Small Business Archives

Free Cybersecurity Webinars

Last week’s blog asked the question “Does Your Business Offer Free Wifi?” Based on the feedback that we received (it turns out a lot of you want to offer wifi to your customers) we thought it would be a good idea to share with you a series of free webinars dedicated to cybersecurity and small businesses. Presented by Dr. Shawn Murray, Founder & CAO of Murray Security Services, these videos cover a variety of topics ranging from Cybersecurity for Basic Computing, The Accidental Insider Threat, How to Find a Good Cybersecurity Company and many more. Each video is about an hour in length and can be viewed for free on-demand.

These videos are part of the SBDC Tech Source Cyber: CYA (Cover Your Assets) program through the Pikes Peak SBDC. For more information on Cyber: CYA. For additional information on Cybersecurity, please visit the Cybersecurity page on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

Does Your Business Offer Free WiFi?

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We’ve all been there before: trapped in a waiting room with no bars on our phone. Or stuck on a plane with an out-of-service wifi router staring endlessly at the back of the headrest in front of us. An article on INCORP mentions a survey conducted by Comcast that “showed free Wifi is now one of the best amenities a small ‘Main Street’ business can offer its customers.” Obviously, Comcast has some skin in the game when it comes to buying Wifi for your business, but the fact remains that having free access to the internet tends to keep customers patiently waiting and in your business longer. And as we all know, staying longer can help encourage customers to spend more.

There are downsides to offering free customer Wifi and not every business would benefit from encouraging patrons to stick around all day (which invariably happens at your local Starbucks). If you do decide that free customer Wifi is right for your business the experts recommend setting up “super-secure” Wifi access for your customers and to create a separate network for your employees to protect your business data.

The Pikes Peak SBDC has a program called Cyber: CYA (Cover Your Assets) that can help you protect you and your business against cyber threats and make you feel a little easier should you decide to offer free wifi to your customers. You can even go on their website and request a business risk assessment.

End of the Year Checklist

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As we say goodbye to 2019 our thoughts turn to the promise of a new year. And while the start of a new year is a good time to reflect on the work done the previous year, it’s not a time to rest on one’s laurels–there’s still work to be done. So as we turn the calendar page what should business owners be doing? A search online for “small business end of year checklist” yields a mountain of results. Here are a few items that consistently show up on multiple end-of-the-year checklists for business:

1. Adjust your strategies to get where you’d like to go. Taking stock of the last year can inspire you to do better (or continue doing well) it can also help you modify your business goals.

2. Organize. Besides taking a high-level look at your business, all the experts tend to agree that now is the perfect time to organize your business–the files you use and the space on your desk.

3. Inventory. Doing a physical inventory is a great idea and can allow you to evaluate what is (and isn’t) selling.

4. Take a look at your company website–when was the last time you did an audit of your website? An out-of-date website can turn off potential customers and make your business seem less professional. Take a moment to look at your online presence and make sure that it’s 100% accurate.

5. Electronic file back-up. Backing up your computer/cell phones as well as any other crucial files is always a good idea, one that we’re all guilty of neglecting to some degree. Use this time to get everything backed-up so nothing is accidentally lost.

For more end-of-year checklists check out the Small Business Administration’s website.

2020 National Small Business Week Award Nominations

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Friendly reminder: there’s still time to submit nominations for the 2020 National Small Business Week Awards. Though National Small Business Week is May 3 through May 9, the awards nomination window is closing next week on January 7th. The National Small Business Awards are issued by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). There are several awards including “Small Business Person of the Year,” “Small Business Exporter of the Year,” and “Phoenix Awards for Disaster Recovery” as well as other awards for procurement, lending, and business investment.

Visit the SBA’s website to learn more about Small Business Week, the various awards, and how you can nominate a business person or small business for an award. But don’t delay, the nominations must be hand-delivered or mailed to the Small Business Administration’s Denver District Office by 3:00 p.m. EST, January 7, 2020.

We All Count: Small Business & Census 2020

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It’s no secret that small business is the backbone of Colorado’s economy. And for many communities, small businesses also serve as important common spaces where the community gathers. As such, it’s likely that small business owners across the State will hear members of their community talk about the upcoming census.

Census Day is April 1, 2020, at that time the State of Colorado will begin efforts to count everyone in the State. It’s very important that everyone be counted for many reasons, the biggest being that census data is used to distribute federal funds to our communities. According to the State Demography Office, Colorado is estimated to be allocated 13.1 billion dollars.

As respected members of our communities, small business owners should assure Coloradans that their participation in the census is both safe and very important. For more information, visit State’s Census website: https://demography.dola.colorado.gov/census_2020/.