Tips to Keep Your Small Business Safe

Setting up a small business in today’s digital age of information overload can be overwhelming. It can be difficult to know where to start and how to find out what you need to know. So let’s start with one of the most important things: keeping your company safe. Your business is your baby, and you want to protect it, so here are some tips to make sure you look after it well while it grows. You might have some ideas in place already, but there may be other areas you haven’t yet considered.

Register your business

One of the first things you need to do to keep yourself right is registering your business with HMRC and other bodies relevant to your industry. Whether you’re a sole trader, partnership or limited company, you need to register to keep your business on the right side of the law. If you don’t register your organisation within the first year of starting up, you risk having to pay a penalty fee. So stick to the rules and do things right from the beginning to set you up for success.

Get insured

Starting and running a business costs a lot, including buying stock, paying for premises, hiring staff, getting the equipment you need and endless unexpected expenses. As an entrepreneur, the cost lies with you, so make sure you have contents insurance, so you’re not out of pocket in the event of an accident or incident. Getting insured gives you peace of mind that you’re covered should anything need to be replaced if damaged, lost or stolen.

Be cyber secure

Knowledge is power, so make sure you protect your trade secrets, devices and sensitive information from a hacker attack. Fraudsters are craftier than ever and are out to steal your private information, so use a firewall, back up your files and install anti-malware software. You don’t want your data falling into the wrong hands, so stay safe online by tightening up security on your systems to safeguard your hard work.

Work with your staff

It might come as a surprise to learn that a high number of security issues that your business will face relates to staff not following procedures correctly. Ensure you have a full compliance plan in place and that your staff are trained in the risks that pose a treat to your business. They will need to have an awareness of what their security responsibilities are, so it is highly recommended that you organise the appropriate session to refresh people on what they need to do to ensure your business remains safe.

Protect your brand

Branding is important because it makes a memorable impression on your customers and sets you apart from the competition. A good logo and catchy name can be the making of a household brand, so protect it by registering a trademark. This will prevent imitation or anyone else trying to confuse customers and piggyback on your success. You’ve put in a lot of work to build up your own brand, so take measures to keep it safe and secure with the law on your side.

Secure your space

We spend most of our lives at work, so make sure your workspace is a safe place to be. Put a health and safety policy in place and adhere to regulations to keep yourself, your staff, your business and its customers safe.  Security measures help protect staff as well as the overall company and its stock. If you have physical business premises, invest in top-notch security solutions to prevent break-ins and theft. An appropriate alarm system is important for crime prevention, and visible security cameras are a good idea to deter thieves.