Here is a list of most viable security measures that you need to look at for your business:

Hiring & Termination Security Issues Perimeter Security Issues Theft/Fraud Issues Information Theft Issues Money Handling Issues Access & Egress security Measures

You need to start looking at your security measures for your business now and adapt them where it is necessary to help stop any potential lawsuits from befalling you. Therefore, you have to take list above and go through each topic to see if it actually impacts you. Then you have an idea of what to change and it should also help you as to how you should change it for better.

If you do not feel like you can do this by yourself, then you need to hire a competent security consultant to do an assessment of your security measures. This will give you insight needed to make decisions that will affect your business and security measures you need to keep that business safe.

Gary Cunningham is a Certified Protection Officer with over 30 years experience in High Risk Security, Law Enforcement Special Operations, Specialized Training and Military Special Operations. For more information on his services to business owners, check out www.cmbizinfo.com or e-mail him at mailto:secuone@aol.com!

Do you keep a data base of clients and stay in regular contact with them? Do you know and use your customer’s names? Do you give them a reason to continue doing business with you? Do you know what your customers want or expect?

The benefits of investing your time, effort, energy and money to create loyalty include: more referral business, higher margins, and reduced advertising costs. It’s important to note though, developing customer loyalty is not something you do once in a while, it is way you conduct and run your business. Deliver outstanding customer service. Virtually every business recognizes importance of delivering excellent customer service. Yet, few actually consistent execute. The excuses run from “I have to reduce my head count” to “My employees are just here to collect a paycheck” to “I can’t be in store twenty-four hours a day.” Again, it comes back to why you are in business. Obviously, if you want to deliver great customer service on a consistent basis you won’t be lowest priced vendor; it’s economically impossible to achieve this goal.

To deliver outstanding customer service you need to get personally involved. You need to determine what great service means to you and, even more critical, what it means to your customers.

Improve your selling skills. Constant refining of your sales skills will help you close more sales and/or increase value of each sale. I don’t suggest you adopt or use aggressive, hard selling tactics. Instead, I recommend you develop your skill at uncovering your customer’s needs, suggesting solutions that are appropriate to their needs, and overcoming objections. Learn how to engage customer in sales process and how to ask for a referral. There are many selling skills books on market; review a few and adapt some of concepts to your specific situation. And make sure you teach your employees how to apply these concepts too.

Running a small business is not easy. Define your business, give people a reason to buy from you, hire and train right employees and get involved in your community. These strategies will help you remain competitive now and in future.

© 2004 Kelley Robertson, All rights reserved.

Kelley Robertson, President of the Robertson Training Group, works with businesses to help them increase their sales and motivate their employees. He is also the author of “Stop, Ask & Listen – Proven sales techniques to turn browsers into buyers.” Visit his website at www.RobertsonTrainingGroup.com and receive a FREE copy of “100 Ways to Increase Your Sales” by subscribing to his 59-Second Tip, a free weekly e-zine.