Many different moving parts are required when you run a business. Sales, marketing, accounting – there are various aspects you have to manage on a day-to-day basis. Due to this, it’s easy for you to overlook certain points.
These points include business risks. With risks, it’s not uncommon for people to have a ‘That won’t happen to me’ demeanor. Yet all it takes is for one slip up, one mistake for your company to suffer from one of these risks – and it can have catastrophic results.
Damaged reputation, loss of clients, and loss in finances are just some of the factors that can impact your business due to this risk. The end result could even lead to your company collapsing and never recovering.
Due to this, you need to be aware of these risks and how to manage them effectively.
Money laundering
No, you don’t have to be directly involved with money laundering for it to affect your company. Depending on your business type, a criminal could use your organization as a way to process their dirty money and make it “clean.” The problem is your business will still be punished for this infraction.
To minimize the possibility of money laundering being an issue, anti-money laundering (AML) compliances exist. To meet these, it makes sense to utilize AML compliance software solutions that help you to screen customers, monitor transactions, detect suspicious activity, and more.
Credit risk
Do you provide credit to your customers? While this can help secure sales, it also presents a risk where customers delay or cease making payments. When this happens, your company can suffer from a lack of cash flow.
To prevent cash flow from being a problem, you can receive assistance from companies that purchase your unpaid invoices. For a minimal fee offset from the invoice’s overall total, you gain instant cash while letting the finance company deal with any customers that are troublesome.
Cybersecurity risk
Security has always been a risk to businesses. Yet as organizations continue to move further into the digital realm, it’s less about security cameras and locked doors and more about dealing with the various cybersecurity risks that exist online.
Hackers, phishing attempts, malicious software – cybercriminals utilize an assortment of tactics to breach a company’s security protocols. Just a simple mistake like an employee clicking on a dodgy link can open the door for a cybercriminal to cause significant damage to your business. Aside from immediate issues such as stealing data and money, information about this breach can sink your organization’s reputation.
With these points in mind, it’s vital your cybersecurity protocols are in tip-top shape. This begins by having the best antivirus software installed. This software, in theory, should stop cybercriminals in their tracks. However, with the way cybercriminals continually evolve and develop new strategies, this software needs to remain up-to-date so it can protect against the latest threats. Employee education, where they know what to look out for in terms of suspicious emails, attachments, links, etc., is also important.