Encouraging Employees to Buy Into Business Security

Encouraging Employees to Buy Into Business Security Despite not being a priority for many businesses, security needs to be a part of every small business’s identity. With crimes against small businesses costing an estimated £12 billion a year and fraud claims on the rise, it’s the smaller firms that suffer the biggest hits if they don’t protect themselves. Companies have always been at threat from business break-ins and white-collar crime. But despite 88% of UK businesses facing a security breach within the last 12 months, many business owners still don’t look for solutions until it’s too late. With small businesses, there is more of a responsibility on individuals to help prevent company breaches. Director at Keys 4 U, Izzy Schulman, looks at how employers can take a proactive approach before the worst happens and nurture a culture of security. Promoting security protocol The first step for any business looking to tighten up its security is to begin changing the mindset of its employees from that of security as an afterthought, to a top priority. Put security at the forefront of your company ethos by handing responsibility to employees. Responsibility is generally positive for employees, building mutual trust and allowing them to meet and exceed challenges. Like with all new company policies, delivery is key. Instead of sending an email to employees, try organizing an informal meeting in which you let the team know security is a team effort and giving examples of how simple daily changes can have a much wider positive impact on the business. This behavior must be seen coming from the top down to achieve the level of buy-in needed for effective security. It’s the responsibility of directors, managers, and supervisors to be seen to be actively putting company safety protocol in place to instill a culture, as opposed to simply barking orders. Keep it simple One of the most common challenges with updating security protocols for employees is how it’s seen as a distraction or an extra responsibility on top of their existing workload. You should make it as easy as possible for employees to add security best practices into their daily routine, without disrupting them. Start by identifying the key risks in your industry and which employees are most likely to face them, for example, those working online will likely face cybersecurity threats. Set up short, regular training sessions with employees to cover key risks and best practices for avoiding them. Simple tips like how to identify and avoid the latest phishing scam emails and avoiding malware can all be learned in a quick training session. Depending on how your employees prefer to learn, you can choose from a variety of seminars, online courses or private companies to train your team. Give employees extra peace of mind by installing the latest antivirus/malware software and firewalls to keep them protected against cyber threats. With a growing trend of ransomware attacks, it’s also good practice to keep reminders around the office about regularly backing up your data. Recognize and reward Employees need to feel appreciated in their jobs. It’s an indicator of job satisfaction. However, a recent study found fewer than 64 percent of employees are satisfied with their job. Show you value employees who buy into office security by offering rewards. One way is using gamification methods. They help to create a competitive atmosphere among employees to take on security training and offer the opportunity to incentivize participants with rewards. These can range from individual tokens to whole team outings for completing security courses. Risk assessments Risk assessments are vital for identifying potential weaknesses in the business â€" both physically and online. Separate assessments should be regularly carried out in all company departments. Keep a log of all assessments to help you track security progress and see costs. A thorough strong risk assessment includes: You should begin by assessing the office or building, before moving on to inspecting employees and how they carry out daily tasks. Make sure all feedback and any company-wide changes are communicated clearly to relevant employees in a way they find engaging, for example by email or in a face-to-face meeting. Taking responsibility A thorough office security plan also includes going back to basics and improving physical office security. This can often be overlooked in today’s tech-focused workforce. It’s important to assign roles to the team, for example, those in charge of locking up the office, fire marshals and first aiders. The latter may be offered to volunteers who may see it as a positive responsibility to add to their CV, however locking up and manning alarms should typically be trusted to more senior employees. About the author: Izzy Schulman, Director at Keys4U and Plumbers4U, has a passion for delivering affordable locksmith and plumbing solutions to those in need. Being an experienced contractor himself and a business director for just under 10 years, he is always keen to share his experience with businesses and help those in the industry.

Why You Shouldve Started Investing Yesterday!

Why You Shouldve Started Investing Yesterday! If you’re a young adult, then you might see investing as something completely alien. The very word probably conjures up images of decadent stock brokers shouting over one another, or cigar-chomping business tycoons. However, there are many reasons for you to invest, whatever your situation. Here are just a handful of reasons why you should’ve started investing yesterday! One commonly overlooked benefit of investing is its educational value. If you neglect this for too long, then you may end up in a lot of debt. Living beyond your means is never a pleasant experience, so try your best to avoid it! Investing throws you in the deep end, and forces you to understand your financial situation quickly. Once you have a keen understanding of this, how much to spend, save and invest will become much clearer. Ask just a few middle-aged people for financial advice. Many will tell you to start saving as soon as you start getting full-time pay. Nights out and gorgeous clothes may seem like smart buys now. Believe me, that won’t always be the case! The sooner you start saving and investing, the better you’ll be able to manage your finances in the future. If you ever wanted to start a business, then investing could be hugely beneficial for a couple of reasons. First of all, you’ll be able to grow the money you invest, which could soften any start-up costs you have to think about. Secondly, investing will teach you a number of valuable skills every business owner needs. Classes or an alternative investment coach can only take you so far. When you’re investing yourself, you quickly learn a lot of the rules of global economics. Stocks and bonds fluctuate according to the performance of businesses, and the economies of countries. When you invest, every profile you study, every gain and loss will be a part of your education. If you don’t have any dreams of putting your name on a skyscraper, then investing could help you attain what you do want. A supercar, a cottage on a lake, or a round-the-world trip won’t just fall in your lap. If you have a big goal like this in mind, then investing could be a fantastic way to get it. This is especially true when your invested capital is earning a higher rate of return than your regular savings. If you can maintain this, you’ll be earning more money in the long term. Furthermore, some employer-sponsored investments mean that you can invest using your pre-tax dollars. This means you’ll save more money overall. Whatever it is you’re saving for, consider investment as a route towards it. You may have to deal with people who make money for the sake of money, but you don’t have to become one of them! If you thought investment was only for a certain type, then I hope this post convinced you otherwise. Although these benefits of investing are valid, they’re just the tip of the iceberg! Do your own research and find out everything it can offer. Image Source; Image Source; Image Source

4 Common Productivity Tips That Are Actually Wasting Your Time - Classy Career Girl

4 Common Productivity Tips That Are Actually Wasting Your Time Most of us want to get more stuff done. More productivity often leads to improved results. As humans, we consciously and unconsciously want to achieve great things. We want better. Better status, better jobs, better spouses, better lives. How can we achieve that? Well, first off, we need to be productive. And that’s how the journey toward reaching great heights of productivity begins. After just an initial thought and a spark of inspiration, most people Google questions such as “how to be more productive” or “productivity tips.” (is that how you got here?) Honestly, the majority of tips should work in case the person who reads them actually applies them properly. However, as the competition gets more fierce, most content creators exaggerate or appeal to the reader’s poor senses. They trick you into believing that the “magic productivity pill” is out there, and they make it look very easy and appealing. Still, theres a lot of misinformation that flows on the web, so you need to carefully filter the advice you decide to implement into your activities. Let’s see which of the most common productivity tips are in fact not so productive. 4 Common Productivity Tips That Are Actually Wasting Your Time 1. “Have Strict To-Do Lists” Most people advise you to hold strict to-do lists in your room, check them on a frequent basis, and stick to your objectives without missing a thing. However, there’s a noticeable problem that this strategy brings. Life is unexpected. A strict schedule is only going to cultivate stress because if the entire list isn’t checked off at the end of the day, you will feel disappointed. You keep building up disappointment up to a point where you’re no longer capable of staying consistent with your work. You may as well end up doing nothing for a week â€" this being a side-effect of your failed attempt to follow that to-do list. 2. “Use Website-Blocking Software” There are lots of digital tools nowadays that promise to improve your productivity. Some even do! Yet some of them might be also misleading. Let’s take the website-blocking tools such as Stayfocusd. These types of apps are simply stopping you from accessing “time-distracting” online environments. One example could be social media networks such as Facebook. The entire philosophy is wrong here. You do need a break. If you cut off your relaxing channels completely, you’re likely to start acquiring lots of stress and begin procrastinating. A survey performed by Staples shows that 64% of the surveyed employees and 57% of the surveyed employers suggested that “taking adequate breaks” is key to a greater productivity. [RELATED: Sit Up Straight and Relax! Productivity Tips For Digital Nomads] 3. “Establish Goals and Stick to Them Only” Everyone keeps talking about goals. Make a goal and stick to it. Discover your passion and turn it into a goal…all sorts of broad tips that come from people who have never achieved great productivity throughout their lives. In fact, productivity is most easily obtained through proper planning and great execution. For that, you should establish a system and stick to that system instead of merely looking after a goal. For example, if I would like to become a successful big-league volley player, I would create a 24/7 system which includes everything from mindset, nutrition, practice, improvement, and I would create rules for my life. I would then follow the system until I reach my goal. Never quit, always do my best. 4. “Work Hard All The Time” “Work harder” is already becoming a cliché. Everyone keeps saying it, yet the way people say it can barely explain what that term actually means. Each one of us is different. We have different personalities, different beliefs, and different work ethics. Most importantly, we have different standards of what work means. Therefore, whenever you’re advised to work harder, you’re basically being told that you’re not spending enough hours working (and this can literally kill you). Still, you can achieve greater productivity by shifting your thinking. Instead of focusing all your efforts and mental energies on working longer hours and being stricter with yourself, begin channeling that energy into smart thinking. In other words, spend your time looking for brilliant solutions to your problems and effective shortcuts for your journey. If you want more productivity, you should improve your personal strength. For me, that means making myself uncomfortable when other people stay comfortable. It means having regular introspection in which I assess the 20% of the actions which bring me 80% of the desired results (Pareto principle). Lastly, I have finally understood â€" as most of you should â€" that success requires consistency and persistency.

How to Start the New Year Strong - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How to Start the New Year Strong - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career First, let’s start with a question … Why should you start the year off with a bang? Something to Consider The early bird gets the worm. Also a bit of a disclaimer: I think most of the people that read the Personal Branding Blog site not only LIVE the mantra of staying ahead to get ahead, but also don’t take a lot for granted. However, sometimes it’s nice to get a subtle reminder. The reason you want to start off the year strong is because you will be able to get a jump start on everything: Your thinking, your planning, your goals and possibly most important … your competition. It’s relatively easy to get started. Just Three Simple Things: Show Up,  Have  a Plan, Get Started Woody Allen said 90% of success is showing up and it’s as true today as when he said it all those  years ago. With those three points in play here are four more tips for making them a reality and starting off the year strong. Tip #1 First and Foremost. Get Started Today. Once Begun … it’s Half Done! Why Start NOW? Because you will be ahead of 90% of everyone else. The plans you put down today will carry you through for the first few weeks. Which will help insure you are  off to a strong start. Depending upon the industry you work in there might be a lag time at the beginning of the year. Perhaps from new compensation plans (Comp Plans) being set forth  â€"â€"which always cause delays and confusion at the beginning of the year. Take advantage of this lag time to get ahead. Get started Now. Take a piece of paper or your favorite note taking app (I like Microsoft OneNote and I also like Evernote) and write down the first few things that come to mind. Use a Mind Map format or a Ben Franklin T-Chart. Use whatever format works for you.  It’s ok to edit. In fact, it’s encouraged to edit. As you are developing your goals one option to consider is to align your goals into  SMART Goals. You may also want to consider Asking Questions like a Contrarian. Tip #2 Dont Go Crazy in your planning, but Go Crazy Enough. The people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world are the ones who do. ~ Jack Kerouac Creating a plan lets you think through what you want to do. What you think you can accomplish (this may be the crazy part). And who you need to work with to get it done. Tip #3  â€" Have 30-60-90 Day Plans While it may not be possible to predict every nuance and every possibility for the entire year it’s a lot easier to put pen-to-paper or fingers-to-keyboard to make some accurate plans for the next 30, 60 and 90 days. Take the time now to create plans for the next 30 days. Extend those ideas and plans to the next 60 and 90 days. Things will change. That’s OK. Having plans on paper will allow you the luxury of having something to measure against and improve upon for the next round. Tip #4 Use 3x3x3s to make sure you stay on task I wrote about 33’s here … The gist is the have a plan that tracks three things from the previous, the current week and the next week. Why Three? Three is a reasonable number. It can be expanded to more than three items, but the higher the number the more  unmanageable  it becomes. Stick with three to get started. The goal is to provide focus on the specific tasks that align with your plans. In this case … your plans for starting the year off strong. Planning Matters! With these tips I hope you can get your plans for the first few weeks documented and get them started early into the new year. Why Start Now? Because you’ll be ahead of almost everyone else out there. You’ll be up and running while they are just thinking about it. This is a case where you can prove that the early bird gets the worm. Be the Early Bird! Here’s to Starting off the New Year strong. Good luck! Author: Jeff   is a veteran in the Enterprise Content Management industry. Over the past 20 years he has worked with customers and partners to design, develop and deploy solutions around the world. Jeff is currently the Director of Strategic Alliances at Winshuttle. He has worked for Microsoft, FileNet (IBM), K2, Captaris, Open Text, Kofax and Kodak. He speaks and blogs about ECM and the Intersection between Social, Mobile and Cloud Computing.

Unpaid internships Are they damaging your future

Unpaid internships Are they damaging your future We’ve all gone through it at some point. It probably started with your compulsory work experience in year 10, when you ended up sat in the corner of your mum’s office filing and making tea. But even at the ripe old age of 21, it’s not rare for students and graduates to be completing unpaid internships in a bid to get the job of their dreams. In certain industries, especially in the media and arts, unpaid internships are seen as par for the course. To get a job you need experience, but you can’t get experience without a job. So you’re expected to work for free, despite the fact that literally nothing else in this world is free. Recent research has just shown that those who carry out unpaid work after graduation end up £3,500 worse off than those who go straight into paid work, and £1,500 worse off than those who go into further study. So really what’s the point? How do you know whether an unpaid placement is worth it? How long do they want you for? Essentially if a placement is more than two weeks long, you should be getting paid for it. Companies should never expect you to take a whole month out of your year to work for free. Time is your most valuable commodity so use it wisely. Plus, you might not necessarily gain anything extra from staying longer than a few weeks, so if theyre not paying you, you have to ask yourself what youre getting out of it. Is it a big company? You would think that the larger the organisation, the more likely you are to get paid but this is rarely true. Larger organisations may have more money to spend, but they also know that their ‘big name’ is enticing and students will be willing to sell an arm to get their foot in the door. But you need to think about what you’re actually going to gain from the placement. Being able to pop a big name on your CV might look impressive to potential employers, but if you’re going to be stuck transcribing interviews, then it might not do a lot for your own personal development. In contrast, a smaller company might allow you to get stuck in more and actually make a real difference. They might not be able to afford to pay you, but they are more likely to remember your name for job openings later. Know your worth Compare the placement with what you’ve previously done. Are you going to be slightly out of your depth, learning new skills every day? Or have you done all this stuff before? If it’s the latter, you should put your foot down. No matter what industry you’re in, if this is a skill you’ve already mastered you should be paid for your work. Just because you’re younger than the people you’re working with, don’t let that make you feel inferior, and don’t be afraid to stand your ground when it comes to asking for payment. Look for paid opportunities instead Everyone might be scrabbling for a place on that unpaid internship at a big name company, but if you take a step back you might actually find a paid opportunity which will do you better. I have spent hundreds of pounds funding transport and accommodation for unpaid work experience placements, but have always learnt much more in paid positions. It might not be exactly what you want to get in to, or the company might be quite small, but if theyre paying you theyre likely to give you more responsibility and youll ultimately learn a lot more. Are they damaging? The recent findings that unpaid internships might actually make you worse off in the long run is worrying. Am I hindering my future career path by working for free? The unfortunate answer is that many employers just dont take unpaid roles that seriously, no matter where you are or what youre doing. Its not always the case, but sometimes someone who has been in a paid role will be perceived as more experienced and than someone doing the same role unpaid. And when paid roles in some industries are like gold dust, this is super frustrating. If youre in a position to be able to carry out an unpaid internship then you shouldnt be afraid to go for it, but you also shouldnt be afraid to ask for payment if you think its appropriate. Just remember your fellow students and grads who arent lucky enough to be able to do so. The system is unfair and it needs to change. It isnt going to happen overnight, but if students and graduates start to collectively raise the issue and challenge the consensus that unpaid internships are acceptable, employers will start to change their ways. In such a competitive job market employers know they call the shots. Now its time we take back the power. Connect with Debut on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn for more careers insights.

6 Great iOS Apps for Creating the Perfect Resume - CareerAlley

6 Great iOS Apps for Creating the Perfect Resume - CareerAlley We may receive compensation when you click on links to products from our partners. The perfect resume will help you get the job of your dreams. The job search process relies primarily on the Internet and speed to market. The longer you delay submitting your resume, the more likely it is that tens if not hundreds have applied before you.The ability to update your resume on the fly and submit it quickly is key to being one of the first to submit a resume for a new opportunity. The job search process hasshifted from desktop to mobile devices. Everyone should have apps thatallow themto apply for a job and work on perfecting their resume from your smartphone or tablet. Theres no point in applying for a job if you dont possess the right qualifications. Review the job listing again to identify which requirements are considered must-haves. If you dont meet these core requirements, you shouldnt have bothered applying for the job in the first place and certainly shouldnt apply a second time. TopResume For those of you who use Android-based smartphones, we already have a great post for you (6 Great Android Apps for Creating the Perfect Resume). If you use an iPhone or iPad, youve come to the right place. There are tons of excellent job search apps for iOS, but there are also quite a fewexcellent resume-writing and managementapps available as well. Following are some greatapps for making your resume accessible no matter where you are and allowing you to work on creating the ultimate resume even when you are nowhere near your computer. Photo bySaulo MohanaonUnsplash Resume Star: Resume Star is available for iPhone, iPad and an online version (not covered here). The app allows you to create a professional resume using standard fonts and a number of widely used templates/formats. Not happy with the templates, create your own. Addyour job experience, personal information and then preview to see how your resumewill look. You can edit, drag-and-drop, add or to delete sections and content. The app canmodify font and margin sizes. Resume Star also has built-in spell-checking. You can save your resume to pdf, print your resume, upload to Dropbox, or email your resume to prospective employers.The app is free to use, but if you get that interview and are satisfied with the app you can use the in-app purchase to show your thanks. Resume Designer 3 Resume Designer 3 is probably one of the best apps available for creating, maintaining, and sendingyour resume from your iOSdevice. The app supports iPhone and iPad. only creating a great looking resume on your mobile phone, but sending it to anyone who might want to see it at any time. It is a very easy to use app with a slick interface that allows you to create, maintain, update and email your resume right from the phone. Remember, job opportunities can show themselves anywhere this app makes sure that you are prepared to present your qualifications at all times. Photo byNikita KachanovskyonUnsplash Winning Resume Winning Resume is an app that guides you through the process of creating your resume with expert advice. As you build your resume using this app, it offers tips and guidelines for creating an easy to read, informative and strong resume that will present your qualifications in the best possible light. Best Resume Lite The Best Resume Lite is aresume builder that helps you build aprofessional resume and is designed to make resume-writing fast and easy. The app can handle multiple resumes, guides you through a step-by-step process. You can start from scratch or import your resume from Linkedin, export via email and can select which sections (summary, specialties, experience, education, etc) to include. source Resume Maker Pro Resume Maker makes creatingyour resume leveraging predesigned templates. Entering your data is easy and you can also add a photo (if you so choose, not sure I would). You can create as many resumes as you need (see 6 Resources for Creating Multiple Resumes) at no additional cost. The app also provides cover letter support, allowing you to customize your job submissions. You can save/share your finished resume on a variety of the most popular cloud drives and you can also email and print your resume.

Change the Cover Letter Or Resume You Have Been Using

Change the Cover Letter Or Resume You Have Been UsingLooking for a way to quickly and easily change the cover letter or resume you have been using in an attempt to avoid a company name change, but a company has recently changed their name? Well, there are things you can do if a company name has changed. The best solution is to go online and find the company's website. You can make this process easier if you use your local city's name.When you want to change the name of your business, you will want to find out where the company is located and the most recent address that is available. Next, type in the name of the company into the search engine of your choice and go to the page where the address and phone number are displayed. Once you have the address and phone number, go to the website of the company. Go ahead and find the 'contact us' page on the website and send them an email. Since they will no longer be in business, make sure you use their email address so that they will receive your email.When they reply to your email, provide them with a link to the page where you can find your resume. You will have to include the new name of the company. You can include a link in the email to the company's website if you want.In your old resume and application, you should have included all the information that was required to get your job and this information should be easily found. You will need to find out what has changed on the company's website and what has changed with the terms of service, privacy policy, or other information you used to apply.You will also want to look at the website information. Are there any changes that you should know about? Is everything accurate on the website? After you finish looking at the website, you should still have all the information thatwas needed.Once you have the website information, go back to your old resume and apply what you found on the website. In order to do this, you will want to include all the information about the co mpany that has changed. This will allow you to quickly and easily change the cover letter or resume you have been using.Make sure you include all the information that has changed with the company name and look for an easier way to find the website of the company. With a little work, you can update the information about the company you currently have a job with.