Small businesses are especially vulnerable to fraud and identity theft. Many lack the resources to hire an internal auditor who can keep an eye on vital financial accounts and organizational information. Therefore, the responsibility falls on the owner and the employees to be extra careful with company information when traveling. Here are 6 ways to protect yourself while on business trips.
1. Only use one credit card when traveling. Leave every other card at home, in a safe place. If you do find yourself the victim of credit card theft, you’ll be able to limit the loss if only one card is stolen.
2. Check all accounts daily. Make sure you log on and check all of your financial accounts daily while on a business trip. If a dishonest cashier or waiter has managed to steal your identity or credit card information, you’ll see the illegal activity as soon as it posts to your account. Then you can call your bank and report the theft. They’ll cancel the account immediately.
3. Add identity theft restoration to your travel insurance. Identity theft restoration could be the single most important service your insurance company can provide. If you find that your credit card or identity has been stolen, you’ll have immediate access to the right kind of support. That quick call could save you thousands of dollars in financial losses to your company.
4. Use pre-paid credit cards when traveling for business. A pre-paid credit card allows you to load it up with a limited amount of cash. Once that limit is reached, the card will be declined. Even the fastest thief will run out of juice before he does any serious damage to your company’s bank accounts. If you reach the limit before you’re ready to go home, you’ll have the authority to reload the card. It may be a little inconvenient, but it sure beats the alternative.
5. Keep your laptop locked in the hotel safe. Most hotels have safes in the rooms. Keep your laptop and any other information that would identify you or your company locked in that safe. Identity theft happens in many ways, and a savvy thief, who works as a housekeeper, can rob you blind with just a few key strokes.
6. Turn on the pass code on your smartphone. Smartphones carry as much personal information as our laptops, so make sure you turn on the pass code while on a business trip. In the event you leave it on a restaurant table, no one will be able to access vital financial and personal information. Hopefully, you’ll be able to get back to the place you left it before anyone can crack the code.
Always use some kind of identity theft restoration when traveling for business. You’ll be using strange ATM locations and shopping in strange stores. It’s much more difficult to spot suspicious activity in places that aren’t familiar. If you aren’t properly protected and insured, ask yourself if your business can afford a theft. How will you protect yourself?
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In today’s tough job market, any opportunity to find a job is well worth the effort. Job fairs, also called “career fairs,” are a great job searching resource. They allow applicants to meet dozens of employers face to face. Not only this, but these employers are actively seeking candidates, so your chances of getting hired are much better when compared to submitting your resume blind or online with the rest of the crowd.
While job fairs offer the opportunity to meet potential employers face to face, they also offer a place to practice for future interviews. There’s no better place to sharpen your selling skills. If nothing else, you’ll walk away with a better idea of how to sell yourself and much more confidence doing it.
So, how do you prepare for a job fair? Well first, you have to find them. Use your favorite search engine to look for job fairs in your immediate and surrounding areas. If you’re willing to travel (this is never a bad idea), check nearby cities and states. Many participating employers may have an office in your area, so don’t rule out out-of-state job fairs.
After finding a list of job fairs you might be interested in, find out which companies will be participating. Each job fair will have a website that lists participating companies. Next, choose which companies you would like to work for. Keep in mind that you should also research the positions each company wants to fill and if you’re qualified for them. Once you have made several matches, research the companies on your list. Find out if they are solid companies with growth potential. You can find this information on the company website, business news websites, through press releases, and even the business section of your local newspaper.
With your list in hand, you can now make your way through the job fair without wasting much time. Visit the booths or tables of your top choices first. If you have time, walk through again just to see if there are any other companies that look interesting. You might find an additional company or two that may turn out to be a good fit.
Before you head out to the job fair, make sure you have at least a dozen resumes and a list of references to hand out. Next, always dress the part. This means never show up in jeans and a T-shirt. Professional attire always makes a good first impression. It will also make you feel more confident about approaching potential employers.
What you do after a job fair can be just as important as what you do during the fair. So, after meeting with employers, always ask for a business card. If available, ask for a company brochure as well. Always remember the person’s name you met with (if it’s not on the card). Follow-up with a letter or email to the company representatives you met with. Thank them for meeting with you and briefly discuss your strengths and what you can bring to the company. If you look forward to hearing from the representative, say so. If you haven’t heard from a representative in a week or so, it’s perfectly fine to follow-up again with a phone call. Your aggressiveness will certainly help you stand out from the crowd.
To search for career fairs in your area, in addition to using search engines, you can also try the National Career Fairs website at www.nationalcareerfairs.com.
With telecommunications technology you are connected to the entire world at all times of day, and for the savvy industrialist, that means having the ability to do business from anywhere. The world isn’t your oyster, it’s your office. Some business owners fear that extending their company beyond office walls will lead to lower quality work, but with better technology that is no longer the case. These tips will help your company branch out of industrial office parks or headquarters, all without sacrificing operations.
Use Mobile Apps
Chances are that you and other company leaders are already using smartphones. Whether you have an iPhone or an Android, smartphones are great business tools because of the plethora of apps available that can tackle many of the same tasks traditionally done in an office. Some of those tasks include:
• Meetings – Use teleconferencing tools like the Skype app to allow you to see the person you’re speaking with, which is ideal for presenting objects.
• Faxing – Instead of waiting to see incoming faxes at the office, use a tool like the Metrofax Internet Faxing mobile app to view faxes right on your smartphone as soon as they arrive.
• Printing – With printing apps, such as PrintCentral Pro, you can link with nearby WiFi-capable printers and print nearly any type of document right from your smartphone.
Bring the Company Network to You
IT solutions have been created to eliminate the need to access company data strictly from a computer station in your office. Thus, the wireless network of your company can be extended to various remote locations. With an extended network you can connect to the very same files stored electronically in your office. Not only does this allow you to truly work from home, but it increases your company’s ability to use the services of telecommuting, part-time and freelance employees in any location.
Never Close With Remote Customer Service
Problems don’t keep 9 to 5 hours, so when a customer needs assistance they expect to be helped immediately no matter what time of day. By hiring a provider of remote customer services, your customer service operations can be extended around the clock without having to maintain a 24-hour team in your office. With remote customer service you won’t lose a customer because they weren’t able to receive help.
Market With Social Media
Social media is a great way to interact with people, so it’s a boon for businesses to market to potential customers. Social media sites like Facebook and Twitter are accessible from any Web-capable device, requiring only a username and password. You and company employees can launch marketing campaigns from anywhere which helps for those timely marketing angles.
By using these tips to extend your company outside the office, you are creating a whole new meaning to the phrase, “living at the office”. Your home, the coffee shop, the mall, have all become your office. Where do you plan to extend your company?
Photo Credit: A.S. Zain / Shutterstock.com
Whether you’re interested in giving back, gaining work experience or filling work gaps, volunteer work has many benefits. For starters, as a volunteer worker, you can gain valuable work experience that can help you begin building a resume. For students, volunteering full-time during the summer months or on weekends during the regular semester will impress future employers and help you stand out from the crowd. For non-students, volunteering anytime will strengthen your resume and help you obtain skills that can lead to advancement opportunities.
Next, volunteering can actually help you find potential employers. When you volunteer, you’re always meeting new people. These people may give you job leads. By volunteering for programs related to your career field, you are also more likely to meet important contacts or other professionals with the same interests.
Volunteer work can help you gain valuable skills. For example, if you’re working for a non-profit, you might learn all about fundraising and develop skills related to working with groups. You might handle donations, help manage projects, and organize events. An organized candidate with management skills and the ability to work with large groups is a great asset to hiring companies.
While working with non-profits can help you gain valuable experience and skills, other fields can do the same. Other fields that may be open to volunteer workers are:
- -Education
- -Disaster Relief
- -Community Development
- -Research
- -Medical/Health
- -Construction
- -Administration
- -Land Conservation
- -Parks & Recreation
To apply for a volunteer position at any given company, all you have to do is contact the company’s human resources department by email or phone and inquire about volunteer opportunities. Most companies have volunteer, internship or other similar programs. If they don’t, they will likely be open to the idea. The human resources department will tell you how to apply if opportunities are available or if they would be willing to consider it. If opportunities are seasonal, the department will give you information about the best times to apply. You will have the option to apply online or via snail mail.
You can also search for volunteer opportunities by visiting any of the following websites:
Good Luck!
Continuing education is usually mandatory for jobs that require a license or certification. Continuing education may consist of a few courses or an entire program which can be taught online, on-campus or other location. The different types of careers that require continuing education are in the medical field, education, real estate, law, engineering and construction, to name a few.
Continuing education is not only important to keep up with changes in the law, it is also important to keep up with competition and modern developments. Many companies also require continuing education as a condition of employment. For example, many human resources professionals must attend continuing education classes to stay current with employment laws, salary trends, and other employment related issues.
Although many continuing education courses or programs are mandatory, some are 100 percent voluntary. Many of these programs are for personal development only, so they do not have to be accredited. Courses or programs that are required as a condition of employment or for maintaining licensure or certification must be accredited. Accreditation is a voluntary process. However, only an accredited program or course will meet the requirements of employers and licensing agencies.
There are literally dozens of recognized accrediting agencies covering hundreds of specialized programs and courses. For example, the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE) is recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education and the Teacher Education Accreditation Council Committee is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Before signing up with any given continuing education course or program, especially if it’s a requirement for an employer or licensure, please verify that it’s accredited and that the agency is recognized.
To find out if an agency is recognized by visiting the U.S. Department of Education Database of Accredited Postsecondary Institutions and Programs.
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