesses how to make the most of this flashy new device, with practical examples of how it’s becoming a ‘must-have’ business tool.
Learn more about the webinar, and register, here.
4 Tips for Better Email
June 7, 2010
By Nerida Gill, Admin Bandit
Today I’ve caught a yellow taxi across the Brooklyn Bridge, stood under the neon lights of Times Square and watched the taping of a TV show — that’s right, I’m in New York, and on the final leg of a holiday that has spanned four countries in a month.
What’s more, my staff and a few loyal customers have been with me every step of the way…
Via email, that is!
Yes, the poor, jealous things have sat at home, threatening to throw their computers out the window if I hit “send” on yet another picture of me sipping wine or posing in front of a statue.
It amazes me to think only 36% of small businesses had email 10 years ago, according to the ABS. How life has changed!
Given email is still so new, it’s not surprising we’re still learning to use it effectively. Here are four tips that come to mind while I check in with my team and business from the other side of the world….
Use an Email Signature
A customised email signature looks professional, and is a savvy marketing tool. It’s also something you can do yourself after exploring the tools and options in your email program.
Keep your signature simple. Forget fancy patterns, colours or logos. Contact details and online sites where people can engage with you and your business are more important. At the very least, include your:
- Name
- Position
- Company
- Landline
- Mobile
- Website
- Street and postal address.
You’ll be amazed at how the following extras will boost opportunities and connections:
- Blog
- Awards
Reply, Reply, Reply
Unanswered emails are one of the biggest frustrations of the modern workplace. We simply hate feeling ignored! The problem, however, is that answering emails drains about two hours from the day, leaving us with a dilemma — to answer or not. I do answer (for the sake of my livelihood), but manage my inbox by:
- Posting FAQs on my website
- Using online support software to direct queries to the most suitable staff member
- Creating form answers to common requests
- Advising senders if I can’t answer their email immediately
- Thinking before I email … sometimes the phone is better
- Checking my junk mail folder regularly
- Setting aside a block of time for email (boiling the kettle first)
Be Polite
Email is so quick and convenient that users sometimes forget the usual “niceties” of communication. Unless I know someone really well, I start each message with “Dear … ” or “Hi … ” and sign-off with “Kind regards” or “Cheers”, matching the salutation I choose to the formality of the situation.
I don’t waste time, but I do build rapport, especially as the nature of my business means I’m regular in touch with customers. So I’ll share a joke, comment on the weather or wish someone a great day. After all, we’re human and these little extras make what we do fun.
Don’t Spam
Don’t automatically add people who email you to your mailing list. Unless they’ve specifically subscribed, this is spam, which, in some cases, is illegal, not to mention really annoying.
Ask … that’s all you have to do. Have a “sign up” box on your website or send personal, individual emails to your contacts asking if they’d like to hear from you.
MORE GREAT POSTS BY NERIDA GILL
- A New Definition of Mentoring
- 5 Steps to Attention-Grabbing Business Cards
- Networking at an Event – 7 Steps to Make it Fun
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Nerida Gill - Admin BanditNerida Gill is the creator of Admin Bandit, a web-based accounting package designed specifically to make keeping the books easy for volunteer treasurers in community groups. After winning numerous business awards, Admin Bandit is in a growth phase after recently attracting external investment.
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How relevant is Email? An interview with Justin Premick – Director of Education Marketing – AWeber
May 4, 2010
AWeber is an email marketing software provider out of the United States.
We started to use aWeber at the Australian Businesswomen’s Network in mid-2009 and it’s become a key tool through which we manage our lead generation campaigns and email communications with clients and prospects.
Justin Premick is the Director of Education Marketing at AWeber and Suzi Dafnis caught up with Justin recently at the South by South West conference in Austin, Texas.
In this interview Justin tells us:
- How relevant is email today? (especially in light of the fact that we can connect with clients using social media and social networks)
- Why does he believe that social media will not replace email and
- The three things we need to do with our email lists to be more effective
Enjoy this interview with Justin Premick and learn more about how AWeber can help your business.
For more information:
Website: www.aweber.com
Blog: www.aweber.com/blog
Twitter: www.twitter.com/aweber
New Tool: Tungle – An easy way to schedule meetings (and save time)
March 25, 2010
I’m sure you know the drill. Back and forth stream of emails and calls to find a time that suits two or more people.
Sometimes the time it takes the schedule the meeting takes longer than the meeting itself will take.
I came across this great free tool at South By South West. It’s called Tungle and had the CEO, Mark, tell you about it in his own words.
Watch the video.
Tungle helps you to:
- Schedule meetings easily and remotely using a web interface
- Pick your own url.
- Put the times you want to be available in the system.
- Share your schedule with others and let them choose from the available slots.
You get to sync the schedule with your calendar.
It’s free and saves time (and therefore money).
Tungle.me - Schedule meetings easily
Hope you like it.
New iPhone app means you only need to print 1 business card.
March 2, 2010
Apple took out a full page ad in today’s paper to promote a number of their iPhone apps that are good for business. One application stood out to me, and it could save you a whopping amount in printing.
Possible Scenario at your next meeting:
PROSPECT: “Do you have a business card?”
YOU: “Sure.”
Then…
- You produce a card (or something glamorous made from long-lasting plastic, platinum etc. with all your details – including your Twitter handle!)
- Your contact takes a photo of it with their iPhone (what else would you use, really?).
- Your details are now in their phone.
No paper, no waste.
The Business Card Reader allows you to take the photo of a business card on your iPhone (or Blackberry). It then ‘reads’ the data and enters the details into your address book.
So, no scanning, data entry, or piles of business cards stashed in drawers.
Now all you need is one business card and friends and colleagues with iPhones. 
I’ll be getting the app.
Suzi
Business Card Reader | Apple iPhone Application
Is your slip showing? Ways to protect your mobile devices.
March 1, 2010
By Julie Wise, The Silver Owl.
Laptops, mobile phones, iPhones, Blackberrys and USB drives can conveniently store data outside your work environment. But portability has a downside.
Devices are easily stolen and their data is valuable with many thieves admitting to stealing devices for the information stored on them.
Protect your device from damage
It goes without saying that one of the most common threats to mobile devices is physical damage. What happens if you drop your laptop, accidentally sit on it or spill that much-needed coffee over your iPhone? There is no fail-safe way to protect yourself against this risk, the important thing is take precautionary measures to avoid losing data if your device is damaged.
A couple of simple ways you can protect yourself include using a secure, encrypted USB flash memory drive to back up your data, the thought being your back up is on your person and separate from your laptop. Best of all is back up data to an online storage site so your data doesn’t go missing if your laptop is damaged.
Get smart when it comes to which data you carry.
Finders keepers
However, your greater risk is that your device will be lost or stolen. Your data is the most valuable and hard-to-replace thing about your device, make protecting your data the number one priority.
Some things to help with physical theft!
- Be smart. Don’t let your mobile device out of your sight. Don’t be showy with your equipment. Carry your gadgets and laptop as inconspicuously as possible.
- Label your property. Labeling reduces the value of the equipment, since it’s extra work for the thief to remove the labels. You can purchase devices that will imprint your logo onto the case of the device. (Check with the manufacturer before branding equipment.)
- Use security products. You can increase the physical security of your device by investing in a cable lock, beaconing software, lock boxes, or BIOS settings. Any of these can greatly improve physical security and deter theft. Even a password required at login helps.
- Complex passwords and encryption solutions make it difficult for your laptop to be “hacked” by criminals if it is stolen.
- Remote data protection so sensitive data can be wiped remotely if your device goes missing.
- Use the hard drive password setting on your laptop. It provides good security, but is also the most unforgiving if a password is lost. If you do set the hard drive password, store it in a safe place (which is not on the laptop or in the laptop case!).
Get smart when it comes to which data you carry.
Look at the data you have stored on your device and ask yourself whether you really need to have this sensitive data stored on the device, or whether you could remove certain aspects of it to be safer. Some questions to help you determine your real needs – whether you have sensitive data, and whether you really need to:
- Do you have old personnel files or employee evaluations that can be deleted?
- Have you collected ABN / TFN /ACN / Bank Account as identifiers?
- Do you have a file with credit card numbers from clients or users? OR even your own?
- Do you collect birthdates along with names for any reason?
- Did you answer “yes” to any of these? If you did, consider whether you have a legitimate business need for this information, and if you do, whether you really need to store this data on a mobile device:
- If you do have a legitimate business need for sensitive data on your mobile device, consider some ways you could make this data safer:
- Could you access it on a server versus storing it on the local hard drive?
- Could you remove elements of the data that render it harmless if it were to be unintentionally disclosed? (For example, TFN numbers by themselves pose no threat. However, if coupled with names in a file, they can prove to be injurious.)
- Could you encrypt the data?
- If you do have a legitimate business need for sensitive data on your mobile device, consider some ways you could make this data safer:
- Ensure you’re only carrying the data you think you are. It’s a good idea to look in your most frequently used folders, and your “Temp” folder, and purge any unneeded files, every week or two.
Ensure a secure Internet connection everywhere – including at home
Taking all the care in the world with the security of your mobile devices won’t matter if you connect them using low-security Internet connections such as public, unsecured wireless. Don’t sabotage your efforts to protect your property and sensitive data by making mistakes borne of ignorance or overconfidence.
- Use secure wireless. While using a public wireless networks at airports, bookstores, and coffee shops is convenient, it’s also one of the most dangerous things you can do with your mobile device. You’re just asking for someone to “shoulder surf,” steal your data, or your identity. Use only approved wireless access points. Ensure you only connect to wireless networks that you actively choose.
- Disable file and print sharing. You may not have this enabled, but in case you do, turn it off before going mobile. It allows other users to connect to your computer, something you may find desirable while in a work environment, but certainly not so while on the go.
- Disable your wireless Internet connection when not in use. When you’re not using it, having your wireless Internet on is just an added security risk. Many newer devices literally have an on/off “switch” for the wireless card.
Don’t get caught with your slip showing! Be prepared: better safe than sorry.
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Julie Wise - The SilverOwl
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| Email: | julie@thesilverowl.com.au |
| Website: | www.thesilverowl.com.au |
| Twitter: | www.twitter.com/julie_wise |
| LinkedIn: | au.linkedin.com/in/juliewise |
| Member Profile: | See Julie’s Member Profile |
My Top 9 iPhone Social Media Applications for 2009
December 30, 2009
There are probably a dozen iphone apps that I use regularly. Some are standard and functional e.g. Google Maps (a humdinger when I get lost in the city or need to get directions while overseas), Voicememo (often used to record messages to remind myself to do things) and the weather application.
While I have some fun apps e.g. Shazam (song recognition) and Check Please (for calculating tips when travelling in the US), most of the apps I use enhance or enable my social media activity.
The applications allow me to post to my blog (and respond to comments), tweet, check my web stats, record an audio blog, instant message my contacts, create a video and post it with one click, add photos to my social networks – to name just a few options.
Here are 9 of my favourite social media related apps. They are not in order. All are in the itunes Applications store but I have included below links to the developers websites. Most apps are free, but a couple have a small (and worthwhile) fee.
AudioBoo - Create and share audio easily
This is an iphone audioblogging application. You record a message (up to 5 mins) and host it on the Audioboo site with the click of an icon. You can then use the embed code in blog posts or in statuses on Twitter and Facebook. Here’s a post where I’ve used the AudioBoo app during our 30 Days of Social Media program.
The free version is sufficient for me to be able to check the traffic on our blog and website easily.
While I also have TweetDeck and Twitterific, Tweetie is the one that I find easiest to use to track Twitter conversations and add tweets.
This is very cool. What’s App is an iphone to iphone messenger without text/SMS costs.
Gorillacam - Great added functionality for your iphone camera
Just started using this app. Adds great functionality to your iphone camera. Paparazzi (3shot) option, self-timer, time lapse as well as a ‘press anywhere’ option overcomes some of the frustrations of using an iphone camera. Team it with a Gorillapod (a mini tripod for your iphone) and you have a pretty cool camera.
You’ve probably got this if you’re on Facebook. It’s improved and easy to use to update status and stay up with news. Could use a little more functionality.
This app provides voice recognition on your iphone. You can record and translate sound and then send to mail or txt. Great for quick memos. [I have to share this as it made for a good laugh. When I was first using it I was speaking slowly saying "This is Suzi". The translation was coming up as "This is Crazy"… so I guess it needs a little practise to get it working write (or a feined US accent may help)].
Select from pics on your iphone, choose a soundtrack from Animoto’s library and click a button – and you have a professional customised video, for free. Fun for holidays and capturing special moments.
This is a new one for me and was recommended by Facebook maven Mari Smith. It allows me to record a message and post it to a friend’s Facebook page. Great for birthday messages.
BONUS – CAUSE IT’S WORTH MENTIONING!
You may have heard of Gary Vaynerchuck of Wine Library TV fame.The story goes that he turned a $5 million dollar business into a $50 million and has created fame and fortune online through his video blog. His book – Crush It - has been created as an app that is a vook (a video book). At the start of each chapter you get to see and hear Gary and then you can read the book Kindle-style within the app. It’s a great way for any author to deliver their content and I can see applications for many educators and content creators.
As I said earlier, these are just a few of the tools that help me manage and create social media content and which allow me to keep up with the conversations that I choose to be a part of – while I’m ‘on the go’. (Of course that is today… apps are being created so quickly some of these may be replaced by newer/better ones… in which case I’ll be sure to post any new discoveries.)
Got a great iphone app to share? I’d love to hear about it.
Best wishes,
Suzi
What/which technology(ies) do you implement to leverage your business activities, efforts and results?
October 6, 2009
We asked our community this question for the current issue of our Women in Business eNewsletter. A compilation of these answers was published for our community of women across Australia to learn from. Click here to read our current newsletter, and click here to read the answers we received.
Please let us know your thoughts, and add a comment here.
Women in Business eNewsletter | October 2009
