Many small companies will at some time face a period of slowdown; usually these quiet months occur during the summer, where of course customers are at their cottage, spending time with their families and generally enjoying the sunny weather.
Of course a landscaping company may just be getting into their hectic schedule, but if you own a massage therapy clinic, you might witness a decline in appointments because families are focused on enjoying family time.
If you are a business that unavoidably goes through a slow period in the summer, there are some ways to use this time to your advantage; in fact, you can turn this slump into a very productive couple of months if you know where to direct your attention. This is the perfect opportunity to transition your focus on areas of your business you normally don’t have the time for and therefore take a backseat the rest of the year.
Work on Your Small Business Skills
Slow periods of business present an ideal time for employee training. Whether you take part in a regional seminar, go to a conference, or improve your skills through online classes, you can easily take this time to fine-tune your skills and experience.
Shift Your Focus to Office Organization and Document Management
Keep in mind that an organized and clutter-free office is not only a productive one but a secure one as well. Take advantage of this time to sort through your office files; determine what needs to be stored, filed, and securely shred. Clean out desk drawers, cabinets and any other areas in which you may have sensitive documents piling up. Take this clean-up approach and use it with your electronic information as well; get your electronic files, emails, and computer filing system structured and clean.
Revisit and Make Any Appropriate Changes to Your Marketing Initiatives
If you haven’t revisited your marketing plans yet, why not take a look at your marketing goals, initiatives, and any other promotions or sales tactics that you may or may not wish to adjust. Summer is the time to dive deep into your analytics, making alterations to marketing plans as needed; determine what to change and what to keep so you are fully prepared to carry out such plans come the fall season.
Consider Asking for Client Feedback
If you already have a customer satisfaction survey you turn to in an effort to obtain feedback, take a good look at it and if you don’t have one, now is a great time to create one. Keep the survey simple and quick and try to focus on 2–3 specific areas only. Of course make sure you also ask open-ended question at the end. Also, consider requesting that your clients provide you with a testimonial or review so you can use this as part of your online marketing initiatives.
If you’ve implemented these tactics and still find you are in need of something to tackle, why not take a small vacation from your business as well! In some cases, this is a mentally healthy decision as it gives you a break and a chance to regroup and relax; in the end, you will feel motivated and refreshed with a clear mind. Once business picks up again you’ll be more than prepared to take it on successfully!
A1 DATASHRED is made up of a team of experts in document shredding and hard drive shredding services. When you hire our specialists to look after your sensitive information, you can rest assured that your documents and data will be permanently destroyed for good, without the potential of exposure.
Get in touch with us to learn more about how our solutions can keep your office secure.
Call 1-888-95-SHRED
When it comes to information security there are several components to consider, but an effective document retention policy is one process that every Boston business should strongly think about starting. Knowing what confidential material to store and what to shred, should be at the forefront of every business, especially throughout tax periods when information theft is at an all time high.
To help maintain security over your private information, keep in mind the following tips as a guideline:
- Information Audits: Audits are ideal in an effort to identify what kind of documents your business produces, and provides you with an inventory as to exactly what is being stored, which means you can easily manage and change it as you wish.
- Tax Records and Storage: Data retention has two important aspects; the period in which information will be of importance and purpose to the company, and the duration that information should be stored in relation to industry and government standards. For example, in the U.S. legally, payroll tax returns should be stored for 4 years. Every company regardless of its size and industry background must research and know which legislation is applicable to them.
- Regulatory Fines:While the law states that specific records must be stored, you can also be penalized for storing records past their retention period, which can in turn result in potential legal and financial consequences. As with the majority of privacy laws, The Data Protection Act compliance states that a record must be shred once the retention period has come and gone.
- Secure Emails:Sensitive information can include paper documents, electronic files, and online communication like emails. As shared on wired.com, the Panama Papers leak exposed over 4.8 million emails (as well as 3 million database files and 2.1 million PDF’s). If emails aren’t of importance to your business or no longer serve a purpose, make sure they are deleted within a timely manner.
- Simple, Fast Retrieval:Index all documents for convenient and fast access. Be sure to store all documents or electronic files in a locked area, or in a password protected program. Access should be limited accordingly, so that only employees who absolutely need details to carry out their job duties have it. Storing information that serves no purpose will only lead to an increase in security threats like data breach. Furthermore, it will take up significant space, costing you down the road.
Professional Document Shredding: The only secure and reliable way to dispose of paper or digital documents when they are no longer needed is through professional destruction services. Document destruction is a legal obligation for several documents, and partnering with experts helps to limit risk tremendously. Partner with a reputable shredding provider like A1 DATASHRED. We provide quality and efficient destruction services that follow a strict chain of custody from beginning to end, guaranteeing the highest security levels. Our team supplies customers with a Certificate of Destruction following shredding, which documents compliance for your record keeping. Choose from onsite or offsite document shredding; whatever works for your business.
Get in touch with the A1 DATASHRED team, for further details about our document shredding services. We are here to answer any questions or concerns you might have. Call 1-888-95-SHRED.