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So, you’ve taken that huge step and started your own business – and what’s more, it has been a success. Congratulations! Whether you’ve come up with a killer product, or genius idea, or simply been able to market and sell your own expertise in a specific area, you have overcome a huge hurdle. Now, your job is to keep this going and keep your business growing to reach its full potential. It may not have been something you’ve considered up until now, but security will play a massive part in how your business develops.
Setting up a successful business is hard, and you should be celebrated for making it this far. However, this is only the beginning, and in order for your business to grow, you must invest in making it as secure as possible.
Tweet ThisAs you grow and garner more attention, you will become more susceptible to attacks, whether from hackers, thieves, or copycats. Here are a few ways you can protect yourself and your business as you move forward.
Internet Security
Just as you want to keep your personal computer free of viruses, it is even more important to make sure anything to do with your business is kept secure. If you work alone or from home, consider investing in a separate laptop and phone to lessen the risks of data contamination from your personal life. It’s also well worth researching security software that is specifically for businesses, as these services will often provide slightly different and more thorough protection than personal computer security programs.
Physical Security
If you have an office, whether it is in your shed or rented in the city or elsewhere, it’s worth making sure this is secure as possible, particularly if you are dealing with expensive products or sensitive data. You may have a standard key to a rented office space that you cannot exchange, but you can secure desks and other areas with electronic systems that require a specific card or key to unlock. It’s also a good idea to protect any business bank cards with rfid badge holders which will block any signals to ensure the data from your cards cannot be stolen by hackers nearby.
Trademarks, Patents, and Copyrighting
As soon as you have the funds, the first thing you must do is look into trademarking and copyrighting. These are used for different areas. Trademarks are a way to protect your company logo and brand, whereas copyrighting is more often used towards the products you create, particularly if these are of an artistic type such as books or artworks. Patenting is used to protect new inventions. If your business is built upon a smart new product idea, you will want to investigate claiming a legal right to that as soon as possible – or risk a bigger company swooping in and elbowing you out of the market by commandeering your own idea.
Conclusion
Setting up a successful business is hard, and you should be celebrated for making it this far. However, this is only the beginning, and in order for your business to grow, you must
