Is Your Company Safe From Attack?
Yesterday I read an article in the daily paper that contained some rather alarming figures.A survey of British businesses found that fraud, money laundering, and embezzlement cost them over ?40 billion ( $72 billion) a year. The average loss of the companies surveyed was over ?1 million, whereas the loss to the top 100 companies (those in the FTSE 100 index) was ?5 million. Companies were reporting losses of up to 5% of turnover.The significant fact about these figures was that this was only what had been detected. The real losses are certainly many many times greater. And to make matters worse these figures almost entirely represent what is ?inside' crime.
That is, it is crime committed by employees or by outside temporary staff contracted at the time to the company.And furthermore, a large number of the companies had no insurance cover to protect them from the consequences of this type of activity.So what are the lessons to be learned?1. Don't imagine that it can't happen to your company.It can happen, and most probably will. The bigger your company, the greater is the scope for undetected crime against it.2. Consider your vulnerabilities.Are your financial controls sufficient? Are they rigorous? Are they foolproof? Can you trust the people in charge? Are there checks made on the work done? Are you sure of the honesty and loyalty of your staff? Were their references ever followed up when you took them on? Pay particular attention when you take on temporary staff.3. Think about the consequences of an attack on your company.Could it take the strain financially? Would it knock your company back to a damaging degree? At what point would the very survival of the company be put into question? Would your company's reputation suffer irretrievably? (Reputations are very easily damaged, which is why banks seldom admit to the fraud they suffer).4.
Decide on a plan of action to counter the threat.This could mean a full security review of all your procedures.This could mean checking again the background of your employees.This could mean cutting down on temporary staff.This could mean taking out insurance to protect against the greatest threats. 5. Put your plan into action.It is no good carrying out a review if you don't act upon it. Don't just take note and put it to one side. Once you have weighed up the risks and decided what must be done, do it.
The law of averages is against you. Sooner or later someone within your company will try to cheat you. You may be lucky. It may be a small insignificant attack. But you may be unlucky.
It may be the big one. Be vigilant, be ready, be prepared..
Arthur Cooper is a business consultant, writer and publisher.For business articles ebooks and courses, go to:http://www.barrel-publishing.com/ For more of his original articles go to:http://www.arthurcooper.com/8 Tips to Increase Response in Email
Opt in email marketing is no different than normal direct marketing in that small simple changes will increase your response and success. These tips will help with both plain text and html email:1. Personalize- "A persons name is still the sweetest sound" Having first name in both the subject of the email, and the body of the message will help your email get read and not just deleted or being mistaken for junk mail.2. Free- Offer something free: It's an over used word on the Internet, but it still works, but it must 100% free not an item you have to pay postage and packaging for. If you do this your user who checks out your offer will feel cheated.3.
Tracking- Always track any promotion, which means using tools that will allow you to track responses and conversion of visitors to sales. A good service to use is adminder:http://www.adminder.comTracking also allows you to find out what information is most important to your readers4....
8 Tips to Increase Response in Email
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Mail Order: "The Original Internet" Still Going Strong
While the world continues to go catatonic over the Internet and its endless possibilities, there's another industry quietly going about its business, piling up profitable year after profitable year after profitable year. What industry is that? It's the mail order industry--or as I prefer to call it, "the original Internet!"Yes, long before the birth and explosion of the Internet, mail order shopping was a hugely popular and preferred method of doing business--and still is. In fact, the Internet has actually enhanced and contributed to the overall success of mail order.The mail order industry was created by Aaron Montgomery Ward. Ward sent out his first mail order catalog in 1872--for his Montgomery Ward mail order business located at Clark and Kinzie Streets in Chicago. The first catalog consisted of a single sheet of paper with a price list, 8 by 12 inches, showing the merchandise for sale with ordering instructions.
"Ward's gradually expanded the catalog. They became bigger...
Mail Order: "The Original Internet" Still Going Strong
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InsureMe Announces Direct Deposit Benefit for Affiliates
Denver (ContentDesk) November 7, 2005 -- InsureMe, the leading consumer-agent link for buying insurance online, recently announced a direct deposit payment offering to its affiliate advertisers for their online marketing efforts.In a three-fold effort to make its affiliate program more attractive; make it easier to administer; and help advertisers pay their marketing expenses quickly without incurring credit card debt, InsureMe instituted direct deposit as a fast, easy option for commission reimbursement.This time-saver also carries with it the added benefit of more time spent doing what affiliates do bestdrive traffic online.InsureMe currently issues affiliate commissions the first business day of each month, an unusual practice its advertisers heartily endorse. But now, with the addition of direct deposit, the company goes one step further toward meeting affiliates needs. Paying affiliates in a timely fashion has always been a competitive advantage for InsureMe, says Mike Sajdak,...
InsureMe Announces Direct Deposit Benefit for Affiliates
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ABN Amro EVP Murray & NetDeposit CEO Buchanan to Speak Sept. 8 at New York Cash Exchange
Salt Lake City, UT (ContentDesk) August 22, 2005 -- NetDeposit, Inc. (www.netdeposit.com), an innovator in Check 21 software and leading provider of franchise-building software solutions for the financial industry, today announced Ms. Cindy Murray, EVP of ABN Amro and Mr. Danne Buchanan, CEO of NetDeposit, Inc. will present "Taking advantage of Check 21? What is next?" at the New York Cash Exchange conference and exhibition to be held at the New York Marriot Marquis, New York, NY (http://www.tmany.org/conference.htm) on Thursday, Sept.
8 from 9 a.m. ? 10 a.m.Traditionally viewed as a way for banks to reduce the risk of moving paper checks around the country, companies are realizing they too can take advantage of the new Check 21 legislation. Check 21 presents not only new opportunities for corporations and merchants to expedite the clearing of checks, but opportunities...
ABN Amro EVP Murray & NetDeposit CEO Buchanan to Speak Sept. 8 at New York Cash Exchange
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Free Background Search
Various websites offer simple background searches for free. However, these free background searches are restricted by many terms and conditions, and normally do not come up with satisfactorily results, unless a particular background search product of the website is offered 'free' with another product of the website.
The free background checks on the various websites are not confidential. The results send an e-mail instantly to the subject to be checked, and when they give their consent, the results are sent via e-mail.
Therefore, for a confidential background check, paid checks are always suggested.
A free background search is a very important and easy-to-use feature. Sometimes it can tell a good deal about people we think we know thoroughly.
Free background searches are very useful to learn minor details about individuals, which aren't worth the hassles and expense of a proper background search.
A properly done free background...
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Universal Background Screening Offers Next Generation Oral Drug Testing Solution for Employers
Phoenix, AZ (ContentDesk) December 6, 2005 - The oral drug testing system now offered by Universal Background Screening provides FDA-approved laboratory accuracy with quicker, easier collection.
Oral drug testing allows employers to hire new employees faster, and minimizes lost work time for testing of current employees.
Oral fluid collection is done on-site, eliminating the need for applicants or employees to travel to a laboratory collection site.Since 1996, the number of employers that conduct pre-employment drug tests has dropped from 81 percent to 62 percent, according to the American Management Association.
One reason for this decline may be the complications of collecting a urine specimen for testing."In the experience of many organizations, traditional urine drug screening slows the hiring process," said Nancy Hyttel, Vice President of Operations for Universal Background Screening.
"As the economy continues to grow, employers rapidly need...
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Is Your Company Safe From Attack?
Diamond Promise rings ? For When You Mean It.
Diamond promise rings are quite common, but many are not all that sure what they are. What is a promise ring? And what does it mean? Promise rings (all of them, not just diamond promise rings, I just love diamond ones) are a symbol of a promise made between 2 people that both intend to keep. Not just any old promise, there are lots of those. But a really serious promise. One that is so important between two people that they are both prepared to make a public statement of their promise and intention...
Diamond Promise rings ? For When You Mean It. Is Your Company Safe From Attack? Checks
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Switchboard.com: The King Of Great Local Search
Forget about local search with Google, Yahoo! or MSN. They don't have a clue. When it comes to great local search, Switchboard.com is king!And no matter how hard Google, Yahoo! and MSN try, when it comes to local search, they'll never even be in the same league as Switchboard, because Switchboard.com gets it. Local search is what Switchboard does better than any other search engine or directory on the planet--period!You won't believe how easy it is to get incredibly relevant results for virtually...
Switchboard.com: The King Of Great Local Search Is Your Company Safe From Attack?
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Is Your Company Safe From Attack?
Colorescience Partners With DermStore.com to Fill Mineral Makeup Void Left By Bare Escentuals? Change in Online Sales Strategy
DermStore.com and Colorescience have joined forces to help fill the Mineral Makeup void in the marketplace, due to Bare Escentuals recent decision to restrict online sales to only two merchants. Their strategic alliance will provide:? Ease of finding quality Mineral Makeup products online? Innovative Colorescience kits exclusive to DermStore.com?...
Colorescience Partners With DermStore.com to Fill Mineral Makeup Void Left By Bare Escentuals? Change in Online Sales Strategy cosmetics
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