Mohit Tater's Blog, page 663

Why You Need Protection against Targeted Attacks

You may have already checked put up firewalls, installed anti-virus software, and fended off malware. However, there’s one particularly dangerous type of breach that you need to watch out for: targeted attacks. These attacks are so bad that they could spell the end for your company due to the massive damages you would have to pay for.

Before you can gear up to keep hackers out of your network, though, you’ll need to learn a bit more about basic network security. In this post, we’ll discuss how targeted attacks work, how to prevent them, and how to detect and stop them immediately.

Why Targeted Attacks May Be Worse Than Malware

Unlike other types of breaches, a targeted attack involves three main criteria. Firstly, the attackers have a very specific target in mind. They also set up a complex plan over an extended period of time so that they can successfully breach the target company. Secondly, the goal of the hackers is to sneak into the network undetected and get away with sensitive data stored on unprotected servers. Lastly, the attackers don’t just make one attempt and then give up if they fail at first. They’ll keep trying, over and over again, until they succeed. Once they get in, they’ll keep getting as much information as they can for as long as they can. This means that, as long as the attackers remain undetected, you could be handing over sensitive information for years without even knowing it. An attack detection platform is, thus, essential for detecting suspicious activity before any damage can be done.

Your Employees May Not Be Aware of Targeted Attack Strategies

Unfortunately, the average employee is much more concerned with finishing important tasks for the day without much regard for the company’s cyber security. They may not even realize that they are creating security holes in the business network. Attackers can take advantages of these security gaps and enter your servers with relative ease, all without setting off any alarms in your pre-existing systems. Thus, you’ll need to invest some time and money into training your employees so that they can learn the best cyber security practices possible. You or the appropriate department will also need to keep them up-to-date on the latest types of threats. By keeping them aware of these strategies, your staff will be less likely to fall for common cyber attack tactics.

Investing in Secure Solutions May Be Your Best Bet

Most start-ups may balk at the initial costs of setting up a secure network. However, it will pay off in terms of the breach-related damages your company can avoid down the line. Thus, one of the first things you can do is to make sure that all of your computers and devices are using up-to-date programs. While sticking to legacy programs may mean you don’t have to spend more on the latest editions, older applications are much more prone to breaches. This is because legacy software may stop receiving crucial security updates after a certain amount of time. This means older programs are incredibly vulnerable to newer forms of hacking. But if you just can’t afford to purchase newer applications just yet, investing in a network security solution can still help protect your confidential data.

The prospect of defending your enterprise from vicious targeted attacks can seem overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. Begin securing your network by taking small steps. You can start by alerting the appropriate departments about possible threats and working on a cyber security training program for all employees to undergo. The sooner you start, the sooner you can protect your business from potentially massive data breaches.

The post Why You Need Protection against Targeted Attacks appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Portfolio Management Company

With the right portfolio management company, you can take on a whole new level with the work that you do. They can take care of the financials of the companies within the portfolio and of your assets. You can then make even more of the money that you have, especially with the help of these professionals that guide you through everything that needs to be done. You then need to make the choice on whether or not they’re the right move for you to make when it comes to managing the portfolio that you’ve worked so hard on.

Let the Company Know More About You and Your Portfolio

When it comes to the company that you hire, you have to find out more about them. You need to know how they’re going to go about managing the portfolio that you have. You want to make sure that you have a say on what is being done. You want to always feel good about the choice that you make, when you make it. Speak with them ahead of time about your specific situation and what it is that you want, when you want it. Additionally, when your portfolio is managed correctly, you can make it grow right alongside your bank accounts.

Speak with the investment and wealth management professionals from Destination Wealth Management. They can feel more confident about the work that they do when you give them a call and let them know more about the situation that you currently have, and the needs that you need them to work on. You want to have the best company working for you, and with the help of a portfolio management company such as them, you can always feel more confident about working with them. They are one of the top wealth management companies out there, and available for you to use.

The post Portfolio Management Company appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

The Beginning of App Domination

When Google launched their revolutionary app indexing facility in 2013 it marked a key moment in time for the future of how apps will be used by businesses. Google App Indexing basically makes it possible to click on any of the listings in Google’s search results directly into apps on Android and iOS smartphones and tablets. This, of course adds a new level of complexity to search engine optimization and of course the potential for apps. It has taken until 2016 for businesses worldwide to begin to realize the online visibility benefits of having their own dedicated app to represent their companies. In the interim period, over the past few years, all of the focus has been on mobile optimized web sites. Of course these are still vital but it is looking like being even more important to have dedicated apps going forward. In a way, the way that mobile sites have dominated and appealed to such a broad cross-section of society could have signalled their replacement by dedicated apps. Mobile sites may be looked at similarly to the portable cassette player and apps as the iPod or iPhone – one a necessary foundation for the creation and global domination of the other.

Why would apps dominate the market in the near future, you may ask? Well, apps are capable of doing everything that websites can do, and yet they do it more smoothly, more intuitively and in a convenient and accessible package. This trend will arguably not fully kick in for several years, but there is no doubt that 2016 is viewed by insiders as a crucial year in the beginning of the adoption of apps by business owners across the globe. It is clear that the ‘app’ is the big winner in terms of the most exciting innovation as we stand today in online marketing. Mobile is going to continue to dominate and with this trend the zeitgeist will shift to see searching and app usage intrinsically linked. Purchases will be made via apps and inevitably advertising consumed through apps as well. Businesses need to begin preparations yesterday!

Let’s take a look at some key facts and stats supporting the case for the app.

According to the latest research, mobile users spend 89% of the time that they spend on their mobiles using apps.
Jayson DeMers, who is the founder and CEO of AudienceBloom, has made the bold prediction that apps will become the dominant force in meeting informational and functional needs within the next 10-20 years.
Apps are easily more comfortable to use on smaller screens than even the best mobile sites.
Apps are best placed to respond better to voice-based search options that are likely to improve and become more prevalent.
When compared to outdated online search methods, apps benefit from new integration capabilities that enable them to deliver highly accurate results.

In terms of what 2016 and 2017 will start to see, we will likely witness the continued blurring of the lines between social, apps and e-commerce. The old stigma that people won’t shop on social media will be trampled down and the possibilities of call to action buttons and links between apps will surely win out. Businesses will look to compete with ever more ingenious ideas of making their app the one that will not only be easy to use but offer users something that makes the app an integral part of their lifestyle. The more synonymous with lifestyle that apps become the more likely they are to become indispensable and users will inevitably end up doing much of the online marketingfor the brand behind their app via social sharing and simply ‘wearing the badge’ with pride.

The post The Beginning of App Domination appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

What SMEs Can Learn from Big Businesses at Christmas

Christmas can sometimes feel dominated by large companies who throw money at elaborate ads and big marketing campaigns. However, SMEs needn’t worry about their comparatively little marketing budgets – they can take lessons from the major retail brands to help them hold their own during the festive season.

So, what lessons can SMEs take into 2017?

People Connect with Stories

Christmas advertising is something that people look forward to each year and it’s clear thatpeople respond to the stories that big companies put across in their TV adverts.

In 2016, Burberry launched an advert that took the viewer through its 160-year history. Not only did it encourage customers to buy into their brand, but it gave their huge company a face by telling the story of its creator, Thomas Burberry.

Small businesses should follow this example and try to capture their audience by telling a story. A memorable advert will create longer-term brand identity and customers will continue to shop with you all year round.

Start Early

Consumers complain that Christmas advertising starts earlier each year, but big retailers are always eager to get their advertising out early. According to John Lewis, “Christmas” is their most popular search term on their website from early-September. Harrods and Burberry launch their campaigns around seven weeks before Christmas Day to generate more revenue.

Shoppers may be buying on a certain date, but they are probably starting to think about the purchase much earlier.

Prepare early for the festive season. Put Christmas marketing high on your agenda and make sure you’re not caught off-guard with insufficient stock or staffing. This can leave a bad memory in the consumer’s head, making them less likely to return.

Do Your Research

Figures from previous years can reveal a lot about where to focus your efforts during the festive period.  Research by The Furniture Market showed that 4 million “emergency” chairs were used by families over Christmas, providing valuable information about how they can prepare in the years to come.

Take a look at which promotions and offers were the most successful for your business over the festive period to allow you to get ready for 2017.

Go Online

Research shows that the average British family spends around £800 on Christmas and are increasingly heading online to find the best deals.

Offering your customers the chance to buy your products online can help you stay competitive. Follow the lead from big companies and take advantage of peak times that shoppers rush to buy online, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to introduce festive deals and promotions.

Although SMEs will not be able to throw the same financial weight behind their business operations that a big business can, they can take some valuable lessons away that will help them stay on top form in 2017.

The post What SMEs Can Learn from Big Businesses at Christmas appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Learn To Love Cash Advance Again

Being an entrepreneur takes hard work, determination, and sometimes a little bit of help to get your new business off the ground. There are many available options such as working capital loans, business lines of credit, SBA, invoice financing, and more. For a newly developing business, what is the best lending option?

The Right Loan

One of the more advantageous ways to acquire a quick lump sum is a merchant cash advance. It does not carry a fixed payment, allowing you to pay a daily percentage of your credit card sales until the loan is paid off. If you are considering a working capital loan, hold off until you learn more about this highly beneficial option.

Other loan types often require outstanding credit, causing a big issue for many struggling small businesses. A merchant cash advance is approved with very little consideration of poor or bad credit scores. There is little to no paperwork involved when applying, and approval rates are much higher than traditional bank loans. Even better is that you can receive these funds in a snap, eliminating the detrimental wait time that comes with other methods.

The Right Fit

The first and most important part of finding a quality merchant cash advance is examining the stipulations laid out by the company (fees, payback options). After a short time surfing the web, the best loan out there for a growing small business is by far Mulligan Funding, mainly due to the fact that they do not charge you double fees. You only have to pay back the money you’ve borrowed instead of paying additional fees that can really add up over time.

Qualification with Mulligan is quick and easy, there’s no hard collateral required, and the percentage of sales remains the same no matter what. With this method you’ll keep more money in your pocket while eliminating the stress of paying back the lender. Plus, there’s no need to set payments aside since it’s automatically deducted from your daily CC sales.

Trustworthy Lending

If the ease of their advance isn’t user friendly enough, this company stands by an honest and trustworthy philosophy in all of their business dealings. Instead of treating you like a client, they treat you like a partner and offer personalized care from the CEO himself. Mulligan isn’t just another company trying to lend you more money than you need or that you can afford to pay back. This puts them a step above the rest.

Advancing Your Business

If you’re an entrepreneur whose business needs some fast cash, take a merchant cash advance into consideration. With the right company, this method can be the most beneficial way to increase your capital without hefty fees and stipulations, and is the easiest to obtain as well as pay back. It’s a win-win for every small business owner.

The post Learn To Love Cash Advance Again appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Should You Invest in an Online Casino Business?

Online entrepreneurship extends to all sorts of business sectors. In recent years, anage-old business is making it online: casinos. While traditional casinos struggle to make money, online casinos have been thriving in recent times. Savvy entrepreneurs and start-ups may wonder whether online casinos are a better way to make money than starting yet another e-commerce website. Let’s consider that topic.

What are Online Casinos Anyway?

Online casinos are essentially websites that allow users to play online gambling games. These games may look like the casual games you can play on platforms like Facebook. Most games on casino sites are digital versions of classic gambling games, like live dual play roulette or online round table poker. There are also numerous slot machine games with various themes. Users can sign up with their credit card information to make bets when playing games. Winnings are deposited to users’ accounts, similar to how eBay or Amazon deposits money when you sell an old item on their site. Business models will vary depending on the site.

Legal Issues

Online casinos do face a throng of legal issues. Mainly, legality of gambling sites can be controversial or outright banned in places where gambling is illegal. Being online is not an exception. The other big issue for online casinos is taxes. Most of the popular sites are based at tax shelters like Malta, where permits for casinos are easily granted. Overall, legal issues are not a major problem for veteran online casinos. If you can get a background of the company running the site, such as checking the stock market index, then it’s relatively easy to understand the legitimacy of the site.

Playing and Profitability

Playing casino games is relatively easy. You can play for fun without risking any stakes with some games, like slot machines. But without the stakes it can get boring quite fast. Players at these sites can participate in a variety of automated and live games. Live games may connect players from all over the world for a traditional gambling game like poker or blackjack. Automated games can be played against an algorithm for winning largely by chance. In essence, playing at online casinos are as thrilling as playing at a traditional casino, and even more so in some instances.

Online casino sites are immensely more profitable than actual casinos, as evidenced by the decline of places like Atlantic City while the online gaming industry boomed. There are no exact numbers or figures for comparison because these companies do not make these numbers public without special request.

Game Developers

Other than the owners of casino sites themselves, the biggest profiteers of these sites are game developers like Boss Media and Playtech. A developer can come up with a good casino game and license the use of software to casino sites and turn a lucrative profit. The casino sites themselves do not create or own these games. Popular games are in high demand by most sites and the developers can charge a premium.

Launching a Site

Entrepreneurs interested in entering the online casino industry should consider whether it’s more profitable to launch a site, or to invest in the development of a game. Launching a casino site involves spending a lot of money on custom web design, because there are not gambling templates on WordPress. Unlike launching an e-commerce website, casino sites require special permission to launch. Most government do not issue these permits so casino sites often start companies in countries like Malta where such permits are easy to obtain.

It’s far easier to develop a game and profit from licensing fees. If you own intellectual property rights to a game, at least partially, that should allow you to earn a lucrative income for years.

The post Should You Invest in an Online Casino Business? appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

7 Tips for Great Vacation Photos

Winter has come and as you pack your bags to go on a vacation, take a minute or two and read the following points to make your family and friends look great in the holiday photographs.

While you relax, don’t miss out on the scenic beauty of the place. Every place: a busy city, a remote village, or a secluded resort on the countryside, has a different aura. Take the changing weather shots: broken clouds, overcast days and partial sun can turn a regularly photographed area into one with a highly unique perspective. Include the weather, sun and clouds in your photos to give a sense of location to your shots.
Don’t forget the people: When you’re out traveling to new and exciting locations with your camera, it’s really easy to get diverted and forget about the most important aspect of your holiday: the people that came with you, your friends and family. Click a bunch of weird selfies. Don’t forget the group photos, because 10 years from now you would definitely want to remember how each one them looked at that time and that place.
Capture the Candid Moments: Along with the mainstream posed images, try capturing things as they’re happening.
Concentrate on the details: With vacation photos, we are always tempted to take photos of the huge mountains, the vast ocean and the blue sky- but we often miss out on the small things- small animals, unique flower petals, or even the textures of rock. Even if these things can be found in your backyard. Click!

When you’re somewhere you’ve never been before, capturing the tiniest details has a way of making the trip seem that much more interesting when you’re showing the pictures off to your friends and family.
Adjust your shutter speed: To avoid a blurry photo and camera shake, adjust your shutter speed above 1/80th If you are shooting movement or you are shooting, sitting a moving bus or car, then try to stay way above 1/80th sec.
Include sign in your photo: Includes sign boards, store signage, bus tickets, prices of fruits and vegetables, restaurant bills, anything which add to your vacation story. Signs bring character and personality to pictures taken while on vacation.
Always carry extra memory cards and backup: You wouldn’t want your camera flashing the “MEMORY FULL” message just when you are about to capture an epic moment on reel.

Make your vacations memorable, as you capture the best of events. Happy Holidays!

The post 7 Tips for Great Vacation Photos appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Tips for Running Your Business from Home

More people than ever are choosing to run their businesses from home. From seasoned entrepreneurs looking to save money on office space and utilities, to family men or women looking to start a business around family commitments, the growth of the internet in business has made this not just possible, but relatively easy to achieve. Although, some find it has its difficulties. These tips should help you run a successful business from home.

Create a Professional Office Space

If your business is going to involve clients visiting your office, a professional space is a must. So, you need to prepare your house, or at least the path to your office, for company. First impressions count! Keep your office space neat and tidy, and make sure you have everything you need to hand. Even if you don’t bring clients in, it’s still a good idea to have a formal work environment. This makes it easier to separate work from your home life, and get into the right frame of mind when you start your working day.

Organize Your Expenses

Many people just put all their receipts and invoices into a folder. Then when they need to work out all their expenses and fill out any tax forms, it takes hours. In addition to keeping all your paperwork together and in order, set up a spreadsheet. Spend an hour or so a week going through and filling in your earnings and expenses. This will make everything a lot easier long term. Downloadable templates are there to help you.

Leave Work in the Office

One of the biggest problems those working from home find is stopping. As an employee, you clock out and forget about it. When you are making money for yourself, in your home, it’s tempting to keep going. Or to just pop online to check an email or two. Try to avoid getting into these habits. If you can, work set hours, and then leave it behind. Remembering to take days off is also useful.

Marketing

If you have the finances, employing a marketer can be incredibly helpful. Remember, while you may have a great product or offer a fantastic service, your business will not grow if no one knows about it. Marketing is essential to your success. To begin with, if you can’t afford help, use blogs and social media to spread the word yourself. Try to get some well-known bloggers to endorse your business. Influencer marketing is huge right now and can be exceptionally effective.

If you are interested in starting a business, from home or otherwise, studying an MBA could help. Career paths for MBA graduates vary enormously, making it a great degree choice for those looking to grow their own business. As an MBA graduate, you would have the skills required to start up on your own. MBA careers include managing and marketing jobs, so, if you ever decide working from home isn’t for you, you would have many more options to fall back on.

The post Tips for Running Your Business from Home appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Why does a Brand Name and Logo Matter?

For a company to sustain its business in the market it needs to be consistently good with its quality of product and its customer service. But there are other little things that represent your company too- your brand name and logo. There are studies showing a strong positive correlation between the brand appearance and the customer evaluations. As Paul Rand said, “If, in the business of communication, image is king, the essence of this image, the logo, is the jewel in its crown”. So how do you create an image that draws attention and attracts business?

Just like a person is identified by his name, the brand logo is the identification mark of a company, to indicate that the products and services they are experiencing is coming from your particular company, and not from some other place- just like the NBC’s peacock, or Apple’s apple, EBay’s colorful name tag, or Yahoo’s exclamation mark at the end. Logos aren’t just fancy drawings and colorful fonts, logos are strategic. They represent the company’s story, they simply showcase the complete picture of the company’s soul, and they register in the people’s minds and shape their first impressions. The logo is your brand’s face, until people see you face, they don’t have a solid perception about you, but once they have known you, slowly your face accumulates meanings and experiences for people who come to know you. The point is, the logo is how you portray yourself to the outside world, a first chance to connect to the customer. A great logo can communicate and ingrain a brand in the minds of consumers. For example, if we consider the Amazon logotype, we would notice a little yellow arrow pointing from the “A” in the Amazon to the “Z”, which illustrates the fact that all sorts of products would b available on this e-commerce website.

A great logo tells a story, in the simplest, yet smartest way. Just imagine buying a Nike t-shirt without the logo embedded on it. Would you be paying the same price for it? You product will be successful based on two aspects you consider: the quality of the product you would be delivering and effecting marketing to make people aware about your product before they make their choices. While the former is obviously mandatory, the latter is something you would have to work on. At the end of the day people care about what is being delivered to them, but brand identity is what embeds it into their memories.

The post Why does a Brand Name and Logo Matter? appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.

Team Building Activities To Begin The New Year

For many business owners, inspiring the workforce should be their new year’s resolutions. Stale and boring workplaces go hand in hand with low production output and low retention rates of staff. Inspiring the workforce can be a great way to build a family at work and to prevent a better working environment. This can be achieved through team building activities which can create an atmosphere of camaraderie and excitement. Here are our top team building ideas and choices for you and your team in 2017.

Choosing the Activities

Choosing the activities carefully is important to maximise what kind of atmosphere you want to create in your company. By identifying the main challenges facing your team currently, you will be able to decide what activities will work. Team building exercises are excellent ways of getting a group of people who don’t know each other well to work together. Consider hiring a professional team building company who specialise in maximising your team building time. We recommend team tactics who supply a great team building service.

Improve the Communication

If one of your focuses is improving communication within your team then plan for team building exercises which include teamwork and communication as part of the process. Two examples of this kind of activities are the survival scenarios and adult telephone. The adult telephone game is an exercise which shows just how a message can get lost through different perceptions and interpretations. The game which used to be called Chinese whispers shows exactly how information can be misconstrued when passed from person to person demonstrating the importance of communication and the negativity of idle gossip. The survival scenario divides teams into several groups giving them all several options for survival gear. This game works by engaging the group in decision making, listening and trusting one another.

Trust Building

Trust building exercises can help bring together team members to improve trust and dependence within the framework of a team. Exercises such as local rope climbing courses where a mix of physical activity and cooperation will help to encourage trust amongst colleagues. Another trust exercise is the famous falling backwards towards a coworker in the hope that they will catch them.

Conflict Within a Group

Should you have a troubled internal conflict then there are a number of activities that can be used to help break up the issues and restore peace to the workplace. Some of the games involve physical activities such as treasure hunts and other games which have been adapted to adults. By pairing up the conflicting employees and forcing them to work together the warring parties can resolve issues through teamwork.

Add Some Colour To The Workplace

Install miscellaneous treats for your team by bringing in mini treats to share or organise a weekly meal at lunchtime to be paid for by the company. Clarify roles within the company with progression plans and meetings to discuss any issues. Attempt to solve any issues that exist at the beginning of the year so that 2017 starts of a fresh.

The post Team Building Activities To Begin The New Year appeared first on Entrepreneurship Life.