When you run an
online business, it is easy to get lax in the area of "protection."
After all - unlike a brick-and-mortar store, where potential hazards and
threats are more concrete - the digital quality of Internet business can
make it seem as though you are not at any legal risk. In order to ensure that
you are keeping yourself and your business safe, however, you will need to
realize that there are still a number of "protection steps" you will
have to take when running an online business.
Trademark registration: Too many people put their ideas, products, logo, and packaging on the Internet, only to end up having these items stolen by others! The best protection against this happening to you is for you to register your trademarks - which can be easily done online, in hardly any time at all.
Social media risks: Social media is a great tool…but it can also be dangerous! If you have paid attention in recent years, you have noticed athletes, celebrities, and other prominent figures saying controversial or defamatory things on Facebook or Twitter that ended up costing them millions of dollars in contracts or endorsements - or that even ended up costing them their careers. But what you may not have realized is that this can (and does!) happen to businesses just as often as it happens to high-profile individuals. Be careful with what you say through social media: post only your own content, do not denigrate others, and otherwise make an effort to always conduct yourself in a way that represents your business well.
Protect your software and hardware: Hackers want to access your confidential information; you want to keep hackers out. Make sure everything from financial records to company information are well protected - or you could end up with a huge, potentially irrecoverable mess on your hands.
Keep your domain name protected: In addition to buying the domain name for your business, you should also purchase the domain names of any spelling variations people may accidentally type into their browsers (rerouting those who visit these sites to the proper place). This will ensure that you - and only you - are controlling the message distributed to your customers.
Make sure your forums are safe and private: If you run a forum on your website for your customers to use, make sure that all your customers' private information is kept private! You will be held responsible if a crime occurs due to information leaked from the forum on your site, so always keep your customers protected - and keep yourself protected as a result.
Trademark registration: Too many people put their ideas, products, logo, and packaging on the Internet, only to end up having these items stolen by others! The best protection against this happening to you is for you to register your trademarks - which can be easily done online, in hardly any time at all.
Social media risks: Social media is a great tool…but it can also be dangerous! If you have paid attention in recent years, you have noticed athletes, celebrities, and other prominent figures saying controversial or defamatory things on Facebook or Twitter that ended up costing them millions of dollars in contracts or endorsements - or that even ended up costing them their careers. But what you may not have realized is that this can (and does!) happen to businesses just as often as it happens to high-profile individuals. Be careful with what you say through social media: post only your own content, do not denigrate others, and otherwise make an effort to always conduct yourself in a way that represents your business well.
Protect your software and hardware: Hackers want to access your confidential information; you want to keep hackers out. Make sure everything from financial records to company information are well protected - or you could end up with a huge, potentially irrecoverable mess on your hands.
Keep your domain name protected: In addition to buying the domain name for your business, you should also purchase the domain names of any spelling variations people may accidentally type into their browsers (rerouting those who visit these sites to the proper place). This will ensure that you - and only you - are controlling the message distributed to your customers.
Make sure your forums are safe and private: If you run a forum on your website for your customers to use, make sure that all your customers' private information is kept private! You will be held responsible if a crime occurs due to information leaked from the forum on your site, so always keep your customers protected - and keep yourself protected as a result.
