New Tricks Target Small Businesses

Small businesses are a fantastic target for scammers.

Owners and employees are often too busy to check things out carefully, sometimes inexperienced in the world of commerce, and there’s a lot for crooks to go after — 28 million small firms at the last count.

So, if you own one, run one or know somebody who does, here’s a quick checklist of the latest small business scams currently doing the rounds.

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

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Why Your Name is on the Cybercrime Hit List

Around 40 million Americans are now falling victim to identity theft every year and the total global annual cost of cybercrime could now be as high as almost $600 billion – yes, “billion."

These are just a couple of the shock statistics from security firm McAfee in a recent report on worldwide cybercrime.

And, just for the record, $600 billion is more than the value of the economies of most countries in the world — and the total number of ID records stolen worldwide could be around 800 million a year!

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

Reprinted with permission.

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New Student Scams Exploit Need for Cash

Making ends meet is not easy for college-goers, which makes them a sure target for a student scam.

Sometimes the offer of easy cash can be too tempting, or what seems to be a legitimate IT message is so convincing that they walk straight into a trap.

But if you’re wise to the latest tricks, as we report in this week’s issue, you can avoid these scams and get on with the work-and-fun side of college life.

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

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Bogus Contractors, Funeral Notice Virus & Safe Harbor for Kids

More people are wising up to bogus contractors who offer to do roof repairs or repave a driveway -- and then never return or do a shoddy job after being paid up-front.

And they're not so easily fooled either by people who claim to be from the local utility company and say they need to inspect an installation inside their home -- while planning to distract and steal from their victims.

So, inevitably, these crooks have come up with a new trick, as we explain in this week's Snippets issue.

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©Copyright Audri and Jim Lanford. All rights reserved.

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THE WORLD'S SIMPLEST MARKETING PLAN

A client once told me she was a "marketing idiot." What she really needed, she said, was the "world's simplest marketing plan." So we set out to create one for her. Here's what it looked like:

1. Make a list of everyone you know.
2. Tell those people about your business.
3. Ask if they'd like to find out more about it.
4. Tell the interested people more.
5. When you get to the end of the list, contact everyone again.
6. With anyone who fits your client profile, ask if they'd like to work with you.
7. With anyone who doesn't fit, tell them what the profile is, and ask if they know anyone who fits.
8. Add any new people to your list and repeat steps 2-4.
9. When you get to the end of the list, contact everyone again. Update them on your latest work or provide them with useful information.
10. With anyone who fits your client profile, ask if they are ready to work with you yet.
11. With anyone who doesn't fit, remind them what the profile is, and ask if they know anyone ELSE who knows people that fit.
12. Add any new people to your list and repeat steps 2-8.

We never got any further than step 12 in her plan, because by the time she got there, several things had happened:

• With a plan in front of her, she knew what to do, so she set aside time for it, and took action.
• Because she was taking consistent action, she was also following up with her contacts on a regular basis.
• By telling another person about her plan (me, in this case), she created accountability for herself.
• Because she was setting aside marketing time regularly, following up with contacts consistently, and reinforcing her commitments with outside accountability, she began to produce results. Enough results in the form of new clients that we never needed to continue her plan to step 13.

If you're skeptical that a marketing plan as simple as this one might work for you, consider the following:

• You may be able to add to the list of "everyone you know" from more sources than you think. Consider all your former co-workers, people you went to school with, members of your professional associations, people in your social media networks, neighbors near your office and/or home, members of clubs and activity groups you belong to, and your personal friends and relatives.
• As your list grows, you can refine it by eliminating people who are neither appropriate prospects nor likely referral sources. Just don't do this too soon, as some of your contacts may surprise you with their interest.
• Telling people about your business and asking them questions can take many different forms. You can call them, email them, write them a letter, send them a postcard, or interact with them on social media.
• Updating contacts about your latest work or providing them with useful information can take many different forms also. You can call them, email them a note, mail them a newsletter or postcard, email them an ezine (if they've agreed to subscribe), share a social media update with them, or let them know about an article, case study, blog post, podcast, video, or event.

As you can see, a simple marketing plan can become quite sophisticated, especially over time. You can begin with phone calls and emails to your inner circle, then both expand your list to include more people, and expand your range of tools for contacting and updating them.
Why not give this simple marketing plan a try? Adapt it to the size of your list and the tools you already have. Make sure you follow all the steps faithfully. For example, don't leave out the step where you "ask if they'd like to work with you."

Be sure also to set aside time to work your plan, and create some accountability for yourself. Share your plan with a friend, colleague, coach, or action group, success team, support group, or mastermind group.

As you have time, resources, and the need, add new tools for contacting and updating your contacts, such as a newsletter, blog, podcasts, videos, events, or social media channels. Just don't let the time and effort it takes to create those tools detract from faithfully working your plan with the tools you already have.

You may just find, like my client did, that this simple marketing plan is the only one you'll ever need.
Copyright © 2014, C.J. Hayden

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One Ring Phone Scam Cashes in on Curiosity

It goes by several different names -- the missed calls scam, the one ring scam, the ring and run scam, and the dial-and-disconnect scam -- but the aim is always the same: to steal 20 or more dollars from you.

Your cell phone rings once then stops and you're left with a sense of curiosity that will only be satisfied by finding out who phoned you by calling them back.

That's what the crooks know and that's why they use this trick.

You won't recognize the number or even the area code, which is often something like 268, which is used for the Caribbean island of Antigua.

Click here to read the full article. 


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