We are all so mobile these days. And its so cool that we can take our business with us in our back pocket. But there’s a problem with that too. It’s easy to forget how much sensitive data our phones have access to. Losing it could put your business at a huge risk.

In a news release from Deluxe Corporation, they said nearly 40 million Americans currently access bank accounts and financial records through mobile devices, such as smartphones and tablets, according to Consumer Reports. But, unlike most computers and laptops, mobile devices rarely feature security software. Recognizing this weakness, hackers are increasingly preying on small business owners, accessing mobile devices to steal sensitive data and commit acts of fraud.

So they called in identity theft expert John Sileo who conducted a webinar to teach small business owners to better control sensitive information in today’s increasingly mobile society. The webinar “Cyber Attack: Data Defense for Your Mobile Office” discussed how to:

• Protect smartphones and tablets from common attacks.
• Weigh the pros and cons of cloud computing (Gmail®, SalesForce®, online billing).
• Lock down Wi-Fi data leakage in the office and on the road.
• Protect their traveling office in hotel rooms, airports and beyond.

Sileo is not “just an expert.” He personally experienced a problem.

“My business identity was stolen and nearly a half-million dollars was embezzled from my clients,” Sileo said. “I lost my livelihood, reputation – and nearly my freedom. Had I understood the topics we’ll cover in the Cyber Attack webinar, I would have recognized the fraudulent activities and business threats that were right under my nose.”

While identity theft through mobile devices is becoming more common, these devices are equipped with security features to help users to protect themselves – but it’s up to the you to activate them. Here are a few things you can do to protect your business.

1.  Turn on password protection and auto-lock feature on all smart phone, tablet and laptop devices. If your phone is lost or stolen, this is an extra measure to protect your information. By password protecting your device and activating an auto-lock feature, users can control the number of password attempts before the device locks itself.
2.  Enable remote tracking and wiping capabilities. Remote tracking allows users to physically track the location of the phone, while remote wiping allows you to clear all data if your phone goes missing.
3. Expect the best, plan for the worst. While there are extra precautions that can reduce the likelihood that you or your business might become a victim of fraud, there is no failsafe. Dealing with the effects of fraud and identity theft can cause massive disruptions to your business. Put plans in place so that if you become a victim, you can resume business as quickly as possible.

Are you scared yet? You should be. Losing your phone could literally put you out of business. That’s another business disaster you have to worry about. And it might be a good idea to watch the entire webinar. You can access the recording here.

If you are stuggling with getting traffic to your website, try out these tried and true tips from my colleague Susanne Myers of Daily Affiliate Tasks

There are hundreds of different ways to drive traffic to your niche website. If you want you can get very complicated with this, but often it’s the simple strategies that work best. Today I want to share two of those with you. They are 1) leaving comments on other blogs and 2) participating in forums. Both require a minimum of time and effort. And if you do things right, they can generate quite a bit of targeted traffic to your site.

Step One – Finding Good Blogs and Forums

Start by making a list of blogs and forums. There are two things that you want to pay attention to. There needs to be a fair amount of activity going on and the topic needs to be closely related to your own niche. You can find blogs by browsing through blog directories like Technorati or doing a Google search (or you can check the Small Business Blog Directory). I also find it easiest to find popular forums by doing a search.

Take a look at each blog and make sure it is still updated regularly. If so, look for blogs that get at least 5 comments per blog post (on average). This will ensure that they have a decent readership. When you are looking at forums make sure there are several new posts and replies per day and that those posts are on topic (not some spammer posting ads).

Once you have a list of 5 to 10 blogs and at least 3 forums, it’s time to move on to step two.

Step Two – A Little Setup Work To Make Your Life Easier

For blog commenting, start by setting up a new Gmail account to be used when commenting. This makes it easy to have follow-up comments sent there and you can log in and check on those as time permits.

Register this new email address with Gravatar (gravatar.com) and upload your picture to your account. This will make your image appear next to your comments on many blogging platforms.

Next, set up the niche blogs you found in an RSS reader. I recently started using I-Google for this (igoogle.com). I added each blog as an RSS feed on my I-Google page. This gives me one place to look for new blog posts that I can comment on. Any good RSS reader should work for this.

On the forums, set up an account and profile for each. Again, take the time to upload your picture. This creates a lot of trust and will help people recognize you across multiple forums, blogs and social media accounts. Fill out your profile with some information about you and your blog. Don’t forget to include a link back to your niche website or blog. If allowed, set up a forum signature that links back to an interesting article on your site or one that invites readers to join your list.

Step Three – Set Some Goals

Now that you’re all set up, I recommend you stop and set some goals for yourself. How many blogs do you want to comment on per day? Three comments per day is a good start and will bring you some traffic back to your own site.

Set a goal for forum posts as well. One new post and two to three replies per forum would be a good starting point. Don’t set your goals too high … you want to make sure you have plenty of time to leave quality replies and posts.

Step Four – Get To Work

Once you have your goals set, it’s time to get to work and implement. Again, I can’t stress enough how important it is to focus on quality here. Share some good tips and information. This is not about advertising your site, it’s about writing good content and making a great first impression. This will get readers curious to learn more about you and click the link back to your own site.

Step Five – Measure Results And Reevaluate

Spend about a week or so posting and commenting according to the goals you’ve made. Then go back and measure your results. Make sure you have Google Analytics installed before you start so you can see if you’re getting more visitors to your site (and where they are coming from). If you are getting a lot of good results from a particular forum or blog, it may be worth posting there more frequently. If on the other hand, you are getting no benefits from one of the blogs or forums, stop posting and replace it with a different one. Continue to track the results you’re getting and adjust where you post and how often you post accordingly.

Step Six – The Force Multiplier

Last but not least, let’s talk about a “force multiplier.” Don’t post on these sites just for the sake of getting targeted traffic. Get more value out of each comment you leave and out of each forum post you reply to. Here are some ideas:

• Build a relationship with the blog owner by commenting regularly. Get in touch via email and see if you can guest blog post or work on other Join Venture opportunities and cross promotions.
• Use long blog comments you’ve written as a starting point for blog posts and articles.
• As you read forum posts, take note of common questions and concerns and use those to come up with blog post ideas, articles, email messages etc.
• Copy and paste your forum replies into a word document and turn them into articles and blog posts.

Ready for more tips on what works and what doesn’t? Join Daily Affiliate Tasks.com for $10 per month and work on things that actually work to bring you more traffic, more subscribers and make more affiliate commissions working as little as 30 minutes per day. Learn more and join today at www.DailyAffiliateTasks.com

That would be us!

Have you thought about whether you are the barrier to success in your business?

According to Mark Goulston, there are eight behaviors we commonly use to sabatoge our efforts at success. He says,” Repetitive behaviors that block your efforts to accomplish your long-term objectives are self-defeating. And, while you’re losing your competitive edge by always meeting challenges in a self-defeating fashion, your competition confronts and masters stressful situations head-on.”

Here are the big eight.

1. Procrastinating
2. Not preparing well enough.
3. Not following through.
4. Not learning from your mistakes.
5. Being competent, but uncharming.
6. Saying yes when you want to say no.
7. Having unrealistic expectations.
8. Getting involved with the wrong people.

I know I’ve been guilty of #7. I have to make sure and check that all the time.

What about you? Are you creating these roadblocks in your business? Leave me a comment and tell me how you’re going to overcome them.

If your small business is still struggling with cash flow, never fear, there are some quick and creative ways you can improve just by making a few tweaks in your  business.

I have recently published a new quick read book that can help you solve some of those cash flow problems. It’s available in Amazon Kindle format (you don’t need a Kindle to read it — just get the free Kindle reading app here).

In this book, you will learn eight creative tactics to get your cash flow moving in the right direction. Here’s a sneak peek:

1. Don’t Be An Invoice Laggard
2. Plastic Will Make Your Cash Flow Faster
3. Get Paid In Chunks
4. A Steady Paycheck Will Even The Flow
5. Double Up With A Joint Venture Partner
6. Keep The Dust Off Your Receivables
7. Focus On The Red Corvette
8. Forget Crystal Balls, Use a Cash Flow Budget

Michelle Dunn, credit and collections expert for small business says:

“This is a short little book but it is really full of new, helpful information that can help you improve your cash flow in this new economy – a must read for any business owner looking to protect their cash and their business.”

In addition to the eight ways to improve your cash flow now, I’ve included the transcript (and some really tough questions for you to ask about your business) of a Cash Flow Summit I led with small business cash flow experts Philip Campbell and Caroline Jordan. And, you get the MP3 recording of the summit for free once you have the book. Here’s what we talked about during the summit:

• The Causes of Small Business Cash Flow Problems
• Dealing With Payment Deadbeats
• Ya Gotta Be A Marketer or Your Business Will Have No Cash Flow
• Pricing Can Make or Break Your Company
• Avoiding the Payables Death Spiral
• Get Ahead of Your Cash Flow With Budgets and Forecasts
• Three Quick Tips to Get You Moving In The Right Direction

There are a ton of tips and value inside this short book that can help you improve your cash flow — now. And for a limited time, I’ve priced it at an insanely low 99 cents. Yep, it will cost you less than a buck. That’s a pretty cheap investment to get quick improvement in your business.

Click here to get your copy of Pump Up Your Cash Flow Now! 8 Quick and Easy Ways to Improve Your Bottom Line

Thank you in advance.

If you’ve been in business for any length of time you have surely experienced this phenomenon. And if you haven’t been lucky enough meet this person yet, all I can say is hallelujah!

The thing that’s funny about these people is that they give us clues — ahead of time — that we really should listen to.

Have you ever had that feeling in the pit of your stomach that working with the prospective client you just met would be a prescription for disaster?

Do you listen to it? I’ve found through experience that it’s wise to listen to that feeling. You probably have too.

A while back Rob Levinson, a marketing consultant who used to write for StartUpJournal.com, suggested using an eight minute test to screen new clients. He said the following questions are key.

1) Does the prospect have a sense of humor?
2) Is the business story compelling?
3) Will the assignment propel my career?
4) Will I be treated like a vendor or partner?
5) Are they responsive?

I think he’s right on target. Using a standard method to size up potential clients is a good idea. You probably have a standard process too. If you don’t — and you’re running into too many “clients from hell” — it’s high time you did.

Do you have a special way to size up prospective clients? Tell me about it by leaving a comment.

I think it’s going to be a crazy year (crazy in a good way for small business!) and believe we are only limited by our own thinking.

So on that note, I went cruising around the web to see what others were thinking about this year. Here’s what I found.

1. USA Today Small Business writer Steve Strauss says the cloud will finally come into its own. That means more and more small business will accomplish tasks online without involving the hard drive on their computer. I think this is a really smart move for small business owners and a great way to manage cash flow.
2. Over at About.com, guide Darrell Zahorsky says that there will be a small business revolution, but it won’t be driven by a single demographic. Each group, young and old, will bring value to the business space. Boomers with their experience and wisdom and the younger generation with their tech savvy skills.
3. There will be a divide between social media “haves” who use the channels strategically and “have nots” who are a bit scattered and ad hoc in their approach in 2012 according to Laurie McCabes SMB Technology predictions. There will be opportunities here for consultants and social media management tool providers.
4. If you are in a rural area, the outlook is good according to Becky McCray at Rural Community Building. The spread of online reviews makes every business a local business, which will be a boon to those who provide terrific products and services.
5. Business News Daily reports that small business will need to watch out for the “big companies” who will be digging deeper into smaller markets and may encroach on the small business “territory.”
6. Over on Small Business Trends, writer Barry Moltz says small business will need to really laser in on the pain in order to get others to buy. Carrots dangling improvement just won’t be enough.

Well, there you go. What do you think will be a small business trend for 2012? I’d love for you to let me know in the comments.

Roboform — This is my favorite password manager. With everything requiring a password these days, who has the brain capacity to remember even one password much less 100? With Roboform you don’t have to. It’s like having a brain extension. You can get it here.

Carbonite — We all talk about needing a back up to our computers (our business lifeline!), but do you do it? I’ve been really lucky not to have ever had a real problem, but I know plenty of small business owners who have lost a ton of time, effort, and customer data due to a computer problem. I don’t take chances with it. You shouldn’t either. You can get it here.

Skype – One of the best ways to save money in your business is to use Skype when you need to talk with others around the world. I also have a phone number with my service so I can get direct calls. Very inexpensive and beats the “regular” phone company by a long shot. You can get it here.

Netflix — Ha! Not really a business tool, but handy to have none the less. I love taking my Netflix with me when I travel. And what’s really cool is that no matter what tech tool I have (pc, phone, ipad), I can still watch a movie. Great for just taking a bit of a brain break. You can get it here.

Happy Holidays!

That’s a lot of small business.

It’s easy to see why small business and incentives for small business are such hot political topics. Small business owners have a lot on their plate. They must deal with everything from branding and marketing to inventory management to customer service.

Sometimes it can feel overwhelming to be responsible for so many different facets of your company’s success and there are a few things you should consider when growing and managing your small business.

It’s important that a small business’ growth remain sustainable.

Just because you have a good quarter does not mean you need to double your staff. Look at trends within the industry. Did everyone have a good quarter? Is that a seasonal trend that can be attributed to something like the holiday season or summer vacations? Don’t be too quick to hire someone because you might end up doing more harm than good. If you hire someone on, train them, allow them to get comfortable in the workplace and then have to cut their hours, they may want to leave your company. That’s not desirable for anyone because the estimated average employee turnover cost for a business is between $3000 and $4000.

When you do decide that it’s time to hire, look for someone whose personality and interests fit with the corporate atmosphere you’ve created.

Corporate atmosphere may sound like a huffy word, especially if you’re working out of your living room with three other people but the fact is: every company has a corporate atmosphere, whether that’s straight-laced and conservative or more loose and casual. Remember that job skills can be learned and perfected, but if someone’s personality doesn’t fit into your company’s culture, they probably shouldn’t be considered for the job.

When one considers that the total payroll of the four-employee-or-less firms is $232 million and some change it becomes apparent how crucial this segment of our economy is. Remember to manage growth sustainably in your business, think through any new hire decision carefully, be aware of the atmosphere you’re creating and look for people who will fit into that atmosphere.

This guest post was written by Brett Thorn, who writes about small businesses and startups for the Blog Content Guild.

Why does that matter to you?

As I’m sure you know, Amazon is one of the key sites on the web. Their products often end up in the top search engine results and they have a huge (loyal) audience.

And they sell a whole lot more than books. But for right now, I want to focus on the ebook market and what it could mean to you as a small business owner.

Just for a minute, think about a product you could sell where:

• you didn’t need a website
• you didn’t have to spend tons of time getting traffic
• you didn’t have to do customer fulfillment or customer service
• you didn’t need a payment processor
• your market included millions of people – from around the world

Plus, your product landed on the first page of google results when someone searched.

Well, that is the Amazon Kindle.

And what it could mean to you is plenty of passive income. Yep, the kind that you don’t have to trade hours for!

But the key obstacle for most people is to get something written to actually publish. I bet you already have something written that you can tweak a bit.

I’ll tell you. It’s not as hard as you think to get a book written and published — and you can get it done  in less than a week. (I currently have 8 titles listed for sale on Kindle.) So I put together something to make it easy for you. And, yes, it will take you less than a week — plenty of time.

Once you have your book written, in less than an hour, you can be done and published. Seriously.

My quick action guide called Publish Your Book on Kindle will give you a kick start so you can get up and running fast (and be a published author in less than a week).

I’m offering it at a super low $7 to make it affordable for everyone. Take advantage of this huge opportunity now to get in front of millions of people and sell your works with little effort.

Get your copy here ==> Publish on Kindle Action Guide

Got Enough Cash Flow?

The number one thing you need to consider when you are determining whether to send gifts is your cash flow. Don’t break your bank account just because you “think you should” give someone a gift.

Can You Give a Business Gift?

Some industries prohibit gift giving. A prime example is if you do business with the government. There are many government agencies where gift giving is prohibited. Check first to ensure it is allowed.

Who Gets What Type of Gift?

Do you give all of your clients the same type of gift? Maybe not. I like to reward those clients who have really benefited my business. Take a look at your sales and see which 20% of your clients have been the result of 80% of your sales. Reward those clients with your best gift ideas.

So… Once you’ve determined you have enough cash on hand, that it’s allowable to give a gift and who will get a gift, where do you begin to look for great gift ideas?

Well, there are plenty of places. Just do a Google search of “business gift ideas” and you’ll be presented with oodles of options. One place I recommend you check out is the Adler Collection by Myron. They reached out to me earlier this year and after taking a look at their gift choices, I think they are spot on.

The Adler Collection offers stylish yet practical gifts at prices that won’t break the bank. From tech cases and portfolios to overnight bags and small travel accessories, You can probably find a gift for all of your favorite customers. As an added bonus, each item can be personalized with the recipient’s unique initials.

I am really big on gifts that are business focused and useful. And that’s exactly what the Myron folks sent me so I could take a look at the quality (in addition to the usefulness) of an item. I chose the Bedazzled 8GB USB Flash Drive and it didn’t disappoint. It is classy and functional at the same time. Here’s a quick video so you can see for yourself.

If you can’t see the video, click here.

Myron has tons of really cool, stylish business gifts that will impress your clients (and be kind to your bank account). Take a look at their personalized business gift collection and see if it will suit your gift giving needs.

P.S. I see a few things that Santa is going to bring me this year too!