BBB has 10 New Year's resolutions that can help you fight scammers, prevent identity theft and save money in 2013.
1. Do your research. Whether it's a business you're looking to hire or a product you're looking to buy, take the time to do your research. Check out a business at bbb.org to see its BBB Business Review. For product information, go to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.
2. Keep your computer safe. Install anti-virus software on your computer and regularly check for software and operating system updates. Don't open attachments or click on links in emails unless the email has been scanned for viruses or is from someone you know or trust.
3. Get it in writing. Don't just take a business's word for it. Get every verbal agreement in writing to limit miscommunication and misunderstandings.
4. Never wire money to someone you don't know. Many scams require money to be wired back to the scammer. Tracking money sent via a money wiring service is almost impossible.
5. Protect your identity. Always shred paper documents that include sensitive financial data and dispose of computers, cell phones and digital data safely. Safely store all personal documents, such as your Social Security card, and look up your credit score at least once a year. Check your credit and debit card statements frequently.
6. Shop on trustworthy websites. Online shopping has increasingly become more popular, so before you provide any personal or banking information over the web, make sure you're using a trusted site. Look for the "s" in https:// in the URL for a secure site.
7. Give wisely. Most philanthropists give year-round. To ensure your time, treasure and talent are going to the cause you're looking to support, research all charities at give.org to check their legitimacy and to see how their monetary donations are distributed.
8. Don't be pressured. If a company, organization or salesperson uses overly aggressive sales tactics to pressure you into making a purchase or on-the-spot decision, that's a red flag.
9. Limit the amount of information shared. Scammers use social media sites to gather information on potential victims. Avoid sharing too much personal information and check your privacy settings. Additionally, never announce through a social media site that you are going out of town, or won't be home for a specific amount of time.
10. Let your BBB help. BBB is here to promote marketplace trust. If you have an issue with a business or feel you have been scammed, file a complaint with your BBB.
Do you have a New Year’s resolution for your business? If you haven’t thought of one yet, one idea is to form a social media strategy and promote your business on sites like Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, Foursquare, etc. Social media isn’t going away and it’s critical that you get your business out there. However, BBB recommends that you ease into the waters carefully and thoughtfully when planning to launch your social media strategy; otherwise it could be a giant mess.
Here are some tips to help get you started on your social media strategy:
Don’t get in over your head. Start small, such as with a Facebook page or by commenting on blogs or connecting with customers on Twitter. Let your social media strategy grow and evolve as you learn what works best for your time constraints and business goals.
Create and share information. Social media is about engagement, and creating and sharing content is key to connecting with customers and other industry leaders. When writing your own content, always maintain an appropriate and professional tone and use plenty of links to other sites, blogs, or news articles to help illustrate your point.
Keep everything connected. Once you’ve created your page on Facebook, or established your blog or Twitter account or other online presences, cross-promote your content so that the same message is going out across every site. For example, Tweet about your blog post or send a link in a message to your LinkedIn group.
Engage in the conversation. Inject yourself and opinions into the conversation by following opinion leaders on Twitter and social networking sites and commenting on blog posts. Whenever possible, include a link back to your content or Web site.
Engage with customers. our customers are talking about you online whether you like it or not on their blogs, consumer-focused Web sites and on review sites like Yelp, Yahoo! Local and CitySearch. While you can’t take control of the conversation you can help steer it by listening, engaging with customers and working to resolve any problems.
Typically around this time of year, business can be slow. This downtime can be a good time to get things done around the office and check off tasks on your to-do list. According to an article by Entrepreneur, Colin Sprake, motivational business speaker and author of the upcoming book, The Entrepreneur Success Recipe (Morgan James Publishing, 2013), has 6 ways to make good use of your holiday downtime:
1. Reflect and review the past year. Take some time to think back on the year and review strategies such as marketing and sales. Be sure to ask yourself, what worked? What didn’t?
2. Create a New Year’s resolution for your business. These can be small or big goals, but keep them handy so you can evaluate their progress in a few months.
3. Invest in yourself. Are there any courses you’ve been meaning to take or business books you wanted to read? Use this time to catch up.
4. Don’t be afraid to take time off. You need to recharge too. Take a break and come back in the New Year refreshed.
5. Take care of yourself. Use this free time to schedule any doctor appointments that may be overdue, or clean up your yard.
6. Be sure to thank those who support you. You often thank your clients for their business, but do you thank the people in your life who support you and your business endeavors? Don’t forget about your family and close friends.
To read more, visit http://www.entrepreneur.com/blog/225313
