How Small Businesses Can Assess Their Own Vulnerabilities

No one wants to think about their weaknesses, let alone that of their business’s. After all, your business is like your baby. But, not being able to look at what needs fixing only stunts business growth. It’s essential that business owners identify potential pratfalls to keep the company going strong. Here are a few ways small businesses can assess their vulnerabilities and remedy the cause.

Hire A Professional Consultant

Hiring a consultant might not be the most novel approach to risk assessment. However, the fact that so many businesses do it is indicative of its overall effectiveness. The benefit of working with a consulting firm or certified risk analyst is simple: your bias is not their bias. They’re outsiders looking in. A consultant will be able to look at your company with a bird’s eye view and show which areas need tightening.

Follow Business Trends

Before you run off and hire a consultant, do your homework. What are some of the biggest threats your business faces? A quick Google search will provide you with a few answers. For example, if you follow retail store trends, you might be vulnerable to consumer theft. If you own and operate a courier service, you might be vulnerable to vehicle collisions. By assessing your weak spots, you can prepare for the inevitable.

Don’t Skimp On Security

There are multiple kinds of security that are critical to running a business. Failing to adequately prepare for any of these can lead to disaster for a small business. First, you need to think about security for your physical location. Cameras are a great place to start to have an intelligent retail store. Get visibility on the interior and exterior of your commercial space. While this won’t necessarily stop criminal activity, it can help in recovering lost goods.

Understand Your Insurance Policy

Small businesses are incredibly vulnerable to lawsuits. This includes slip-and-fall lawsuits from customers to intellectual property suits from other businesses. Instead of having constant anxiety about this, work to understand your insurance policies. There are many varieties of small business insurance that provide different types of coverage. Every company will have its own set of needs based on industry, location, and other factors. It’s smart to use an insurance comparison tool to find the plan that works best for you.

Educate Employees On Cybersecurity

Employee education is a huge piece of keeping your organization safe from internal or external threats. Make sure workers know not to open links in suspicious emails. It can also be detrimental if they send critical information through unverified channels. Taking the time to teach your workers will pay off in the long run. Data breaches can be extremely costly to your company. Doing this important work with your employees will also give you a sense of how well they understand potential threats.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

• Keep your computers and web browsers updated.
• Make sure you have a way to disable mobile devices.
• Ensure you have a firewall in place.
• Give your Wi-Fi networks strong passwords.
• Use two-factor authentication for important profiles.

There are many things to consider when assessing the vulnerabilities of your small business. Keep these concepts in mind when you’re developing a plan for your own organization.