Go With the Flow: Managing Cash Flow for a Healthy Business

/in , , ,

Guest post by Michael Stephenson of The Entrepreneur Hub

Whether your business is a $10 lemonade stand or a $1,000,000 tech venture, positive cash flow is intertwined with long-term success. But reaching and maintaining healthy incomings/outgoings is not always easy and, in fact, becomes a lot harder as your business grows. That’s why it’s important, while your operations are small, to develop good habits for managing cash flow that you can use in the years to come.

Monitoring

It’s hard to make necessary changes to your work processes if you don’t have a clear overview of inflows and outflows. At any moment, you’ll need to know your expense costs, inventory quantities, active projects, due invoices, fixed assets, and more so that you can accurately calculate cash flow and use your findings to build an airtight financial plan moving forward. Even if you’re a full-time entrepreneur/business owner, it will pay to spend some time building a working knowledge of accountancy.

Once you’ve dug out your bank statements, calculated your overheads, and collected all of your contracts, the next step is to quantify and store this information. If you haven’t already, it’s never too early to invest in accounting software. You can use this software to help track times, build reports, create and monitor invoices, and store receipts. Try to look for software that is suitably designed for small businesses and that you can easily use and operate independently. You can also invest in data analysis services to gain insight into your company’s operations. You can find data analysis professionals on freelance job platforms and vet candidates by reviews, experience, and skills.

Cutting Costs

Even when things are running smoothly, a savvy business owner is always looking to cut costs where possible. The best and perhaps the easiest way of doing this is to aim attention at recurring costs like subscriptions, office supplies, utility bills, insurance plans, or loans. For example, with the popularization of remote working, it’s possible to skip a hefty office contract entirely and conduct all business from home or in shared spaces.

Remember, even though it’s important to save money, you need to be careful how you go about doing this. One of the common mistakes when reviewing your budget is to slash marketing or advertising. This can be tempting for a business, especially during a recession, but oftentimes the value of marketing is multiplied in more difficult economic circumstances. Instead, consider adapting your processes – for example, you might try to utilize cost-efficient strategies such as PPC or paid social, rather than expensive ad campaigns or spending through an agency.

Adapting Your Business

Sometimes, to get to a positive cash flow, it’s necessary to make profound changes not just to your work practices but to the business itself. Using a sole proprietorship, for example, you can usually enjoy reduced tax rates (as there will be no legal separation between you and your business). Registering as a sole proprietorship will also save you on legal costs, as these will no longer pertain to state registration or obtaining an agent. Remember, before you take any major steps, it’s always a good idea to find the right financial advisor first since managing cash flow is just one element of your overall business financial management.

Another common strategy is to move everything to the digital space. Most businesses founded in the 2010s were either digital or have transitioned online. This is a major advantage for erasing geographical limitations, improving your reach across consumers, and, of course, saving cash on personnel and illiquid assets. Even though it’s an easy adjustment, you should make sure you’ve done plenty of research before you buy a domain or spend on online services.

You can also revamp your marketing efforts to improve your cash flow. In today’s business climate, digital marketing is an essential part of promoting your products and services. The pros at Steady Radiance Design can handle all your web design, SEO, and social media management needs so you can build your brand effectively. Need a budget-friendly way to create dynamic images for your marketing materials? You can utilize a free remove background tool which allows you to customize your images.

Recent studies found that 29% of businesses fail due to a lack of cash. If you can’t pay salaries, suppliers, or afford the resources you need to operate as normal, your business simply can’t function. Keeping strict cash management is essential, not just to the working of your business, but also to its long-term future.

 

Image by Pexels

How Much Does Video Really Matter to Your Marketing?

/in , ,

Have you been ignoring video, hoping it will just go away? Or worse, thinking you can accomplish the same goals without it?

I’m here to tell you, video is going nowhere. YouTube is the second-largest search engine in the world and TikTok recently overtook YouTube for the number of hours watched per month. Video clips on social platforms such as Facebook and Twitter enjoy far more engagement than do plain text or even image-based updates. And when it comes to training programs, most people prefer video to text or at least a combination of the two.

And now with streaming video, this new marketing channel has become even more important.

  • Live video lets viewers get to know you better
  • Your personality and brand shine through in ways written words or pre-recorded video simply cannot manage
  • A built-in sense of urgency makes it easy to connect with your action takers (trust me, FOMO is a real thing – that’s “Fear Of Missing Out”).
  • Repurposing video for other channels is easy and super productive
  • Facebook and other social networks appear to give more weight to video, showing it in more newsfeeds than other post formats

In addition to all of that, video is easy to produce – especially the new streaming services. Simply prop up your smartphone, log into your preferred app, and viola! You’re live.

And because it’s a live, streaming video, your viewers likely have less expectation of perfection. For example, with a scripted webinar, they expect a certain polish. But with streaming video, you can get away with a much more lighthearted, go-with-the-flow style. It’s perfect for Q&A sessions, special announcements, group coaching, or anything else where you simply want to connect with your audience, and there’s no agenda.

Don’t Abandon Your Other Marketing Channels

We see this happen a lot – a hot new marketing tool or strategy comes along, and all of a sudden everyone is on board – much to the detriment of the tried-and-true methods.

Remember, you have loyal fans on many platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, TikTok, your blog, etc. And these fans won’t always be quick to move to a new site just to stay in touch. You owe it to them to maintain your presence on other social sites as well.

So while Facebook Live (and other streaming video services) definitely matters when it comes to your overall marketing efforts, it’s not the end-all, be-all tool that will outshine all others.

4 Tips To Expand Your Company’s List of Repeat Customers

/in , ,

Guest post by Leslie Campos of Well Parents

Experts assert that repeat customers are more valuable than new ones because those who already have confidence in your business generally spend more money on your products and are willing to recommend your company to friends. Unfortunately, making a great first impression during a patron’s initial visit is not enough to secure his or her business well into the future. Encouraging loyalty in consumers requires careful strategizing and investment of time and resources.

Here are four things your company can do to ensure your customer’s first visit is not their last.

  1. Provide Superior Products
    A critical factor in earning patrons’ continued business is offering goods that exceed people’s expectations. High-quality products should be visually appealing, effective, and simple to obtain and use. When consumers feel they can depend on your company to provide a good value for the money they spend, they are more likely to continue working with you moving forward. This also applies to the way you serve patrons, as, according to Ameritas, statistics show that customer service has a significant impact on the likelihood of keeping current clients and earning their recommendations. Make sure your company is reachable, friendly, and quick to resolve issues.

    While offering exceptional products and services may seem to be straightforward, it isn’t always simple in practice. A good way to improve your skills related to marketing, managing employees, budgeting and similar tasks is to return to school to earn your Master of Business Administration degree. MBA programs cover a wide range of topics to sharpen your business acumen in all these areas and more. And a reputable online MBA degree program gives you the flexibility you need to earn your degree on your terms. You can earn while you learn, continuing to work full-time and manage your responsibilities while earning your degree without having to attend in-person classes.

  1. Foster a Sense of Community
    Although connecting with individuals is a key aspect of holistic marketing techniques, Inc. magazine notes that experienced businesspeople argue that bringing patrons together as a community is another effective way to hold on to previous customers. To accomplish this, your company must consistently provide useful content and engage with patrons on public forums. For instance, you could regularly post updates on social media that people can follow to learn about new merchandise or upcoming events. For automated, high-quality posts and top-notch social media content and service, contact the pros at Steady Radiance Design!
  1. Reward Loyalty
    Harvard Business Review notes studies have shown that rewards programs are an effective way to establish long-term customer relationships. Even so, these strategies must be carefully planned so they target the most valuable patrons without sacrificing profits. There are a number of different types of rewards programs commonly used by various businesses, including tier, subscription, point and partner programs. Though the style you employ depends on your business model, the overall goal is to offer a future benefit that clients can earn by spending more money on your products and services.
  1. Clarify Your Identity and Mission
    While it may seem that consumers do not care who you are as long as you offer what they need, companies’ values are often very important to the public. When patrons feel they share key worldviews with your business, they are much more likely to support you with their purchases. Company goals may vary widely, but they generally speak to a desire to improve the world or individuals’ lives in some way.

Whether your business is large or small, in person or online, repeat customers are essential to your success. Remember to establish relationships with your patrons and to earn their confidence by allowing them to get to know your company and the surrounding community while enjoying your products.

How to Have a Successful In-Person Event

/in , ,

It’s been a long year and many live, in-person events have been put on hold due to the pandemic. That doesn’t mean that live events are a thing of the past though. We’re slowly starting to see them come back and we think people are ready to get out of their houses and attend more in-person events! From conferences and workshops to fairs and festivals, we still think it’s definitely possible to have a successful in-person event. We fully support the idea of keeping your business and your community safe, so please keep that in mind before planning an in-person event! Even if it can’t happen now, there’s no better time to start the planning phase than right now!

Having a successful in-person event requires a little more work than a webinar or Zoom event, but they are much more profitable and fun for all involved. Sure, they take a bit of planning, but if you follow these tips you’ll be well on your way.

  1. Have a Clear Objective – Your first need is to have a clear objective for the event. That is the only way you can successfully market it to your audience as well as potential JV partners and sponsors. People can see when something is well-considered or not.
  2. Find JV Partners – A joint venture partner (or two or three) can help you pull off a much larger and well-attended event than if you did it all alone. The JV partners should be people who offer complementary products and services to yours rather than direct competitors.
  3. Hire an Event Planner – The cost of an event planner is more than worth it when you consider all the little things that need to be done to ensure your event goes smoothly. An experienced event planner can actually save you money by helping prevent costly mistakes.
  4. Recruit Volunteers – Once you know that the event is going to happen and you’ve sold a few tickets, it’s time to recruit some volunteers. The best volunteers are those who have signed up for information about your event but for whatever reason cannot afford to go but fit within your demographic.
  5. Market Everywhere – Well, market wherever your audience lives, plays, works, and socializes. Your marketing should be directed and specific in order to get a good response. You can have Facebook Live videos, webinars, articles, blog posts, eReports, and more to promote your event. Everyone involved should be promoting the event. Also, consider advertising your event in the local paper or on local radio stations to attract new people who might not find you online.
  6. Collect Leads – During your marketing, find ways to collect leads because the people you market to via email directly are more likely to sign up for your event than people who find your information in other ways. Consider allowing affiliates to market your event too.
  7. Land Sponsorships – If you can land a well-known sponsor for your event it will make your event seem even more impressive when you say “sponsored by XYZ Corporation” if that corporation or entity is well known and trusted by your audience.
  8. Choose the Right Venue – One of the most important decisions you’ll make is where your event will occur. Ensure that the space is right for the size of your event. You don’t want people to feel too crowded, or as if they are swallowed up by the venue. You also want the style of the event to fit in with the style your audience has in terms of them worrying about what to wear and how to present themselves.
  9. Get Technical Help – Even if you’re great with technology, monitors, computers, microphones, and whatnot you really want someone else to take care of these issues. You want to be a personality at the event, not the technical person because it will take away from some of the fun for you. You’ll have enough things to do as it is.
  10. Practice the Performance – Your speech, the order of the talks, the use of the technology, and so forth needs to be completed on-site at the event location when possible to avoid any issues with lighting, technology, or even walking up a step or two to get to the podium. This will make you all look more professional and avoid mishaps.
  11. Test Technology – It’s been mentioned more than once in this list, but that’s how important it is. You should ask speakers to send you a copy of their presentation prior to the event so that if something happens you’ll have a copy, they’ll have a copy, and put a copy in the cloud just in case. But do not assume the internet will work. Have backup plans.
  12. Allow for Breaks – Don’t forget to put realistic breaks into your event so that your participants do not get too fatigued or uncomfortable. Even interesting talks can put people to sleep if they are uncomfortable, hungry, or need to use the restroom.
  13. Ensure the Temperature is Comfortable – A very important component of a successful event is how the environment feels to the participants. You don’t want it to be too cold or too warm in the location. If there is an issue, ask it to be fixed on behalf of your guests.
  14. Serve Healthy Food – It’s tempting to go crazy and serve heavy food that will shock and awe the participants but you really want them to focus on your message and not their full and possibly sick and overfed stomachs. Give options for different types of people. You can survey those who purchased a ticket to ensure the food choice fits most people.

Good planning and plenty of forethought will help ensure a successful in-person event. Not only that, but you’ll be able to create a profitable and fun outing for everyone involved.

Fundamental Steps for Starting a Small Business in Your Local Community

/in ,

Guest post by Katie Conroy of advicemine.com

Entrepreneurship can be one of the most fulfilling career paths you can take. Among other benefits, it allows you to do something you’re passionate about, scale at your own pace, and have more control of your work-life balance. And starting a small business in your local community means that you can contribute to the health of your local economy, provide jobs to residents, and develop meaningful relationships with your customers.

But getting a business off the ground in a way that positions you for long-term success is not easy. Along with saving up the capital, securing any additional funding necessary, and obtaining any licenses and permits needed, Steady Radiance Design has listed some other essential steps you’ll need to take:

Think Through Your Ideas

You know the knowledge and skills you’ve acquired up to this point in your career. While expertise is important when choosing what type of business to start, however, it’s not everything. Consider any passions or interests you’ve acquired over the years, and combine those with your current expertise to make a list of potential business ideas.

Study Up

If you decide to pursue something out of your comfort zone, then you’ll need to learn as much as you can about the industry or niche. Devour business and leadership books, find a mentor who can help prepare you for the challenges ahead, and look for conferences and other industry events that you can participate in.

Another option is to go back to school. These days, you can complete almost any type of program online, which is very convenient and allows you to work at your own pace. If you joined an online business program, you could strengthen your business acumen while also making connections to instructors and students, which could prove beneficial down the road. Marketing, business management, and management and leadership are popular programs to consider when starting a small business.

Listen to the Residents

Once you have some ideas that you can imagine yourself pursuing, take to researching the local market to gauge whether or not there is a need for the products or services. If there isn’t really demand for what your business idea would provide, then it’s a non-starter. You have to ensure there is a potential for profit. Along with conducting market research, seek feedback from local residents via online surveys and in-person conversations.

Create a Business Plan

So, you’ve determined a business idea that can bring you fulfillment, help the community, and make a profit. Now, create a business plan that includes your mission statement, product/service details, marketing strategies, target audience, financial projections, and any other information related to your goals.

Zero in on a Location

If you’ll be working out of a brick-and-mortar store or office building, the location you choose is key. Look for a spot with low taxes, low crime rates, and plenty of parking. If you’re opening a retail business, try to find a high-traffic area of town that will attract customers.

Stay Involved in the Community

Finally, one of the greatest privileges of starting a small business is that you will be in a position to contribute to your community. Consider offering free services or products to schools, libraries, and nonprofits in your area. Start a workshop or course to help other local professionals and small businesses in your industry succeed. And look for community events and charities that you can sponsor. Not only does contributing to the community show that you care about your neighbors, but it will ultimately benefit your company’s success as well.

If you want to lead a fulfilling career while making an impact on your community, starting a local business is the way to go. Following the tips above will put you in a solid position to succeed as a business owner in your neighborhood. However, there are other factors involved in getting a business off the ground, so be sure to keep researching other steps you can take to increase your chances of success.

Do you need help with your branding, design, and social media? Turn to the expert services of Steady Radiance Design; “our business is making your business shine!”

Image via Pexels

How to Create Sharable Content That Goes Viral

/in , , ,

Ever wonder what makes some posts, videos, or blogs “go viral,” while yours are lucky to have 7 shares and two comments? While it might seem like some well-kept secret, the truth is it’s easy enough to create shareable content, if you put some thought and creativity into your efforts.

1. Everyone Loves Infographics

Whether you want to know more about how coffee is grown, or you’re looking for ways to boost your blog traffic, you’ll find a variety of infographics to fill you in.

These colorful, easy-to-read graphics share vast amounts of data while still entertaining an audience. By condensing numbers and stats down to easily digestible bite-sized pieces, you can make valuable information highly understandable for any audience. Even better, your market will be happy to share (and share and share).

If you’re not artistic or don’t have the skills required to create your own, we can help you make infographics your audience will love.

**Pro tip: create an embeddable link for your infographic and encourage other blog owners to share it on their sites. You’ll automatically drive traffic from every site that posts your content. If you don’t know how to do that, reach out to us for help!

2. Create Valuable Posts

Writing a blog post? Don’t just skim the surface of a topic. Dig deep. Provide as much information as you can on the topic.

While some bloggers will tell you that shorter is better, the truth is, posts of 3,000 words are more likely to be shared than their shorter cousins. So don’t worry about attention spans. Readers have proven they want good info and they don’t mind digging into a long post to find it. The bottom line – more detail = more shareable content.

3. Let Your Personality Shine

No one wants to read or share another post that just agrees with the masses or doesn’t share any new ideas. Not you and not your audience.

What they do want—and what they’ll happily share with their friends and fans—is personality-driven pieces that aren’t afraid to take a stand.

That’s what makes many bloggers and coaches so popular. You know, simply by reading their content and watching their videos, that what you see is exactly what you get. Nothing is hidden; there’s no “corporate speak” to be found.

It’s easy to form a connection with someone like that because you feel like you know them personally. And what do you do with your friend’s content? You share it, of course!

 

It doesn’t take much to create shareable content. Just be yourself, be transparent, and be valuable. In short, just do what you’re already doing, only with a little bit more oomph!

Getting More Clients by Thinking Like a Farmer

/in , , ,

Think all a farmer has to do is wait until fall to harvest truckloads of delicious tomatoes or corn or squash? We all know that’s not how it works. That farmer has worked hard all year long to prepare for that week or two of reward.

He prepared the ground following last year’s harvest. He planted seeds in the spring. He watered and fertilized and protected his fragile crops from pests and drought and poor weather. And finally, after months of work, he enjoys the results.

Your business works the same way, and if you take a page from the farmer’s playbook, you’ll soon be reaping the rewards, too – in the form of getting more clients.

Preparing the Ground

This is your brand, your voice, your very presence in your market. If you’re just starting out—like that farmer after his harvest—you’ll spend your time simply becoming known.

Hang out with other coaches in your niche. Join forums where your ideal clients spend their time. Build a website and start your mailing list (we can help with this part if you need it!) This is the prep work that will form the foundation of a solid business in the future.

Planting the Seeds

Your seeds are your content and products. With each blog post you write, every product you create, you’re planting a seed you can harvest later. But unlike the farmer, your seeds will produce over and over again, endlessly.

In fact, you’ll likely find that blog posts you wrote years ago will continue to bring in new clients year after year, with no further help from you. Products can be sold over and over again or reworked into new offers. Podcasts, videos, ebooks, and more all continue to work for you, getting more clients on your site month after month, year after year.

When you think about it that way, it’s easy to see that planting seeds is a critical part of every business.

Nurturing Your Crop

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just “set it and forget it”? Unfortunately, that style of business rarely works.

Instead, you must spend time nurturing.

  • Stay in touch with your email list
  • Update old blog posts with new ideas
  • Study your stats to improve your traffic and conversions
  • Improve your products

It doesn’t take much effort to update your blog posts or tweak your products, and the rewards can be fantastic.

Of course, being a farmer is a long-term investment. The work you do today may not pay off for weeks or months to come. But with a strong history of consistent “farming” in your business, you’ll soon see that those long-term rewards are paying off, getting more clients to your site consistently.

5 Life-Saving Professional Services for Stay-at-Home Moms Starting a Business

/in , ,

Guest post by Leslie Campos of Well Parents

Staying at home and taking care of your children is a challenge enough of its own, but simultaneously taking on the role of an entrepreneur can make your day-to-day schedule even more difficult to handle. The launch of your company is a vital and time-consuming period as a business owner, but you don’t have to do it alone. By hiring the right team of experts to stand by your side and assist with the details, you can set your business and family life up for success. Here’s a list of services that can help you with your business.

Business Consulting

While you may have expertise in a particular product or service you can sell, this doesn’t mean you’re fluent when it comes to the specifics of starting and running a business. This is where a business consultant comes in. Professionals in this field often have a business degree and several certifications, as well as experience, under their belt. They can help you focus on the most profitable business model, whether you are planning to make income through an e-commerce, affiliate, freemium, or subscription-based model.

Business Formation Services

Forming your business structure, whether that be a corporation or LLC, can be complicated and time-consuming. But you don’t have to take it on yourself, nor do you have to pay a pricey attorney to do the work. Online formation services like Zenbusiness are a convenient and affordable resource, walking you through and completing the process quickly. An LLC is a popular choice for startups, as it offers liability protection to your assets and avoids the double taxation of a corporation. LLCs also have tax advantages, and less paperwork is required during formation and later for filing (which an online service also takes care of). States have different regulations around forming an LLC, so check the rules in your state before moving ahead.

Website Development and Design

Having a space to call your own on the internet is an exciting step in becoming a business owner. A website allows potential customers to find your business, and it gives you a spot to write blogs, build out a shop, include a contact form, or display an impressive resume.

While there are several easy-to-navigate website building programs available online, a website development and design company like Steady Radiance Design can help bring your vision to life and make sure your site boasts fast load speeds and SEO. Additionally, you should take time to choose a professional you’re comfortable working with for a while since your developer may take care of hosting your website after it’s launched for a monthly fee.

Public Relations and Marketing

As soon as your business is ready to be released to the world, you need a way to announce your launch. Studies show you only have one chance to make a good first impression, so it helps to hire a public relations professional who can write great copy and start building a positive reputation for your brand. You’ll want to continue building your online presence and attract the right people to your company with the help of a digital marketing company.

Babysitting or Nanny Services

While you settle into your new role, you may want to consider hiring a babysitter or nanny to help care for your kids while you navigate the specifics of starting a new business. You may have chosen the work-at-home route so you can spend more time with your kids, but having help available when work gets stressful can help you focus on one task at a time, allowing you to dedicate your full attention to your family when the workday is over.

Even for the mom who can do it all, there’s no shame in enlisting the help of other professionals as you set your business up for success. By establishing a good foundation, you’ll be able to fulfill all your responsibilities more effectively in the long run and watch your startup grow. Let Steady Radiance Design help you in your journey — but don’t take our word for it!

Image via Unsplash

How A Freelance Developer Can Protect Your Website Against Cyber Attacks

/in ,

Guest post by Cody McBride of Tech Deck

The business world is moving online, and this increased access to the digital world makes your company susceptible to cyber attacks. Sensitive data and financial information is an attractive target for cybercriminals. Regardless of whether you are a large business owner or an individual, protecting your website against cyber attacks should be a priority.

Is Your Business A Target?

In 2021 Yahoo Finance predicts there will be 65000 ransomware attacks on businesses. Cyber Security Statistics states that cybercrime is up 600% since the COVID-19 Pandemic, with scammers posing as the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) or World Health Organization (WHO) representatives.

The effects of cybercrime are far-reaching. A cyber attack can have a financial cost, it can result in loss of sales and customers, and have a detrimental effect on brand loyalty. A Deloitte study states that one-third of customers would withdraw consent to use their information if they didn’t perceive steps were in place to prevent intruders from stealing their information.

Cybercriminals are constantly developing new ways to access your information and funds. There are many ways in which your website can be breached.

  • Infecting your site with ransomware
  • Redirecting your visitors to a different site
  • Hijacking software
  • Stealing intellectual property
  • Bringing your site down

How To Protect Your Website From Cyber Attacks

There are several steps you can put in place to protect your website against cyberattacks, or to retrieve data if you have been hacked:

  • Backup Your Data
    If you are subjected to a cyberattack, ensure that you have your data stored in a separate location so you can restore files. Backups should be done daily and server backups weekly or monthly.
  • Choose A Reputable Web Host
    Choose a website host that offers backup and actively works to update software to prevent cyber attacks. A good web hosting provider will monitor your site for unusual behaviour and anomalies that may indicate a hacker.
  • Install An SSL On Your Website
    A certificate for an SSL (Security Socket Layer) is easily installed via most web hosts. An SSL will let you manage personal information securely and guard your website against attacks.
  • Update Software
    Software updates often include important security upgrades designed to protect against cyber attacks. Many programmes allow you to set up automatic updates but check updates weekly to be safe.
  • Install Antivirus And Security Software
    Install security software that includes anti-virus, anti-spyware, and anti-spam filters. Malware or viruses can infect your computers, laptops, and mobile devices.
  • Set Up A Firewall
    A firewall works as a gatekeeper to keep traffic coming to your website, thereby helping to protect your internal networks.
  • Encrypt Important Information
    Turn on your network encryption and encrypt data when stored or sent online. Encryption turns your data into unreadable code before it is sent over the internet.
  • Learn To Recognise Suspicious Activities
    An off-sounding email, a request for personal information, or unauthorized connections can all indicate that someone is trying to hack your site.

Hire A Professional To Protect Your Site

The above details can be overwhelming, but it is important to make sure that your website is set up correctly. Unless you’re a guru, the recommendation is to hire a professional to assist you with your hardware, software, and procedures. Freelance developers like Steady Radiance Design can do the hard work for you and give you peace of mind that your site is secure.

Before employing anyone make sure you speak to at least 3 candidates and look carefully at their previous reviews. Consider their delivery time and cost; cheapest is not always best, as reputation and recommendations are the best measures of success.

Install Physical Security

Software, hardware, and policies that keep trouble at bay are a great start, but your devices themselves can also be stolen and hacked. Keep your electronics secure when you’re out and about, carrying them on your person and not leaving them unattended. If you leave a device in your vehicle, be sure to lock the doors, and consider stashing it safely in your trunk. Similarly, adding a security system to your home or office can help prevent theft.

Cyber attacks are a sad reality of the digital world. Most online businesses will be subject to a cyber attack at some point. Herrodtech states that 50% of small businesses suffered a security breach in 2020. Large or small, if you have an investment in content or data online, you need to put safeguards in to protect your property.

Take your business to the next level, with marketing, graphics, and branding from Steady Radiance Design! Get in touch today.

Image via Unsplash

Website Security 101: Keeping Your WordPress Site Safe from Hackers

/in ,

Are website security concerns keeping you from enjoying the flexibility and power of WordPress? If you’ve bought into the hype that WordPress is inherently insecure, then you’re missing out on all the great things WordPress has to offer, for no good reason.

The fact is, while WordPress sites do get hacked, they are no more dangerous than other PHP-based websites. The problem is that WordPress is open-source, which means that anyone can read the code—even the bad guys who spend all their time looking for vulnerabilities they can exploit. Couple that with the enormous popularity of WordPress, and it’s easy to see why you hear about hacks on a regular basis.

But that doesn’t mean WordPress is unsafe. By implementing just a few security best practices, you can greatly reduce your risk of being hacked.

Keep Your Site Up to Date

This is by far the biggest risk when it comes to website security. New vulnerabilities are discovered in WordPress and its plugins and themes on a regular basis, and if your site is out of date, it is at risk. Hackers actively search for outdated websites they can attack, so make it a point to keep your site up to date. That includes plugins, themes, and the WordPress software itself. If you need help with ensuring your site stays up-to-date, we offer website maintenance services that allow you to focus on running your business, while we focus on maintaining and securing your site. Drop us a line to get more info or a quote for your website.

Use Strong Passwords

Second only to out-of-date installations when it comes to inviting hackers, weak passwords are regularly exploited with a technique called a “brute force” attack. Simply put, a hacker sets a computer program to repeatedly attempt to log into your site using thousands of the most commonly used passwords and what are known as “dictionary” words.

This type of vulnerability can be easily avoided simply by choosing good passwords. Ideally, your passwords should:

  • Be longer than 12 characters
  • Contain upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols
  • Never be used for more than one site
  • Never be stored in plain text on your computer
  • Never be sent by email

Also, consider using a password manager such as Dropbox Passwords to generate and securely store good, strong passwords. You’ll never have to worry about remembering your passwords, and you’ll greatly reduce your risk of being hacked.

Be Smart About Your Hosting

Unlimited domains! Unlimited space! Unlimited bandwidth! And all for around $8 per month. You’ve probably seen the claims and may even have a hosting account with one of these companies.

Here’s the problem. This type of shared hosting is inexpensive only because they overload their servers with thousands of websites. Just as close proximity in crowded classrooms allows human viruses to quickly spread, close proximity of websites on a shared server means one infected site is a risk to all the others.

Rather than looking for the least expensive (and riskiest) hosting option, choose a host that allows you to isolate each site on its own cPanel. Doing so will greatly improve the security of your website.

In the end, the safety and security of your site and its data are entirely up to you, but if you need some guidance, we are here to help. Keep your software up to date, use good passwords, and choose a secure hosting environment, and you’ll be well ahead of the curve on this.