One area of compliance that is often forgotten is due diligence, so I thought I would look at one area with some simple steps that can be easily implemented. When purchasing software for your business, due diligence is crucial. By evaluating potential solutions carefully, you can avoid costly mistakes and ensure you invest in secure, reliable, and functional software that supports your business growth.
Here are eight essential steps to guide your decision-making:
1. Check the Software’s Reputation
Before you commit, quickly check reviews, ratings, and feedback from other businesses. This will give you insight into how reliable and user-friendly the software is and highlight any red flags. For small businesses, reputation is everything – so if other companies with similar needs are satisfied, it’s a good sign.
2. Verify the Software Provider
Ensure the provider has a solid track record. Look into their company history, other products, and overall financial stability. A provider with a shaky foundation could leave you with unsupported software if they go under. A small business can’t afford software that disappears!
3. Assess Security and Data Protection
Make sure the software is compliant with industry security standards. If your business handles personal data, ensure the software supports GDPR compliance and protects against threats like hacking and malware. For example, check whether the software uses encryption and offers regular security patches.
4. Evaluate the Software’s Functionality
Ask yourself: Does this software do what my business needs it to do? List the essential features for your operations, then check if they are included. Avoid paying for features you don’t need, but ensure you don’t sacrifice functionality.
5. Test the Software
Always take advantage of free trials or demos to test the software firsthand. Does it integrate well with your current workflow? Are there any bugs or glitches? A small business can’t afford unreliable software – testing is your safeguard.
6. Check for Compatibility
Ensure the software works with your existing tools, systems, and hardware. Is it cloud-based, and does it integrate with your accounting or CRM systems? Compatibility issues can be expensive and time-consuming to fix later.
7. Review Support and Documentation
Is there robust documentation to guide you through setup and troubleshooting? Does the provider offer reliable customer support? Having a strong support system in place can save you a lot of headaches down the road – especially if you hit technical roadblocks.
8. Examine the Licensing Agreement
Carefully read the licensing terms before signing. Are there any limitations on how the software can be used? Ensure you understand any renewal terms, potential hidden costs, and restrictions that could impact your usage.
Why Software Compatibility and Security Matter for Small Business Owners
Skipping due diligence can lead to unexpected costs, security vulnerabilities, or software that doesn’t fit your needs. Following these steps protects your business from these risks and ensures long-term value from your software investment.
Need help evaluating your software options?
Our experts can guide you through the process to ensure you get the best solution for your business. Contact us today to get started!
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Summer is when many of us relax, unwind, and often take time away from work. However, summer can also come with hidden data security risks for businesses. Whether your team works remotely, takes devices on holiday, or simply is less vigilant, the summer months can expose your business to potential data breaches.
In this blog, we’ll explore how to keep your business data safe this summer with practical steps you can take to ensure your business stays secure while your team members enjoy the season. I am using the term team members so that we can include our outsourced team members, including our VAs.
1. Remote Working and VPNs
As the world embraces flexible working, many employees will work remotely during the summer, whether from their garden, a coffee shop or even while on holiday abroad. While this can boost productivity, it poses security risks if employees access company data over insecure networks.
What You Can Do:
Implement VPNs: Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) encrypt your team member’s internet connections, making it harder for hackers to intercept sensitive information. Ensure they use a business-approved VPN for all remote work.
Set Clear Remote Working Policies: Remind your team to avoid using public Wi-Fi for work-related tasks without a secure connection. A quick email update on remote working best practices can go a long way.
2. Device Security While Travelling
Team members often take their work devices on holiday, whether they intend to work or not. This creates a vulnerability if laptops, tablets, or smartphones are lost, stolen, or accessed by unauthorized people.
What You Can Do:
Encryption and Password Protection: Ensure all devices are encrypted and secured with strong passwords or biometric locks (e.g., fingerprint or facial recognition).
Mobile Device Management (MDM): Implement a Mobile Device Management system that allows you or your team members to remotely wipe data if a device is lost or stolen.
Restrict Data Access: Consider limiting access to sensitive company information while team members are away. If they don’t need access during their time off, temporarily revoke it.
3. Training Your Team on Summer Security
Team members are your first line of defence; extra awareness can make a huge difference during summer. Summer is an excellent time to schedule a quick refresher on data protection practices.
What You Can Do:
Summer Security Refresher: Set up a short training session or send a guide covering key security points, such as phishing scams, password management, and secure device use.
Encourage Reporting: Make sure team members know how to quickly report lost or compromised devices and encourage them to flag suspicious activity immediately.
4. Limit Data Access for Holidaying Staff
When we are on holiday, we are often less focused on security and more on relaxation, which can increase the risk of human error or accidental data breaches.
What You Can Do:
Revoke Access Temporarily: If team members don’t work while away, consider temporarily removing their access to sensitive systems. This reduces risks and gives them peace of mind, knowing they’re not expected to check in.
Implement Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): For those needing access, use 2FA for an additional layer of security, ensuring that even if login credentials are compromised, your systems remain protected.
Conclusion
Summer should be a time for both relaxation and peace of mind. These proactive steps can reduce the risks associated with remote working, device security, and human error during the summer months.
When it comes to the Microsoft 365 landscape, everyone has their go-to favourites. Many of us tend to stick with them. But do you know all the apps, including the ‘lesser-known’ ones?
They are familiar, easy to use and integrate perfectly with the other 365 apps we use. So why would we want to change how we work and organising tasks that work so well?
The answer might lie in the wide range of lesser-known 365 apps and features we haven’t yet tried. They might have the potential to make life even better! This is the third and final blog in the series. Click here to read apps for remote working or more that make a difference.
Here are just a few of them and the different aspects of your business they can help:
Customer Management
If you aren’t giving your customers the best experience possible, you risk losing them to a business.
Fortunately, a handy duo of Microsoft 365 apps can make a difference in your customer relationship management.
People
People is the address book that can be created and shared across the business. It can incorporate room bookings, external and internal contacts, and groups.
Bookings
If your business relies on appointments, then Bookings can be a lifeline. It is a web-based booking calendar that can be embedded into existing websites and shared via links or social media.
Bookings integrate with other 365 apps, such as Outlook, to send reminders and is even available as a feature within Teams. This allows users to create new calendars, assign staff and manage appointments in one convenient space.
Lists & Forms
Organisations are increasingly reaching out to customers and colleagues. Whether it be through a checklists or forms. This can be as part of the qualities that businesses strive for in a world.
Lists
Lists help us stay on track and get things done. Don’t be fooled by the name, it is not a to-do list, but rather a checklist. It is available as both a mobile and web-based app. This ensure users have everything they need at their fingertips, wherever they are.
Lists are intelligent and highly flexible and can easily be created and embedded into Teams channels with templates for every conceivable requirement. It does come with some templates which include issue tracker, employee onboarding, work progress tracker and even a content scheduler.
Forms
Forms are elegant and straightforward; it allows users to reach out to anyone on any device or browser for customer feedback, test knowledge, or evaluate learning.
The forms themselves can be highly customised, and integration with SharePoint lists and PowerApps can create incredibly rich and highly automated surveys, polls or quizzes with security and compliance built-in as standard.
File storage & Collaboration
OneDrive and SharePoint
As so many people work outside of their offices, the need to organise, store, and share files and access them on a range of devices has never been greater for many businesses that use OneDrive. This solution works well for many and comes with a range of benefits.
However, SharePoint is a cloud-based service for any sized business that takes file storage, secure access, and collaboration to another level. SharePoint allows users to create entire sites and provides access to vital company information safely and compliantly.
SharePoint is one of the leading Intranet solutions for business, one on which many of the top companies already rely upon.
Note Taking
Nearly everyone relies on notes at some time or another. What better way to jot down reminders, tasks for the day or important information we might need later? OneNote is, for many, the ideal way to organise notes, translate text and share them when needed, but there is another option with just as much potential.
Whiteboard
Sharing thoughts, ideas, and brainstorming are crucial aspects of a successful business; Whiteboard enables a simple, no-nonsense interface. It is ideal for mobile devices and tablets, allowing users to share sticky notes, drawings, images or pasted text with a simple link.
As with so many of the apps in the Microsoft 365 environment, Whiteboard’s strength is integration. For example, it can be invaluable as part of Teams, a benefit that other whiteboard-style apps don’t have.
Visio
It is one of those apps that doesn’t quite fit anywhere. Visio is a great app for creating visual maps, flowcharts, process maps, etc. This used to be an app outside of 365 and an additional cost, but it has been brought into the fold and is now part of the suite. Visio has lots of templates to get you started, or you can start from scratch.
With so much of the business world working remotely now and probably beyond the foreseeable future, some things have become more challenging.
One of the most obvious is the challenge companies have faced in ensuring their teams have all the hardware they need to work effectively from home. The second is ensuring they are up to speed on using the apps and services that make up the software side of things too.
Many of us are familiar with Microsoft 365 and aware of the benefits the right features can deliver. As a consultant and ex-virtual assistant, I am well used to collaborating with teams off-site. I have been using various tools within the 365 environment for a long time.
When it comes to productivity, security and user-friendliness, here are some of the best ‘once used, forever relied upon’ 365 applications that empower users to work safely and securely from home.
Microsoft 365 OneNote
OneNote is a personal information management application with all the functionality you need at your fingertips (or stylus). You can organise notes exactly how you need to, share them and sync them with other devices.
OneNote even has the valuable ability to translate text. The Translate feature has the potential to be incredibly useful for businesses in multilingual markets.
Microsoft 365 OneDrive
As compliance laws around data become more robust and the need for remote access grows, OneDrive delivers a secure, effective solution that works.
With an impressive amount of cloud-based storage available on 365, OneDrive provides users all the space they’ll ever need to store and share files and collaborate with the people they need to, even on mobile devices.
Files are synced in real-time, and thanks to features such as SSL encryption and Personal Vault. You can rest assured they are always safe. Users can set up password protection for shared files and folders and, if any account is compromised, there is a restore option to roll back the entire drive to any previous date within the last thirty days.
Microsoft 365 Teams
Teams have become a vital part of the 365 environments in a world where many are now working remotely. Much like its competitors, such as Zoom and Hangouts, it has gone from occasional use to essential business tools in recent times.
One-on-one conversations, group messages, video and audio calls are all vital features of Teams, along with game-changing integration into other 365 applications such as Word, Outlook and SharePoint.
Microsoft 365 Planner
Managing teams and projects can prove impossible when the team itself is spread far and wide. Planner delivers a centralised hub for every one of them; to share files safely, make plans, oversee progress and assign and organise tasks to other users.
The big selling point of Planner over similar task management apps is 365 integration. Microsoft 365 Planner has all the efficiency for which the 365 ecosystem is well known and works together with other 365 features like Outlook, SharePoint and Teams.
Its interface is intuitive and paired back but still shows all the information users need on projects completed and those in progress.
Microsoft 365 To Do
Task management and productivity are both significant parts of keeping professional and personal lives balanced and organised. Microsoft 365 To Do is a simple app designed to make both easier and merge them if needed.
Available for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android, To Do helps users monitor outstanding tasks and tick them off when needed. It’s also cloud-based and conveniently synched on any connected device.
To Do focuses on the individual user; tasks can be arranged into handy lists or grouped to be completed simultaneously. The useful ‘My Day’ function allows users to focus on essential tasks on any pre-determined day.
To Do also integrates seamlessly with Microsoft Planner to keep users up to date on tasks or events they are a part of. It can potentially organise personal and professional tasks in one incredibly convenient place.
If you are thinking about ways to empower your team to work safer and more efficiently off-site, or if you want to learn more about the right Microsoft 365 tools for you, why not book a slot for a free discussion with me here.
Running a business in today’s world can seem to some like an endless battle to keep things afloat. Markets change, customer habits evolve, and goalposts shift regularly.
It is worth seeking every bit of help you can get, and the good news is, it’s all out there, just waiting to make life a little easier and save you precious time, resources, and money.
Finance software
A common issue for small to medium enterprises is the occasional need for specialised financial know-how. Accounting software packages, such as Quickbooks or Xero, can solve that problem. They allow you to customise invoices, accept payments, manage tax, and run payroll through a simple interface.
Users can also file VAT directly to HMRC in the UK, saving around 8 hours per month and a lot of stress.
Customer Relationship Management
CRM software can handle sales and marketing with a level of efficiency that a small business might struggle to match otherwise. CRM automation helps a business manage interaction with potential customers, plan and manage marketing, and maximise sales opportunities.
CRM can give businesses a new level of automation and a real advantage over their competitors.
Microsoft Office
It is much more than Word, Outlook, and Excel. Throw in calendars for diary management, Teams for remote working, and lesser-known apps such as MileIQ for tracking expenses, To Do for comprehensive task management, and Bookings for any business relying on appointments, to name just a few.
Office is full of potential for every business; getting the most out of it takes time.
Social media
An engaging, authoritative presence on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram can do so much to earn authority and drive people to a company’s site or services, but how many do it when things get busy elsewhere?
Automation is one possible answer. Social media management tools such as SocialBee and PromoRepublic let users plan content and publish it when they choose.
Blogs
A website can benefit massively from a blog. It can be a place to showcase new products and services, identify an audience’s problems and provide solutions. Baudience’slso the perfect tool to drive people to your e-commerce pages and help you climb the search engine rankings.
Many SMEs rely on freelance writers and virtual assistants to keep their websites full of engaging and meaningful content. Then, they use tools such as Missinglettr to create up to a year’s worth of social posts from a single piece.
An easy and effective way to direct traffic to your site while you might be busy doing other things.
Planning software
When looking at planning software, we need to think of a few things
It’s usability
The interface
IntegratiIt’sCost and value for money
The key features you are looking for are
planning and scheduling
task dependencies
Project timelines, calendar views and roadmaps
Task management
Collaborations and communication features
Budget planning and tracking (by project)
Client Portal
It really depends on the business’s needs. Do you want an all-in-one business tool or just a planning/task tool?
The list is endless in this section. Some big names have used the planning software as the base for their collaboration and ‘all-on platforms’. These include Avaz ‘, Click-up, Flow’u, Monday.com, and Plutio.
But if you are looking just for a planning tool, then you also have Microsoft Planner, Asana, and Trello. Microsoft Planner can be used on its own or included in Teams to be a collaborative tool.
Instant chat
We are now all familiar with tools such as Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, and Zoom, which have gone from occasional use to vital business tools in under a year. It is also worth noting that tools such as WhatsApp have an engaged user base in the region of 1.5 billion users; that is quite a bit of potential for any business.
But there are the chat/pop-ups on your website, such as Birdseed.io
Websites and Graphic design
Every business with an online presence relies on the quality of its website to match the quality of its products and services. Still, is it necessary to invest (often heavily) in a specialist web designer?
Sites like Wix and WordPress give users all the templates, tools and simple interfaces they need to create eye-catching, quality-hosted websites for a much more modest annual investment.
They also offer to work with their teams to build better sites and maximise the SEO tools.
Summary
There is no list or set of tools that will fit every business. The tools we use and how we use them can be as individual as the business.
But as a business evolves, so do the tools. It is essential to audit the business to see what is being used. It is common to find individual departments using different providers for the same tool, e.g., Mailerlite and Mailchimp. This risks duplication of data and an increased risk of data breaches, but it also increases costs.
*Please note that clicking on a link from this page will send you directly to the product’s website, where we may earn a small affiliate payment for any purchases you make. Check out the resources page for more details.
It is always good to look to the past and present to plan for the future. Using this information, we can put in place plans and goals for the coming year, along with the actions needed to fulfil them in a rapidly changing world. With that in mind, December is Write a Business Plan Month.
It is an excellent opportunity to reflect on the past year, plan for the year ahead, and try to future-proof our businesses. In the last five years, businesses have had to deal with so many different issues; some that could have been planned for (BREXIT), some that were never anticipated (COVID).
The New Year is an excellent time for businesses;
to review what worked and what could be improved
What processes may be streamlined
look at different ways to operate,
React and adapt to change as standard.
Business planning and strategies must be even more effective if the visions and goals for the year ahead are to be reached. But business planning is not all about what we want from our business and where we want it to be in 12 months. We must look at what is happening around us that may impact or influence them.
Tools for business planning
The positive news is that the last few years have shown us how reactive and adaptable we can be when things go unstable; we can excel at thinking outside of the box to withstand everything a tumultuous year has thrown at us.
PESTLE
PESTLE is an acronym for a great strategic planning tool that looks externally and how It can impact the business
P: Political
E: Economic
S: Social
T: Technology
L: Legal
E: Environmental
Things that we may include;
Possible interest rates rise
Fuel costs
Changes in legislation, including data protection
inflation rates
Political instability
Highlighting the issues can help assist complete the SWOT.
SWOT
The SWOT looks at internal Strengths and weaknesses and external Opportunities and Threats. It can be carried out for a business or a project and can be seen by many as an essential strategic tool.
Internal factors include personnel, finance, services/manufacturing capabilities, and the marketing 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion). The PESTLE above is a great place to start when looking at external factors.
Business Canvas Model
The business canvas model is a strategic management tool that allows you to describe how a business intends to make money. It explains who your customer base is, how you deliver value to them, and the related details of financing. And the business model canvas lets you define these different components on a single page.
Building in Adaptability with a Consultant
As many businesses look to future-proof their operations in the short to mid-term, versatility and flexibility will be common factors. It makes sound business sense to look externally to help get a fresh perspective. It is no coincidence that in recent times, outsourcing and freelancing have seen exponential rises in popularity as organisations seek lean, efficient solutions that don’t cost more than they need to…
Visions and goals for the year ahead
If you are planning for 2023, why not get in touch to learn more about how we can support you and your business to plan to achieve future compliance and growth, or book a free clarity call?
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