Dear Dan: Recently, a rash of bad luck hit our business. An employee was hurt on the job, one of our PCs went haywire and we discovered a theft. The lesson learned was that we could do better at preventing trouble before it happens. Any advice on how? — Bad Luck Biz
Dear Bad Luck Biz: Think of some of the threats your business faces: computer malfunctions, shoplifting, employee theft, accidents, lawsuits, machinery downtime and broken equipment can slow you down and cost your business major money.
Here are some key areas where prevention can really make a difference to your business success, along with the solutions you need to put preventive steps in place.
• Theft and loss prevention: Shoplifting, employee theft and other types of “inventory shrinkage” can eat away your profits if left unaddressed. Installing a loss-prevention program will help minimize losses. Include background checks on employees as part of your system. Good resources include: LossPrevention.com and the National Association of Professional Background Screeners (www.napbs.com).
• Lawsuit prevention: A lawsuit is a huge drain on your time, money and energy. The story is all too familiar: A small business owner and a partner (or client, customer, investor, etc.) have a business dispute they can’t seem to resolve. No one will budge. Threats of legal action, phone calls and letters are exchanged. Everybody is upset, and productivity is suffering under the stress. If a lawsuit results, things will get even worse.
Use arbitration and mediation to avoid a legal morass. It’s user-friendly (usually avoids lawyers), inexpensive and helps resolve thousands of business disputes yearly. For preventive help keeping your business in legal compliance, visit LegalWorkplace.com.
• PC problem prevention: Both Microsoft and Apple offer free security updates – but you have to download and install the latest versions and fixes. Get what you need at the Microsoft Download Center (Microsoft.com/downloads). For Mac OSX, go to the Apple menu and select “Software Update” to check for updates. Microsoft has good preventive maintenance advice on its Web site at www.microsoft.com/athome.
• Accident prevention: Keeping things safe in the workplace is vital to a successful business. It’s not just good business, it’s also the law. For free information, OSHA is a great source. Visit www.osha.gov. Many companies sell safety products and training materials, including the Workplace Safety Store (safety.1800inet.com), Rhode Island-based Northern Safety (www.northernsafety.com) and All Safety products (www.allsafetyproducts.biz). •
Daniel Kehrer can be reached at editor@business.com.
