For a person to keep a business successfully up and running, it’s vital to make strategic investments into tools that will come into play in the event of situations that are less than preferable yet a plausible risk. Too often, businesses sink because of a lack of preparation and allotted resources to handle crucial areas of operations that usually take the back seat to other concerns. But smooth operations stem from covering all necessary bases, so here are some tools to consider when establishing your business.
A reverse logistics system
It would be wise to make use of a reverse logistics system to automate and adequately monitor returns and exchanges if you have a B2C or B2B service that concerns shipping products to clients. Even if you have a stellar product that you believe in, 30% of online purchases are still returned. While the rate for products sold in brick-and-mortar shops is lower, it’s still a significant number that can affect brand perception if not handled well. A survey of consumers showed that the majority would be repeat customers if a company has good returns processing.
On top of building reliability and goodwill with consumers, having this in your arsenal also protects you from logistics nightmares and fraudulent returns, especially if your products have warranties.
Business continuity tools
Unexpected circumstances can plague every industry out there, with cyberattacks, natural disasters, and power outages posing risks to operations. When operations are interrupted, this downtime can have extensive costs that could be detrimental to a business. Beyond that, these situations could lead to equipment and hardware damage, corrupted software, and data loss. All of these factors can be a sink-or-swim deal. It’s best to make a business continuity plan that keeps your company connected to customers even when connections in your main workspace might be down. It should also back up any crucial data.
Global statistics show that over 75% of financial losses are attributed to unforeseen issues like fires, storms, professional indemnity, defective resources, and quality flaws. Navigating these risks takes not only safe practices and guidelines but also fail-safes and response solutions.
A cybersecurity suite
Once your sensitive information is compromised, it’s hard to get back into working order. While you may be covered in terms of data recovery, it’s essential to prevent any security holes that would allow hackers and other unauthorized parties to gain access in the first place. More than half of cybercrime victims are small businesses, and that is usually because malicious infiltrators target those with insufficient protection. Make sure you invest in proper security for your network and data and ensure strict policies about digital assets when it comes to employee management. After all, many breaches occur because of human error and, to a lesser extent, moles within the workforce.
When mapping out your financials and your plan for building your business, don’t scrimp on these factors and take care in choosing the right tools fit for your needs. In the long run, doing so can make the difference between expansion and failure.