Business Solutions for Fall 2018

6 FALL 2018 Could your business stay operational in the event of a disaster such as a tornado, fire, or flood? It may not be a pleasant topic to consider, but it’s certainly a necessary one. A business continuity plan can ensure that your business is able to recover and continue functioning after (or even during) a major disaster. The development of such a plan does not have to be a difficult process. Do some research online and you’ll find guides, sample plans, and software to help you. You’ll be prompted to do tasks such as the following: • Assess the possible impact a natural disaster would have on your business. • Select a Crisis Manager and team of key staff members responsible for creating and executing the continuity plan. • Document employee emergency contact information. • Create a prioritized list of essential operations, staff, and procedures needed to recover from a disaster and continue business. • List primary and alternate suppliers and contractors who can provide the equipment and supplies you need to continue business. • Designate an alternate business location with phone and computer access. • Protect your computer hardware and software, and plan for backup computers at your alternate location. • Back up critical records and store them online or at a secure off-site location. • Decide on methods of communication with workers, clients, vendors, and media. • Train workers and review your plan annually. It all comes down to this: If you fail to plan, you plan to fail. So make sure you develop and maintain a business continuity plan. Since natural disasters aren’t the only threats to your business, make sure you protect against cyberattacks as well. We offer SecureIT antivirus and internet security software that does the work for you. To learn more, call Panora Telco at (641) 755-2424 or Guthrie Center Communications at (641) 332-2000. Make employees feel valued to improve retention rates FIVE STARS EXCELLENT GOODQUALITY GREAT SERVICE IMPRESSIVE EXCEEDED EXPECTATIONS ONLINE REVIEWS ARE BIG FACTOR IN CONSUMER CHOICES More people are looking for consumer- generated online reviews than ever, according to BrightLocal’s 2017 Local Consumer Review Survey. 1 Consumers are becomingmore review-savvy, prefer- ring businesses that receive high volumes of high-scoring reviews on a regular basis. Key findings of this survey include: • 97% of consumers looked online for local businesses in 2017, with 12% looking for a local busin s onlin every day. • 85% of consumers trust online reviews as much as personal recommendations. • Responding to reviews is more impor- tant than ever, with 30% naming this as key when judging local businesses. • 68% of consumers left a local busi- ness review when asked, with 74% having been asked for their feedback. • Yelp and Facebook are local con- sumers’ most trusted review sites, followed by Google and BBB.org . • Consumers read an average of seven reviews before trusting a business. The takeaway from all this is to give your customers plenty of reasons to be pleased with your products and services, encourage them to post feedback, and respond to this feedback whether posi- tive or negative. 1 Source: www.brightlocal.com/learn/ local-consumer-review-survey/ Every Business Needs a Continuity Plan