InfoBusiness 2.0

Special Report:

The 3 Most Expensive & Deadly Computer Disasters That Wipe Out Small Business Owners …
And How To Avoid Them

An Urgent Warning To All Small Business Owners:

If You Depend On Your Computer Network To Run Your Business, This Is One Report You DON’T Want To Overlook!

You’ll Discover:

§ 5 Critical security measures every small business should have in place.

§ The single costliest mistake most small business owners make when it comes to protecting their irreplaceable company data.

§ How to avoid costly network repair bills.

§ A simple way to protect your network that won’t cost you a dime!

Dear Colleague,

Have you ever lost an hour of work on your computer?

Now imagine if you lost days or weeks of work – or imagine losing your client database, financial records, and all of the work files your company has ever produced or compiled.

Imagine what would happen if your network went down for days where you couldn’t access e-mail or the information on your PC. How frustrating would that be?

What if a major storm, flood, or fire destroyed your office and all of your files? Or if a virus wiped out your server…do you have an emergency recovery plan in place that you feel confident in? How quickly do you think you could recover, if at all?

Many small business owners tend to ignore or forget about taking steps to secure their company’s network from these types of catastrophes until disaster strikes. By then it’s too late and the damage is done.

After working with over a 100 of small and mid-size businesses in the Greater Toronto Area, we found that 6 out of 10 businesses will experience some type of major network or technology disaster that will end up costing them between $9,000 to $60,000 in repairs and restoration costs on average. That doesn’t even include lost productivity, sales, and client good-will that can be damaged when a company can’t operate or fulfill on its promises due to a down network.

What’s most exasperating about this situation is that 100% of these disasters and restoration costs could have been completely avoided easily and inexpensively. That’s why I decided to write this report.

I have found that most small business owners have no idea of the importance of regular preventative maintenance and disaster recovery planning because they are already swamped with more immediate day-to-day fires demanding their attention. If their network is working fine today, it goes to the bottom of the pile of things to worry about. In most cases, no one is watching to make sure the back ups are working, the virus protection is up-to-date, or that the network is “healthy”.

This is like saying you’re too busy driving your car on the highway to put your seatbelt on. Taking that simple preventative step doesn’t really show its true value until you get into a head on collision; at that point you are either extremely relieved that you had it on or incredibly sorry that you didn’t.

The same holds true with your computer network. Obviously the information on the disk is far more valuable than the disk itself. If your company depends on having access to the information stored on your server or PC, then it’s time to get serious about protecting it from damage or loss.

Why Small Business Are Especially Vulnerable
To These Disasters

With the constant changes to technology and daily development of new threats, it takes a highly-trained technician to maintain even a simple 3 to 5 person network. The costs of hiring a full-time IT person are just not feasible for the small business owner.

In an attempt to save money, most try to do their own in-house IT support and designate the person with the most technical expertise as the part-time IT manager. This never works out because this make-shift IT person has another full-time job to do and is usually not skilled enough to properly support an entire computer network anyway.

This inevitably results in a network that is ill-maintained and unstable. It also means that the backups, virus updates, and security patches are not getting timely updates, or may even be set up improperly giving a false sense of security.

It’s only a matter of time before the network crashes. If you’re lucky, it will only cost you a little downtime; but there’s always a chance you could end up like one of these companies:

Auto Body Shop Shells Out $20,000 To Clean Up A Virus

A local auto body shop with multiple locations discovered the importance of preventative maintenance the hard way. Without warning, a virus was downloaded to their server and started replicating and attaching itself to files. This virus corrupted their data, impaired their customer management system, and immediately brought down their Exchange server (no e-mail could come in or go out).

Preventing this disaster would have only cost them 1/25^th of the cost ($800 per month) AND they would have experienced better performance and fewer problems with their network. Instead, they were forced to spend a whopping $20,000 to remove the virus and restore their network, and that only got them back up and running. Their systems were still not optimized, secured, and updated as they should be.

Two Failed Hard Drives Costs Health Products Company $40,000 and
9 Days of Downtime

The back office of a health products company had two hard drives fail at the same time causing them to lose a large number of critical customer files.

When they contacted us to recover the data from the system backups, we found they weren’t functioning properly. Even though they appeared to be backing up all of this company’s data, they were in fact worthless. In the end, recovering the data off of these failed drives took a team of disaster recovery specialists 9 days and $15,000. In addition to the recovery costs, they also incurred $25,000 in other services to get their network stable.

Had they been properly monitoring their network, they would have been able to see that these hard drives were failing and that the back ups were not performing properly. This would have prevented the crash, the downtime, and the $40,000 in costs to get them back up and running, not to mention the 9 days of lost productivity while their network was down.

Property Management Company Spends $9,000 And Weeks Of Down Time For A Simple Inexpensive Repair

A 10-user property management company was not monitoring or maintaining their server. Due to the overuse and lack of maintenance, it started to degenerate and eventually shut down under the load. This caused their entire network to be down for two full days and cost them $3,000 in support fees to get them back up and running. Naturally the costs were much higher when you factor in the lost productivity of their ten employees during that time.

This client did not want to implement a preventative maintenance program so the same problem happened again two months later, costing them another $3,000 and two days of downtime.

Six months later it happened yet another time bringing their total to $9,000 in hard costs and tens of thousands in productivity costs for a problem that could have been quickly detected and prevented from happening.

Talk to any manager at any large organization, and they are likely to have an interesting disaster-related story to tell.  Perhaps a virus wiped out an entire email system, or a power surge corrupted hundreds of important business documents.  Or, maybe a flood destroyed servers that stored mission-critical customer data. 

 

According to statistics, you don’t need to worry about if a disaster will strike – you need to worry about when.  Hard drives have manufacturer warranties that last no longer than one to three years.  And, computer systems are so complex and intricate that a small problem with one little component can cause a chain reaction and bring your entire infrastructure down in a matter of seconds. 

 

Are you prepared?

 

The first thing you will need is some sort of backup device.  It can be an old computer, a network-attached storage device, or even a tape or DVD drive.  You must schedule a complete data backup to run each night, so you can retrieve recent versions of your files in the event of an emergency.  You can use the basic backup software that comes standard with your computer or DVD drive, or you can purchase one of the many other solutions available today, including BrightStor, Overland Storage, EMC, and Quantum.

 

If you cannot afford even a single minute of downtime during a backup, you need to look into complete backup solutions.  Packages like Acronis True Image can take a live snapshot of your hard drive and store it on a DVD, network server, or other hard drive.  You can revert back to the saved image at any time.  Simply replace the corrupted hard drive with a new one, boot from the recovery disk, and point the software to your backup files.  You’re entire system, exactly as it was at the time of your last backup, will be completely restored within an hour.  Your emails, Internet favorite places, programs, and documents will be easily retrievable, as if nothing happened.

 

After you configure your data backup, it is wise to add a few additional layers of protection:

 

Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS)

Uninterrupted power supplies can be found at any computer or recording store, and cost between $80 and $200. These devices protect all of your electronic equipment from damage caused by power surges and power loss.  Choosing a UPS with a bigger battery will give you more time to save your documents in the event of a sustained or long-term power loss.  And, don’t forget to configure an automatic software shutdown in the event of a power failure.  This will further minimize damage by saving your documents in their most current state, and safely shutting the computer down.  

 

Redundant Array of Independent Disks (RAID)

RAID devices allow you to write on two or more hard drives at the same time, in case one of them fails.  With a RAID device, there is always another hard drive that contains the exact same data set.  So, unless all hard drives give out at the same time, which would be highly unlikely, you always have another available drive with the same exact data. 

 

Off-Site Backup

Backing up your data using on-site solutions can offer effective protection against system failures.  But, what do you do in the event of a flood, fire, or burglary? Disasters like these require off-site back up.  Whether you use a tape, CD, or DVD, make sure you conduct a weekly backup to a remote network location, or have a third-party provider back up your data via the Internet.  There are many services available, ranging in price from free to about $100 per month.  Compare the various plans offered by EVault, Mozy, LiveVault, and other service providers, and see which one will best fit your needs. 

 

Tip:  Do not forget to test your backups regularly.  If you backup your data to faulty media you will have no way to restore your files and applications after a disaster.

 

There are countless books, DVDs, software packages, and seminars that describe how to get your company online quickly and cost-effectively.  Since this topic alone could cover enough tips and ideas to fill an entire book, I will summarize just a few of the best options.

 

If you’re new to the Web, you’ll probably just need a basic informational Web site that highlights your company and its products/services, and provides contact data (i.e. email addresses, phone and fax numbers, etc.) for those visitors that wish to reach out to you to learn more.  If you already have all that, then there are two more advanced directions you can take – you can generate more business by driving more traffic to your site, or you can use your site to better serve your existing customers. 

 

Generating More Business with Search Engine Advertising & Optimization

One of the best ways to drive more traffic to – and more revenue from – your Web site is through search engines.  Search engines can be international or local, and can help prospects who are looking for products and services like yours to find your Web site.  You can optimize your search engine rankings (i.e. how high on the list you come up when a visitor types in a related keyword or key phrase) in two ways:

1)      You can buy ads on search engine sites, such as Google or Yahoo

2)      You can optimize your site, to make it easier for search engines to find it

 

Search engine ad campaigns can be launched for as low as a few dollars.  Open an account on Google™ AdWords or Yahoo Search Marketing (formerly Yahoo Overture), create your ad using common industry keywords, and post a bid for it.  A bid is the price you will pay each time a searcher clicks-through from the ad to your site.  In many cases, your bid can be as low as five cents.  Each time a Web visitor types in your keywords or phrases, your ad will appear above or to the side of the search results.  You can then run reports and track the number of people that clicked on your ad. 

 

Of course, the higher your search engine placement, the better.  There is a variety of search engine optimization (SEO) software on the market today to help boost rankings.  Check out Trendmetrics, Apex Pacific, and GR Software.  Or, you can hire a consulting company like Bruce Clay or MetaMend to help you optimize your site for you. 

 

SEO software typically costs between $100 and $1000, depending on the features and level of functionality it provides.  Consulting services can run anywhere from $100 to $5000 per month, depending on the size and complexity of your Web site, and your SEO goals.  I suggest starting with a combination of both approaches.  Track the results to see which delivers a higher return on investment. 

 

Generating More Business with Visitor Tracking

Understanding how many visitors you get, and where they come from, is vital to the success of your Web site strategy.  Your Web hosting company should provide you with access to statistics and log files that measure hits and traffic to your site. Monitor your site traffic daily, and assess the impact of your search engine optimization efforts and related ads.   More advanced Web statistics solutions are available through Stats in a Box, OpenTracker, and Web Trends.   

 

Generating More Business With Internet Marketing

Search engine optimization is not the only effective online marketing technique.  Consider exploring other types of programs such as opt-in email marketing (not spam), e-zine or blog advertising, and banner ads.

 

Placing banner ads in popular e-zines or newsletters can be a great way to reach your target audience.  You can even start your own e-zine, newsletter, or blog to share your ideas and knowledge, as well as new information with your prospects and clients. 

 

However, creating your own opt-in distribution list, and communicating regularly with those subscribers, is the most effective way to leverage the Internet for marketing purposes.  In order to launch a successful opt-in email program, you will need some sort of free offer – perhaps a special report, white paper, eBook, or other downloadable document.  Once you have used this offer to obtain their email address, and their permission to continue contacting them, you can send them future messages and promotions until they decide to purchase your products or services.  Don’t forget, studies show that it will take a minimum of 21 contacts before you actually close the deal. 

 

Enhancing Service to Existing Customers

Your Web site can also serve as a mechanism for providing faster, more responsive, less expensive services to your customers.  Some of the ways in which you can use your site to improve service delivery include:

• Linking your order management and fulfillment systems to your Web site.  This will allow customers to instantly access real-time information about their purchases, order status, and deliveries, while reducing call volumes to your customer service center. 
• Providing clients with complete order and payment histories, so they can see exactly what they purchased, and when. 
• Developing self-service tools for your clients, such as manuals, sales materials, frequently asked questions (FAQs), and other downloadable informational materials, as well as a knowledgebase.  You can also offer online support requests, issue reporting, and job ticket opening. 
• Putting a live help button on your site, so visitors can chat with company representatives in real-time.  You can also track visitors as they are browsing through your site, so you can see what they are reading and downloading.
• Electronically transferring purchase orders and contracts to and from customers.  This will dramatically increase order efficiency and accuracy by eliminating data entry errors and accelerating order processing. 
• Creating online client forums, where customers can help solve each other’s problems, discuss best practices, share ideas, and more, without the need for your support staff to get involved. 

Special Report:

5 Simple Ways To Avoid Getting

An Avalanche of Spam

 

As you probably already know from firsthand experience, once you’re on a spammer’s list, it’s next to impossible to get off. And changing your e-mail address can be a major inconvenience especially if you rely on it to stay in touch with important business and personal contacts.

 

To reduce the chances of your e-mail address getting spammed, here are 5 simple preventative measures you can take that will go a long way in keeping not-so-delicious spam out of your in-box.

 

 

1. Use a disposable e-mail address.

 

If you buy products online or occasionally subscribe to websites that interest you, chances are you’re going to get spammed.

 

To avoid your main e-mail address from ending up on their broadcast list, set up a free Internet e-mail address with Hotmail or Juno and use it when buying or opting in to online newsletters. You can also use a throwaway e-mail address when making purchases or subscribing to newsletters (see #4 below).

 

 

2. Pay attention to check boxes that automatically opt you in.

 

Whenever you subscribe to a website or make a purchase online, be very watchful of small, pre-checked boxes that say, “Yes! I want to receive offers from third party companies.”

 

If you do not un-check the box to opt-out, your e-mail address can (and will) be sold to every online advertiser.  To avoid this from happening, simply take a closer look at every online form you fill out. 

 

 

3. Don’t use your main e-mail address on your website, web forums, or newsgroups.

Spammers have special programs that can glean e-mail addresses from websites without your permission. If you are posting to a web forum or newsgroup, use your disposable e-mail address instead of your main e-mail address.

If you want to post an e-mail address on your home page, use “info@” and have all replies forwarded to a folder in your in-box that won’t interfere with your main address.

4. Create throwaway e-mail accounts.

If you own a web domain, all mail going to an address at your domain is probably set up to come directly to you by default.  For example, an e-mail addressed to anything@yourdomain.com will be delivered to your in-box.

This is a great way to fight spam without missing out on important e-mails you want to get. The next time you sign up for a newsletter, use the title of the website in your e-mail address. For example, if the website is titled “successsecrets.com”, enter “successsecrets@yourdomain.com” as your e-mail address. If you get spammed, look at what address the spam was sent to.

If successsecrets@yourdomain.com shows up as the original recipient, you know the source since that e-mail address was unique to that web site. Now you can easily stop the spam by making any e-mail sent to that address bounce back to the sender.

 

5. Don’t open, reply to or try to opt-out of obvious spam e-mails.

Opening, replying to, or even clicking a bogus opt-out link in an obvious spam e-mail signals that your e-mail address is active, and more spam will follow.

The only time it is safe to click on the opt-out link or reply to the e-mail is when the message was sent from a company you know or do business with (for example, a company that you purchase from or a newsletter you subscribed to).