2SBD New Site - Operations, Technology

The Smallest Company Can Easily Add The 401K Benefit

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Tue, 12 Oct 2021 15:31:34 +0000

In these times of perilous staff retention, adding an employee benefit at little added company cost should be examined closely by every manager.
Those same managers know already there are specific things that need to be in place to keep a healthy workforce and set the company up for success.
According to Jared Porter, CCO and co-founder of 401go, first, paying employees is crucial. A competitive wage can entice top talent to the business, and also help retain those good workers.
The next thing that should be mentioned is company culture. Start building a distinct culture within the business, whether there is just one or one hundred employees.
Lastly, employers should look for ways to help employees by providing benefits, such as a 401(k) plan.
Though there is still the stigma of a 401(k) plan being expensive, antiquated, and time-consuming that has changed in the last five years. The accessibility has changed. The cost has changed.
The "new way to 401(k)" includes same-day setup with no or low-cost startup fees, and a full-service and fully-featured platform driven by cutting edge technology that essentially does all the heavy-lifting for small businesses.
Today’s 401(k)s are a necessity for small businesses and here are three reasons why:
1. Retention: Employees are 15 times more likely to save for retirement when offered a company-sponsored 401(k) plan. When employees begin saving for retirement they are more engaged with the business and their future there.
2. Tax Savings: The tax savings and incentives offered through a 401(k) plan are available to a small business owner immediately. In 2020, the government passed the SECURE Act, which essentially opened up three years worth of tax credits to small businesses with 401(k) plans. Business owners can claim credits up to $5,500 if they offer a 401(k) plan.
3. Recruiting: A business may not realize how many good hires pass them over when a 401(k) plan is unavailable. It makes all the difference in finding the right employee needed for a successful business.
In conclusion, a 401(k) plan is not just beneficial for employees, but can also bring a strong company culture.. Now, more than ever, it is crucial to take care of the people that make a business successful.

Section:

Operations, Technology

Small Business Cybersecurity Tips for 2021

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Wed, 09 Dec 2020 20:31:39 +0000

While website performance is always a chief concern for small businesses, website security has become extremely important this year as more and more businesses continue to operate online or remotely. And the need for increased cybersecurity will only continue to grow in 2021.

Hristo Pandjarov, WordPress Initiatives Manager at SiteGround, has over 15 years of experience with building website technology, and is an expert in small business security best practices. He will break down actionable tips for creating a more secure site for small businesses of all kinds.

As more companies look to better protect employees and websites in the new year, there are several steps that individuals and businesses should take in order to be more secure, including:

Keep software up-to-date: Use all the tools provided by your web hosting provider. If using a popular CMS for your website, like WordPress, for example, auto-updates keep the site up-to-date, including all new security patches.
Create automatic backups: Ensure the site is backed up frequently in case of hacking incidents or simple human error. Most web hosts offer automatic backups for easy restoration.
Only install trusted themes and plugins: There are millions of third-party plugins andthemes for websites and online stores, both free and paid. Not all of them are high-quality and some of them can actually cause vulnerabilities on a site. Make sure to only install trusted plugins and themes.
Developing a company-wide device policy: Update all software on employee’s devices regularly, including tablets and phones. Send company-wide updates for all critical vulnerabilities found in popular software products or devices that employees might be using.
Securing logins: Recent data has shown vulnerabilities in many passwords this year. A staggering 81 percent of security breaches are due to stolen passwords.To maintain safety, set forced password updates and enable two-factor authentication wherever possible. Avoiding common usernames like “admin” or “administrator” and saving passwords only via password vaults, instead of in the browser, are a great place to start.
Securing website access levels: As companies look to third-party resources for help, create separate accounts which can be later deleted with limited access. And only provide admin access where it’s strictly necessary.
Not simply relying on VPNs: Be sure to apply both two-factor authentication and authorization to all critical resources, whenever possible.

These recommended actions are a great foundation, those who are looking for extra assurance that their site is secure can consider bringing on a cybersecurity consultant to set the rules and procedures small business owners need to follow to make sure employees and data stay safe.

Section:

Operations, Technology

Knowledge Base is Key To Website Success

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 14:51:21 +0000

As small business owners move into the busiest time of year for online transactions, it’s especially crucial for them to be equipped with the right tools to help their customer base quickly address questions and concerns, or they run the risk of losing them to a competitor.

Hristo Pandjarov, WordPress Initiatives Manager at SiteGround, has over 15 years of experience with Open Source applications, building website technology, and is an expert in knowledge base best practices.

Ninety-percent of consumers use customer service and experience as a factor when deciding whether or not to buy from a business. When companies integrate a knowledge base into their website, it boosts the overall customer experience, centralizing a repository of content and data that has the potential to lower customer service complaints over confusion or frustration, allowing team members to focus on other important factors within the business.

Why knowledge bases are important to a small business: A knowledge base is essentially a central hub for any information a customer might be looking for; FAQs, tutorials, how-to’s, forums, etc. Some even call it “self-serve customer service.”

When customers are looking for answers about a specific product or service, they should be able to easily address their concerns without leaving the business in question’s site. The more clicks, the more digging that has to be done, the more the customer will become frustrated and less likely to visit or purchase from the site again. And customers prefer finding answers to their questions on their own -- a study by Forrester confirmed that customers prefer knowledge bases over all other self-service channels.

How to create a knowledge base to best fit a company’s needs: There are many factors to be aware of when building a knowledge base from the ground up from design, structure, writing style and visual elements. User experience should also be top of mind as the creation process begins. How easy will it be for customers to find what they’re looking for? Will the webpage be discoverable on search engines like Google, or does it need to be accessed from within the site? Address these key questions before diving in.

Choosing the right knowledge base plugin: For most small businesses looking to set-up a knowledge base, WordPress is a great place to start. Although there are several plugins in the WordPress public repository that provide specific knowledge base functionality, in most cases nothing is needed but a proper structure of the site’s content. WordPress provides a hierarchical page structure as well as proper categorisation of posts and tags which is more than enough to organize data in the best way. The rest is simply visualisation of content so it's easy for the visitor to find what they are looking for and fits theoverall design.

Generally, when choosing whether to use a plugin or rely on the default WordPress functionality, consider the following:

Software costs
Needed “extra” features (community forums, etc.)
Analytics provided
Customer support

- Integration with other tools in use

There is no one right way to build a knowledge base, but anything that provides customers with a smoother, more satisfying experience is essential for small businesses all year, but especially as the holiday season rapidly approaches.

Section:

Operations, Technology

Time To Tune Up The Online Store

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Fri, 02 Oct 2020 14:51:30 +0000

Before the holiday, winter rush, its time to shore up the company’s online store.
Whether peddling pet clothes, furniture, or even medical essentials, online vendors are going to see a surge in orders as the pandemic holiday crush arrives.
That’s why Mike Metz, the CEO of FATFREE, a full service digital marketing agency, thinks it is important to consider the following ahead of the rush.
Make It Easy, Make It Clean: Making your store look good is easier than ever these days. Websites like Squarespace or Shopify are fairly painless ways to create seamless, slick online stores from existing templates. If you’ve got a developer on hand, even better as plugins greatly enhance the power and ease-of-use of your website.
Whichever route you take or have already taken, double check to ensure the order process is simple, quick, and seamless. Churn the peanut butter and go through the process yourself to make sure the road to check out is less than four clicks. Make sure all the information your customer needs, like photos, specs, and reviews are skimmable on one page. Choose the product, add delivery or pickup address, billing information, and you should be at the end.
If you’re currently asking customers to sign up for an account or email list, or bouncing them in and out of their cart every time they add an item, you’re likely to lose a chunk of potential sales. These offers can be placed at the end of the checkout or in the order confirmation email.
Consider A Subscription Service: Everything from household goods to whiskey flights have adopted the subscription-based model. Monster brands like Amazon rely heavily on committed monthly refills of goods like toilet paper and soap, while smaller companies like coffee and pet food providers are starting to see the benefits of subscribed customers. Not only can it lower the costs for both you and your customers, it can help predict future income and give your business valuable insight into your own inventory needs.
Upgrade Your Server Capacity: We’ve all been there. You go through all the steps to grab your favorite on-sale item, get to the check out, and are hit with an error message. It’s not uncommon these days for websites to collapse under increased demand. Some customers may try a second or third time, but many will give up after the first. Check with your website host and see if there’s other tiers you can upgrade your service to. Often you can pay more to accommodate increased data usage and processing power, and you can quickly cover that cost by creating a shopping experience your customers are happy to repeat.
Provide Support: Ok, so you’ve made sure your warehouse is stocked, upgraded your server, and provided a seamless checkout process for your customers. No matter how much work you put in, something will eventually go wrong. Be sure to provide access to customer service for your customers, whether that’s an easy-to-find phone number, a designated chat bot on the website, or contact information provided with the order confirmation email. Even if something goes wrong, a helpful and eager solution can actually enhance the customer’s perception of your business.

Mike Metz is the CEO of FATFREE, a full service digital marketing agency providing lean solutions for businesses of all sizes. If you would like an evaluation of your e-commerce site to be sure you’re ready for the holiday shopping season, email mike@fatftee.co

Section:

Operations, Technology

Supreme Court Gives Small Business More Clout On Infringement

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Mon, 11 May 2020 15:04:13 +0000

For years inadvertent infringement would not than result in penalties but that has been set aside by the Supreme Court, a major win for small businesses.

According to William Honaker, a patent attorney at Dickinson Wrigh t, before this ruling, half of the district courts in the United States required trademark owners to prove that an infringement was willful before they could collect an infringer’s profits. Without proof of willfulness, they could only collect their own damages and the costs of the action. This left many trademark owners with no recovery because it can be difficult to prove how they were damaged. Now they have a better chance at adding the infringer’s profits to the award.

Adds Honaker, on the other hand, infringers have more to be concerned about. If they infringe, they may have to turn over their profits. Profits made by an infringer are easier to prove. The potential for having to turn over profits may be a self-policing benefit to trademark owners. Having to give up profits should make infringers to think twice. Also, it will give trademark owners new leverage in negotiating a settlement.
Interpreting the Law of Trademark Damages

In the past and recently, the law can be frustrating, confusing, and hard to interpret. The damages provision of the Federal Trademark Act is an example. Half the regional Circuit Courts of Appeal interpreted damages one way, while the other half interpreted it another way. Because of this split, on June 28, 2019, the Supreme Court agreed to interpret the damages provision of Federal Trademark Law in Romag Fasteners v. Fossil Inc. The question involved what a trademark owner must prove in order to recover an infringer’s profits. The Court had to decide whether a trademark owner was required to prove willful infringement to get profits? It all came down to one word: “or.”
Trademark Damages

Honaker provides the following provision lists the damages a trademark owner can recover:

“When a violation of any right of the registrant of a mark registered in the Patent and Trademark Office, a violation under section 1125(a) or (d) of this title, or a willful violation under section 1125(c) of this title… the plaintiff shall be entitled… subject to the principles of equity, to recover (1) defendant’s profits, (2) any damages sustained by the plaintiff, and (3) the costs of the action.”

The question before the Supreme Court was whether willful infringement must be proven with respect to 1125(a) which involves trade mark infringement, and 1125(d) which involves domain names, or only 1125(c) which involves dilution of a famous mark.

If profits are only available for willful infringement, then a trademark owner can only recover actual damages. These are hard to prove, particularly if the infringer isn’t a competitor. Many courts require actual consumer confusion or deception to recover actual damages.

Honaker cites the Romag Case which after a split decision in The Second Circuit Court of Appeals it decided to hear.:

As a result of the Romag case which they sell magnetic fasteners under the trademark Romag. They licensed the trademark to Fossil for bags. Under the license, Fossil was required to use Romag’s manufacturer. Romag later learned that Fossil was using another manufacturer, and sued for infringement. The jury found that Fossil infringed the trademark, but did not find willful infringement.

The Supreme Court ruled that proving willful infringement isn’t a requirement to be awarded defendant’s profits. The court held that the statute only requires willful infringement in cases involving the dilution of famous marks.

Even though willfulness isn’t required, it is still part of the consideration as to the amount of damages to award. The statute requires that damages are subject to the principles of equity. The Majority stated:

“We do not doubt that a trademark defendant’s mental state is a highly important consideration in determining whether an award of profits is appropriate. But acknowledging that much is a far cry from insisting on the inflexible precondition [that it is a requirement].”

The concurring opinions stressed the importance of willfulness to award profits:

“The relevant authorities, particularly pre-Lanham Act case law, show that willfulness is a highly important consideration in awarding profits under §1117(a), but not an absolute precondition.”

And, that profits shouldn’t be awarded against innocent infringers.

“Thus, a district court’s award of profits for innocent or good-faith trademark infringement would not be consonant with the “principles of equity” . . .

According to Honaker the majority opinion was broader than the concurring opinions. The majority considers willfulness as an important consideration, but it leaves open other considerations. The decision is left to the court and precedent.

He adds this unknown means that potential infringers have greater risks. The comfort of a plaintiff having to prove “willful infringement” is gone. There is much more risk now when attempting to leverage someone else's success by adopting the same or a similar trademark. Giving up all your profits is big.

Again according to Honaker, this puts the trademark owner in a better position. There will be some self-policing because many will decide to stay away from established trademarks. This is good. Trademark owners will now have more leverage in settlement discussions, because the risk that a court may order the disgorgement of profits is a big deal to defendants.

The Takeaway:

This decision gives trademark owners more power. Infringement damages got potentially higher. That makes playing off the success of others riskier. Willfulness as a consideration in determining damages has not gone away. It will still be considered, but along with other factors. It is no longer the gate that you had to open to even have an award of profits considered. Because this gate is gone, trademarks are more valuable, and preventing infringement is easier.

Section:

Operations, Technology

5 Tipe For Small Busineses With Teams Working At Home

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Thu, 09 Apr 2020 14:20:42 +0000

From security issues to regulatory requirements, having small business teams work from home opens up new risks for the organization.
Catherine (Kitty) Parry, founder & CEO of DeepView, an enterprise cybersecurity software solution using AI to alert photo and video data leaks reviews these risks and provides options for the solutions.

Make sure you are archiving chat: If your teams use chat systems such as WhatsApp, and similar to communicate, make sure a system is put in place to archive these changes.
Regulation: Regulated organizations are required to archive and monitor all professional communications. For example, financial service firms regulated under FINRA's Regulatory Notice 17-18, firms are required to archive communications*
Solution: Archiving software that plugs into the back end of a chat system works well here, ones that require user authorization are critical to ensure you are meeting privacy and personal rights. One example is DeepView's ChatGuard2. Manage data leakage:
Manage data leakage: Working from home can mean more social media use. Photos and videos contain a massive amount of information for social engineers and hackers. Renowned social hacker, Rachel Tobac, is able to extract 60% of the information she needs to hack a company via public photos and videos. See a short video here,
Regulation: Data leakage requirements fall under the SEC and many other US regulators. One regulation, for example, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (US) 1999, has a Safeguards Rule. This requires written information on a security plan describing how the company plans to protect nonpersonal public information – including software in place to protect data security.
Solution: There are software solutions that have algorithms built to detect passwords on post-it notes, computer screens and so on. Solutions that review, not only text but also public photos and videos is critical. DeepView's ImageGuard is a superb product for this – it provides real-time alerts to potential security risk posts. It reviews public text, photos and videos that are tagged to your company, to enable companies to remove the posts that pose a risk and leak confidential data.
Make sure solutions work for corporate and personnel devices: It's no longer realistic to believe staff will only use corporate devices for work. Whether it's to build a new relationship or quickly send a message. When your team is working from home, it's far too easy to jump onto personal devices. All of DeepView's solutions are built to work on personal devices while respecting privacy. It meets the privacy requirement's as users are able to select which chats are work.
Simple and fast set up: Chat recording can be set up in 120 seconds once the email has gone out to individual teams.
Choose solutions that understand global regulation: many solutions are built for the US market; however, teams are often global. It's therefore far simpler and time-efficient to review and consider solutions that meet global regulation

Section:

Operations, Technology

COVID-19 Decontamination Steps

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Sat, 14 Mar 2020 21:33:44 +0000

Effective procedures following COVID-19 presence in building environment:

    Decontamination response to a confirmed COVID-19 event with prior planning in place
    Disinfection of all high touch surfaces
    Disinfectant application to HVAC systems (using NADCA certified processes and technicians)
    Precipitation of airborne viral vectors from the breathable interior airspace
    Altering the building environment to significantly reduce conditions conducive to viral and pathogen survival
    Third party pre-testing and assessment of the site with custom remediation protocols created for the disinfection process
    Third party post testing and assessment of the process and verification of the resulting environmental state
    Collaboration with existing cleaning crews to initiate specific ongoing disinfecting practices

Section:

Operations, Technology

Bring-Your-Own-Phone Is A Win-Win

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Wed, 31 Jul 2019 15:38:01 +0000

While employers say a mobile phone is necessary for four out of every five staff positions, less than one in five provide those items to employees.
In fact, a 2018 Samsung survey found that 80% of its respondents said employees can’t do their jobs effectively without a mobile phone, yet only 17% of enterprises provide mobile phones to all employees.
Given those factoids, there is a positive trend happening in today’s business world that is aiding company profits.
The increasing necessity of smartphones on the job is resulting in more and more companies adopting the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD).
Jon Robinson is the president of Lunar says the ubiquity of the personal mobile phone combined with the technological advances, have made the benefits of BYOD more appealing than ever to small businesses.
In the past, to maintain a degree of convenience and oversight, companies traditionally either had to provide a desk landline, a corporate cell phone or both.
Today, something more in terms of
Research from Frost & Sullivan highlights how widespread the BYOD trend has become. The survey indicated 70% of U.S. businesses currently support BYOD.
To business leaders, the positive appeal lies in everything from increased productivity, to cost savings, to fewer IT and administrative headaches.
In today’s business landscape, an employee’s personal smartphone may be the only phone a business needs.

Increased productivity and satisfaction: With a BYOD model, employees don’t have the learning curve associated with operating a new device, whether it’s a landline or a corporate cell phone. For example, employees who are loyal to Apple products don’t have to become acclimated to a completely different operating system. The ease, comfort and familiarity of using their own device for work enables employees to be more productive.
With the corporate cell phone model, budgets tend to be limited, resulting in businesses opting for older devices. The frustrations that come with operating an older device can be avoided when an employee uses their own device.
Cost savings: A standard office phone system can cost anywhere from $300 to $1,000 per user, a significant price to pay for something an employee may not deem as useful as their own personal device. These cost savings extend even further considering that with a BYOD approach companies don’t have to shoulder the costs of buying, upgrading and maintaining landlines and corporate cell phones.
Reduction in IT and administrative headaches:BYOD also helps companies eliminate the administrative headaches, such as managing mobile plans and ensuring that employees are not going over their designated data usage. When employees are responsible for maintaining their personal cell phone, businesses eliminate the time spent issuing devices, updating software, tracking down lost devices, etc.
New technology makes BYOD even easier:New technology is making BYOD even easier for both businesses and employees. Mobile devices are no longer limited to a single phone number, and when a business has the ability to assign and reassign business phone numbers to an employee’s personal cell phone, the business still has ownership of the communication and can ensure privacy for the employee.

By adopting new enterprise texting and calling solutions, businesses can completely replace corporate phones, yet maintain the valuable conversations contained within them. For the sales department, these solutions can mean the difference between closing a deal from a now-departed employee’s pipeline and that employee taking the deal with them when they leave.
BYOD practices help companies reduce costs and avoid the administrative and IT hassles of purchasing and maintaining devices. Employees benefit from the ease, comfort and productivity of using their own smartphones and avoid the inconvenience of carrying around multiple phones. As companies look to take advantage of the benefits of BYOD, and advances in technology continue to make this approach an even simpler and more efficient way of doing business, adoption of this practice will only continue to increase.

Jon Robinson is the president of Lunar, a Salesforce Partner and the creators of Uplink.

Section:

Operations, Technology

5 Tips to Preparing SMBs for Extreme Weather and Natural Disasters

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 14:12:21 +0000

This article was conceived and written by Rebecca Smith, VP of Marketing at The Master Lock Company and Cheryl Nelson, Meteorologist and Disaster Preparedness Expert

Small business owners are used to being in control of everything, from day-to-day operations to grassroots marketing. While small business owners can’t control the weather, they can plan for it. And they should. According to a survey published last year by Manta, 37 percent of small business owners said they would not be able to recover from a natural disaster like a severe storm or fire. Moreover, a survey conducted by the Federal Reserve found that 40 percent of small business firms in extreme weather-prone markets had natural-disaster-related losses, and 35 percent lost more than $25,000 in revenue. The road to recovering losses can take much longer, or even worse, cause the small business to close permanently.

As small businesses across the country approach tornado, hurricane and flooding seasons, Master Lock and SentrySafe collaborated with AMS-certified broadcast meteorologist and certified instructor at FEMA’s National Disaster Preparedness Training Center, Cheryl Nelson, to underscore the importance of safeguarding their critical documents and assets.

The following are 5 tips from The Master Lock Company and Nelson on how small businesses can prepare for the unexpected.

Know Where Disasters Are Likely to Occur: Staying attuned to current weather trends is an important first step. For example, flooding can occur even outside of FEMA-designated flood zones. Understand the flood risk for your business. Learn more at www.FloodScores.com. There is a 30-day waiting period for flood insurance to take effect after purchasing, so don’t wait until a storm is approaching.
Protect Key Documents & Critical Assets: Losing important tax and financial documents can be significant losses and time consuming to replace for small business owners. Securing critical tax and financial assets in a fire and water-protected safe, like the durable SentrySafe Combination Fire/Water Safe or portable SentrySafe Fire/Water Chest, can ensure critical documents are secure in extreme conditions caused by natural disasters. Do safeguard original paper versions of critical documents, such as tax, financial, employee and license records, but also create digital copies and store them in the cloud for easy remote access.
Review Current Insurance Coverage: Being aware of potential risks and investing in a proper insurance plan is one of the best ways to prepare for unexpected disasters. Making sure business property is covered and looking into packages that include business interruption and lose of use coverage will help protect against closure or delays in operation.
Develop a Workplace Inventory: If needed, expedite insurance claims after storms by creating a workplace inventory now. Start by listing and taking photos of possessions, along with each item’s worth, receipts and appraisals, and get into the habit of recording new purchases. For an extra layer of security, consider locking up indoor and outdoor assets with a durable commercial-grade lock like Master Lock’s Laminated Padlock.
Develop an Emergency & Evacuation Plan: Resources like Ready.gov provide helpful information on what to do before, during and after each type of natural disaster. Understanding basic guidelines and local evacuation procedures for hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires and other disasters is step one. Step two? Practice various scenarios with employees, including a plan for securing critical assets and potential insurance plans to ensure losses are recovered.

Whether in an area that’s susceptible to natural disasters, or looking to put an emergency plan in place, preparing key small business assets for the unexpected now can go a long way towards ensuring they’re protected down the road.

For more information on water- and fire-protected products, visit www.MasterLock.com or www.SentrySafe.com

Section:

Operations, Technology

Quality Management Is a Necessity; Not A Costly Luxury

dmazzella@is-incorp.com — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 16:14:24 +0000

Quality management is often seen by small companies as less of a business optimization tool and more as a costly luxury.
Smaller companies have limited resources in terms of people, budget and time to devote to comprehensive quality management, so they may perceive that quality automation is beyond their reach.
Quality is under pressure.
Thanks to a combination of global competition, social media and increased customer expectations, companies of all sizes must recognize the importance of not only product quality but the potentially huge cost of poor quality.
As a result, the stakes have never been higher, with small to midsize companies aware that a quality misstep can have a significant impact on their future
Rob Gremley is the CEO at SaaS provider ETQ who argues quality matters, regardless of company size.
Adds Gremley, “quality is, in fact, size-less and undiscriminating. As a result, a quality management system – a defined set of policies, processes and procedures that companies need to meet customer expectations – should be at the core of every business. The good news is that quality management system (QMS) software that can help build that core is within the reach of even the smallest companies.”
In a very small company, an approach to quality could be simply that ‘we must ensure that we put a quality product on the market because we can't afford to have a bad quality product on the market.’
Big companies can have a lot to lose, but they can generally overcome poor quality issues thanks to their size. For small companies, a major quality issue can be an existential problem.
The level of urgency and criticality around quality is indiscriminatory. For every company -- at every stage of the product lifecycle -- quality matters. No one gets a pass on quality. To put it simply, big companies sometimes can weather the quality storm, but small companies can be completely blown away.
If a small company ships 10,000 products and 5,000 of them get recalled because of a quality issue, that can jeopardize the viability of the company. Factor into the mix customer complaints, the return process and the overall damage to the brand in the form of negative reviews or social media backlash, and the need for effective quality management becomes ever more acute.
In fact, small companies are often hyper-focused on quality because they could be a start-up or entering a competitive market. While “big company quality” might appear to be a lofty goal for a small company, the fact is that easy-to-use software makes the quality journey both approachable and affordable.
A small company can, for example, start with five key processes - document management, change management, audits, training and non-conformance – and build from there. In addition, they can access the cloud by integrating a Software-as-a-Service solution that removes the need for a defined infrastructure.
Finally, they can leverage out-of-the-box best practices developed over decades by a trusted software partner. Often, these best practices originated with some of the largest, most innovative quality champions in the world and they are now available in a highly intuitive and cost-effective form for companies of all sizes.
Quality has to be a corporate mandate, irrespective of the size of the company. Quality is part of the brand, either as a business driver or as a means of differentiating yourself from your competitors. This applies to not only the largest companies on the planet, but also the cottage industries and small organizations. What is important to remember is that quality does not discriminate based on company size, but QMS solutions are at hand for companies of every size.
Rob Gremley is the CEO at SaaS provider ETQ and is responsible for the overall business strategy and operations of the company.

Section:

Operations, Technology