Having just gotten off the phone with our friendly neighborhood police department, I thought Mad-Eye Moody had it right in Harry Potter when he said "Constant Vigilance!".
Unfortunately, we live in a world where you have to watch over what is yours and keep it safe and sound. In my case today, somebody got hold of my debit card number and wired themself some money from my account. Luckily I caught it before the charges actually hit my account, but still I spent the last hour on the phone with my bank and the business charging me and with the police department. I certainly can think of better things to do with my time. It is very frustrating to have to spend a lot of time and effort dealing with something that shouldn't have happened in the first place.
It got me thinking about the importance of keeping your eye on things. Complancency can get you into trouble. Many of us have the tendency to assume that things will continue along just as well as always - even if we don't pay attention to them. Generally however, it is the things we don't pay attention to that go awry.
Business Sense
Really it is like driving a car. You wouldn't go out and drive a car by leaving your hands off the wheel and then just before you crash trying to get back on track. It is much more effective to make little corrections, to monitor your travel constantly and avoid trouble before you come to it. That's how we need to run our businesses (and lives?) as well - not taking things for granted, giving everything the proper attention, and dealing with problems before they arrive instead of damage control.
The majority of the students that enter my massage program want to have a private practice or even their own massage business that employs other MTs. Although owning a business does take a certain temperament and willingness to take risks there really isn't anything all that special about it. The most important thing to being successful in running a small business is managing the details - lots of details. Of course managing them the right way is the other half of the equation.
Top dogs don't stay top dogs by accident. Success is a process that doesn't end - it must be maintained.
Confidentiality
My current problems with my bank account really come down to the fact that somebody didn't manage my private information properly. I've purchased things online from unkown vendors without much of a thought about whether they would protect my information/ Part my fault for trusting them, but definitely their fault for negligence.
We can run into the same problems with our massage businesses. We keep private health information, contact information, collect checks and credit cards. As business owners, it is our job to safeguard that information. HIPAA laws detail the protection and obligation to protect health information, but we don't have the same kinds of standards for the other sensitive information that we handle in our work.
Controlling Access
Make sure that only those who need to see the information can access it. That means securing it so that the opportunity isn't even there for unauthorized access. Password protect. Locked and secured storage. Provide physical barriers to the access.
If you work with others and especially if you employ others, you need to establish policies about protecting client information. Your employees need to know what information they need to safeguard and how. Contractors also need to receive this instruction. If you work in a group setting, make sure that you have these policies outlined with your colleagues. If you work in a business where these policies are not in place, initiate it. The last thing that you want to have happen is to get involved at the center of a fraud investigation.
Positive Habits
It is a good habit to get into to keep a close eye on your obligations. Make sure you access your accounts regularly and frequently to make sure all is well. Respond quickly if there is a problem, as these matters often take time to resolve - the sooner you get started the better. It may seem like a hassle to keep an eye on everything, but you will avoid the aggravation of having to prove your innocence of fraudulent charges and the navigation of countless automated phone menus.
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