No matter what type of business you’re running, there are probably certifications you can get, and some you need to get. These are determined by local regulatory agencies, professional associations, and federal mandates.
If you’re unsure of the certifications and licenses required for your business, do some research on your own to learn which ones might be necessary.
From trades like plumbing, auto repair, and electrical work, to computer programmers and accountants, customs brokers and clinical therapists, there are a wide variety of certifications and licenses that are required for specific professions. Ongoing education, experience, and safety requirements, as well as hours of practice, are all factors that go into obtaining these types of licenses and certifications.
These ensure professionalism and a deep understanding of a specific field to practice on a day to day basis. Ongoing educational requirements ensure professionals that are already certified are kept apprised on changing laws and shifts in the market and best practices. Let’s face reality: in some areas of life, a given amount of comfort is felt when the person providing the service is well-credentialed and experienced.
With the introduction of HIPAA in the mid-1990s, the needs and complexities of owning and operating a medical practice have exponentially expanded. Information is kept not just in paper files, but in digital formats that can be shared between professionals and practices for a fully comprehensive view of a person’s health record.
This comes with new certifications like the one associated with the Health Information Trust Alliance, or HITRUST. What is a HITRUST certification you ask? It’s an industry-standard meant to ensure your business is fully compliant with HIPAA requirements.
What’s more, HITRUST certification ensures your business is up to speed with the latest changes affecting how businesses in the healthcare sector can store, share, and transfer medical data.
Life coaching, writing, real estate, project management, IT certifications, health coaching, construction certifications, safety, and first responder certifications…the list goes on and on. Most likely, your career field, or desired career field, has certifications that can set you apart, or put you in the right category of qualified professionals.
Some professions and businesses can proceed without certification or licensure, while others are required before performing work. It’s always best to do your own research and determine what is required in your business and local market to prevent any unnecessary issues that may arise if practicing without a license.
Lack of proper certification is ethically problematic and can even be punishable by a fine or other penalties.
What business are you in, and what licenses are required to practice in your profession? What avenues do you have to explore and verify what is required to begin or proceed?
Many networking events double as continuing education opportunities, so maintaining your credentials after the initial completion is generally as easy as showing up for a bit of learning and meeting new people in your field! Networking and collaborating with new people is always an added bonus.
The post Certifications to Consider for Your Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.
Those unfamiliar with the real estate business are often surprised to learn the entities who own the property are typically not the ones managing it day-to-day. This is where property management enters the picture. Property management businesses work on behalf of owners to look after their investment. Whether it’s taking care of landscaping, screening tenants, collecting rent, hiring cleaning services, or arranging for repairs, property managers are the boots on the ground for protecting real estate investment.
If you’re interested in getting into the property management business, there are a few things you need to know.
Like with any business, market research is critical before getting into property management. As expressed by the real estate adage “Location location location”, the ins and outs of successful property management vary from one place to another. Climate, infrastructure, economy, and demographics are just some of the factors that play a significant role in how the business of property management will play out in a certain location. It’s important to assess the local real estate market to uncover these nuances. A four-plex in Denver may need a plowing contract during the winter whereas an office building in Tucson is going to need an air conditioning company on call at any time. The point is, know your terrain and market because the day-to-day of each market and type of property will vary drastically.
Effective property management means recognizing ways to streamline the responsibilities and processes that come with the job. The most important property management skills tend to involve time management in some way or another. Whether it’s making the most of meetings, communicating better with tenants and vendors, or properly delegating tasks to others, knowing how to make the best use of time is critical for success. Once more than a few contracts are under your care you will need to hire and scale, how do you manage your time that is used to manage those people? That’s a common problem which is why documentation and process creation are so important.
Do you want to manage residential properties, office space, or industrial facilities? While it’s not unheard of for property management services to oversee different types of property, newcomers are probably not prepared to take on a diverse spread of real estate. Instead, pick one and start there. As your business grows and you gain more experience, branching out to multiple types of properties becomes easier and more practical. Often, someone gets into this industry because they buy something themselves and learn to manage their own assets before taking on others. Would you rather own an apartment building or an office building?
Property management means overseeing the maintenance of buildings and the land they sit on. While it’s possible you’re able to handle a few problems yourself, chances are the majority of the tasks required are outside your wheelhouse. These will need to be delegated to outside experts. Landscapers, plumbers, painters, and general contractors will need to be hired when necessary. It’s important for property managers to build strong relationships with these and other contractors they choose to hire. This is especially true when they’ve found ones who do the job right at a fair price. Pay them on time, pay them what they’re owed, and don’t lose their contact information. In return, the reliable work they get through your property management business will keep them coming back and most importantly, knocking out projects quickly.
As previously mentioned, time management skills are crucial for successful property management. With that said, it’s important to know property management might not always be a nine-to-five Monday through Friday type of job. Emergency issues with plumbing or other problems can pop up at any point and require immediate attention. It’s imperative for property managers to be prepared to work at odd hours. While it might not mean much more than showing up to let the repairman into the basement, you don’t want to be inaccessible when your presence is needed in an emergency.
Given the volume of real estate out there, property management is a potentially lucrative business opportunity. But it’s important to understand the business before diving in headfirst. Those who appreciate the primary responsibilities and skills of property management will prove to be the most successful.
The post Tips for Starting a Property Management Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.
Cybersecurity incidents and data breaches have become a normal part of the news cycle. It feels like every day you hear about a big corporation or organization suffering an attack that has put customer or user data in jeopardy. Sometimes this is because a security strategy was lacking; sometimes, the criminal’s attack was simply too […]… Read More
The post The Future of Cybersecurity Insurance appeared first on The State of Security.
In order for a small business to be successful, it needs to get a lot of things right, including the basics like having the right staff and equipment. In terms of equipment, this covers everything from software to shelving for inventory. You may specialize in product creation or a trade, but also lack the necessary business experience beyond that skill. This can make it challenging to move your side gig into a functional brick and mortar business.
When you open a location where customers and employees all intersect, there’s a lot you need to consider. Things like specialized tools, payroll software, office security are just a few of the countless things a small business will need to take into account, after all, preparation is key for long-term success.
If you will be selling any sort of merchandise or service, then you need to have a point of sale system. This system will allow you to ring up your customer’s purchases and you can keep track of how much money you are bringing in. There are numerous types of POS systems available. These include mobile, terminal, or tablet systems. In 2020, or 2021, your business will be doomed from the start if you try and keep track of everything through paper receipts and written invoices, don’t start two steps behind everyone else. The right POS system can track more than you think and make your life a lot easier. Readily available financials and reports can help you manage accounts and even make tax season a lot less stressful.
It is imperative that you are able to ensure that your property, inventory, and equipment are safe and secure at all times. Thankfully, due to technology, there are many different levels of business security systems that won’t break the bank. When looking for a security system, make sure to assess your property and any vulnerabilities. Gadgets like a Wi-Fi camera are a great choice. These remote monitoring devices allow you to stay on top of your property and connect multiple cameras so you can expand your security system as your business grows. If your business happens to be seasonal or, let’s say, just on weekends, there are a lot of hours when your location will be completely unmonitored which leaves it more susceptible to a burglary which unfortunately is quite common.
You will probably need to communicate with your employees quite a bit. Depending on the size of your operation you may want a team messaging app for businesses, such as Slack. This app will allow you to input messages for others to see and talk to one another. You can add announcements and other pertinent information that you want your employees to know. This type of app can conveniently be downloaded to a phone or tablet, and you can add or remove employees from it at any time.
In order to spread the word about your business, you need to have a marketing strategy. Your marketing strategy should include things like promotions to entice customers to make purchases, social media campaigns to engage customers, and in-store events to draw people into your business. Larger businesses will often hire someone to be their full-time marketer. However, many small businesses can’t afford to have a dedicated marketing employee. This is why you may want to utilize marketing software. It will allow you to easily execute marketing campaigns and determine who your target market is. Exponea, HubSpot and Wishpond are several of the different types of marketing software that are available for small businesses, no matter what industry or niche you operate in.
Whether your inventory is small, large, physical or digital, you still have to keep track of it all. As a small business owner, you don’t always have a lot of time to keep track of what you have, and you really need an easy way to do so. Inventory management software will prove to be very beneficial. Software like MyStock Inventory Manager, Inventory Scanner, and Inventory Now will allow you to streamline the process of taking inventory and reviewing what you are in need of. Some service-based businesses consider both people and tools their inventory, staying on top of all those moving pieces can make a serious difference on your bottom line.
In conclusion, there’s a lot that goes into having a brick and mortar small business. The items mentioned above are essential to your business’ success. By having the right must-have items, you can ensure that everything goes as smoothly as possible with your day to day operations.
The post Must-Haves for Your Brick and Mortar Small Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.
After its developers fixed several issues, DeathRansom ransomware is now actively infecting users and encrypting victims’ data. DeathRansom wasn’t actually crypto-ransomware when attackers first began distributing it. At that time, the threat pretended to encrypt users’ information and appended the .wctc extension onto victims’ files. Researchers found that they could recover victims’ affected data simply […]… Read More
The post DeathRansom Ransomware Fixes Issues, Now Encrypting Victims’ Data appeared first on The State of Security.
The end of November is a busy time in the United States. On Thanksgiving, friends and family gather together to give thanks for good food and good company. Once they’ve put away the leftovers, many Americans don their coats and head to the malls for Black Friday. The official start to the Christmas shopping season, […]… Read More
The post 5 Digital Threats to Watch Out for on Black Friday appeared first on The State of Security.
Vivun, a startup that wants to help companies keep better track of pre-sales data announced a $3 million seed round today led by Unusual Ventures, the venture firm run by Harness CEO Jyoti Bansal.
Vivun founder and CEO Matt Darrow says that pre-sales team works more closely with the customer than anyone else, delivering demos and proof of concepts, and generally helping sales get over the finish line. While sales has CRM to store knowledge about the customer, pre-sales has been lacking a tool to track info about their interactions with customers, and that’s what his company built.
“The main problem that we solve is we give technology to those pre-sales leaders to run and operate their teams, but then take those insights from the group that knows more about the technology and the customer than anybody else, and we deliver that across the organization to the product team, sales team and executive staff,” Darrow explained.
Darrow is a Zuora alumni, and his story is similar to that company’s founder Tien Tzuo, who built the first billing system for Salesforce, then founded Zuroa to build a subscription billing system for everyone else. Similarly, Darrow built a pre-sales tool for Zuroa after finding there wasn’t anything else out there that was devoted specifically to tracking that kind of information.
“At Zuora, I had to build everything from scratch. After the IPO, I realized that this is something that every tech company can take advantage of because every technology company will really need this role to be of high value and impact,” he said.
The company not only tracks information via a mobile app and browser tool, it also has a reporting dashboard to help companies understand and share the information the pre-sales team is hearing from the customer. For example, they might know that x number of customers have been asking for a certain feature, and this information can be organized and passed onto other parts of the company.
Screenshot: Vivun
Bansal, who was previously CEO and co-founder at AppDynamics, a company he sold to Cisco for $3.7 billion just before its IPO in 2017, saw a company filling a big hole in the enterprise software ecosystem. He is not just an investor, he’s also a customer.
“To be successful, a technology company needs to understand three things: where it will be in five years, what its customers need right now, and what the market wants that it’s not currently providing. Pre-sales has answers to all three questions and is a strategically important department that needs management, analytics, and tools for accelerating deals. Yet, no one was making software for this critical department until Vivun,” he said in a statement.
The company was founded in 2018 and has been bootstrapped until now. It spent the first year building out the product. Today, the company has 20 customers including SignalFx (acquired by Splunk in August for $1.05 billion) and Harness.
A new threat group called “Fullz House” is using both phishing and web skimming in order to maximize the profits of its attacks. Fullz House isn’t new to the threat landscape, but RiskIQ observed that the group had expanded its activities to include web skimming beginning in August-September 2019. These two operations are mostly split. […]… Read More
The post Fullz House Group Using Phishing and Web Skimming to Maximize Profits appeared first on The State of Security.
Facebook and Twitter have announced that personal data related to hundreds of users may have been improperly accessed after users logged into third-party Android apps with their social media accounts. According to a report by CNBC, users of Android apps that made use of a software development kit (SDK) named oneAudience may have unwittingly shared […]… Read More
The post Facebook and Twitter warn some users’ private data was accessed via third-party app SDK appeared first on The State of Security.
Au travail comme à l’extérieur, le partage et l’échange sont les fondamentaux du lien social et le besoin d’appartenir à un groupe renvoie à notre instinct le plus grégaire. Mais vous sentez-vous aussi investi, concentré et lié à la culture …
According to the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), renewable energy sources will pass coal in terms of U.S. electricity generation in 2021.
As their chart below shows, each of the sources will produce around 800 billion kilowatts of electricity in 2021.
Included in the IEEFA's definition of renewables are utility-scale biomass, geothermal, hydropower, solar and wind, plus small-scale solar.
The fastest-growing of these sources by far are wind and solar. They are forecast to continue growing at the pace of the past couple of years (around 20% for solar and 10% for wind).
Coal generation, as the chart below shows, has been rapidly declining since it's peak year in 2010.
Simply put, coal is not economically competitive with other sources. This even though many of the costs of coal (pollution, worker health problems, etc.) are not included in its price.
As cheaper and more efficient ways to store energy become available, there will be even less need for coal plants.
Expect coal's rapid decline to continue. Also, expect solar's growth to continue.
This is good news for both the economy and the environment. Solar energy creates more jobs (and better jobs) than the coal industry as well as being much better for the environment.
