FrontLine Results Radio

FLR #48 - 'Help! My Website's Been Hacked!'

This show is about what happened when my friend and colleague Sam McArthur of Forty First Internet Marketing discovered her website had been hacked.  I spoke with Sam (in the UK) and with PC Security expert Debbie Mahler of MICE Technology & Training (in the USA) to learn what steps they took to resolve the problems and secure Sam's site again.

Both guests gave plenty of advice on how best to avoid this happening and I recommend you listen to the replay to hear it all.  (The sound gremlins made for interesting effects once again, but everyone is loud and clear enough to understand)

Sam took us through how she first found out her website had been hacked, and what first steps she took; the effect it had on her business, and why it has taken nearly 3 months to finally put the experience behind her.

Debbie explained the laborious checking process needed to find the problem malware script, which was actually discovered to be in two places, one of which is a popular plug-in!  She then gave some preventative suggestions and generously offered to perform a 'health check' for anyone concerned about their website security (see her contact details below). 

In addition to Sam & Debbie's advice, there were some great tips being shared and discussions going on in the Chat Room while we were on air.  My thanks to Ebonstorm for providing useful links, one to a PlugIn (also recommended by Debbie) called Bad Behaviour, and another to the following article 'Welcome to the Silent War'- if you'd like to read more about this growing problem.

As usual, after a show about PC or web security, I was left feeling more than a little uneasy about my own websites! 

I'll leave you with Sam & Debbie's warnings:

'Hacking is becoming more prolific - even Google got hacked recently!'
'Be aware - it could happen to you!'

Please share this show with anyone you think may be worried or concerned.  Here's the recording.

Contact Details:

Sam McArthur is Managing Director of Forty First Marketing Ltd.
Website:  www.forty-first.co.uk  Blog: www.forty-first.co.uk/blog
Follow Sam on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/sammcarthur

Debbie Mahler is CEO and Founder of M.I.C.E. Training, Technology & Education
Website: www.mice.org  Blog:  www.mice.org/blog
Follow Debbie on Twitter www.twitter.com/DebbieMahler

(Don't forget to take Debbie up on her offer of a website health check, if you're at all worried.)

FLR #47 – My Year on Blog Talk Radio

It was quite nostalgic to look back at a year of weekly half-hour shows.  I hope I mentioned each and every fabulous expert guest who made the whole experience so enjoyable – thank you!  And, of course, thank you to the hundreds of listeners – without whom it would have been a rather pointless exercise – I appreciate you all.

Even though the weekly show won’t be continuing in 2010, the recordings will stay on the show page and, I hope, will remain a great resource for small businesses. 

The recordings include expert interviews about Sales & Marketing; Finance & Legal; the Internet and Social Networking; and some Personal and Business Development tips as well.  Hear the full list of topics on this 20 minute show, as well as some of the lessons I learned about hosting an internet radio show!

Listen to the recordings here:  http://blogtalkradio.com/LouiseBJ

FLR #46 – Protecting Your Online Intellectual Property

We’ve all heard of cases where domain names have been held to ransom, or where articles, blog posts – and sometimes whole websites, have been plagiarised (or even copied word for word). After all your hard work to come up with new ideas for your business, the last thing you want is for unscrupulous people to blatantly copy them.

My guest, Kim Walker, is a partner at Paris Smith (a Southampton-based law firm) and an acknowledged expert in the area of Intellectual Property and IT law. She has a special interest in advising on e-commerce and Internet issues including domain name protection strategies and a wealth of IP experience.

We spoke about the need to protect your core brand, and what to do if you find your Intellectual Property has been copied.

Kim’s Top Tips include:

1.    Register key brands – and your business name as a trademark – as soon as possible.
2.    Make sure you own what you think you own, especially if someone has produced content for you.
3.    Value your Intellectual Property.

There were many more useful nuggets of IP know-how, presented in easy to understand language!

Contact Details:

Kim Walker is a Partner of Paris Smith

Website:  www.parissmith.co.uk   Email: kim.walker@parissmith.co.uk
Connect with Kim on LinkedIn :  http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/kim-walker/8/41b/a21

Listen to the recording here. 

FLR #45 – Minimizing Bad Debt Risks

This show addressed a situation faced by just about every business owner, everywhere, at some time in their business life.  Ensuring we get paid on time for the work we do and the products we supply isn’t always straightforward and many of us don’t like picking up the phone to ask for what we are owed. 

Claire Freer of FCM Solutions Ltd provided loads of advice on how to manage our precious cash flow during this information-packed show (with more tips on her website), as well as explaining the benefits of outsourcing this vital task.  When she shared that she reduced one client’s debtor days down from 125 to 31 in just over 8 weeks, you realise that she knows what she’s talking about!

Claire’s Top Tips include:

• Agree payment terms in advance and in writing with your client as part of your Terms of Business.
• Have a well-designed invoice.  Does your invoice explain how to pay you and when?
• Have someone dedicated to the role and who enjoys doing it (even if it’s only part of their job)

Whether you want to manage your own credit control function, or are considering outsourcing it, this show is worth listening to for all the nuggets of insider tips generously shared by Claire.

Contact Details:

Claire Freer is the Director of FCM Solutions Ltd
Telephone:  01256 462816     Email: info@fcmsolutions.co.uk
Website: www.fcmsolutions.co.uk
Connect with Claire on Twitter: www.twitter.com/freercredit

Listen to the recording here.

FLR #44 – Engineering Your Sales

Sharon Roberts started her sales career by helping her father out at weekends from the very tender age of 12!  So it wasn’t surprising to learn that she genuinely enjoys selling – whereas most small business owners dislike, and even fear it.

With tips including the need to get to know your target market via thorough research; identifying your ideal client; defining your (sometimes elusive) USP, Sharon also suggests outsourcing the sales function of your business if you’re unhappy picking up the phone yourself.  As your business – and its growth – depends on selling to new customers, it’s certainly worth considering!

Remember, as Sharon says:   ‘Marketing is the planning, Sales is the execution.’

Contact Details:

Sharon Roberts is Director at Sharpa Limited
Email: enquiries@sharpalimited.com    Website:  www.sharpalimited.com 
Phone:  07942 686 782
Listen to the recording here. 

FLR #43 - Avoiding Property Pitfalls

Sarah Evans followed the usual route when she studied law, with one notable exception.  She decided to specialise in property, even though it was said to be a 'boring' area of law.  Happily, Sarah found this wasn’t true, as every transaction is different in some way.

During the show Sarah explained, in easy to understand language, some of the main commercial property pitfalls encountered by business owners – and more importantly – how to avoid them.  The key message is that it’s vital to check the wording of all contract or agreement documentation before signing.  Be on the lookout for any mysterious clauses, anything to do with repairs, business use, operating hours, access rights, and more.  For real peace of mind it’s obviously wise to seek both legal and financial advice.

Here are Sarah’s Top 3 Legal Property Tips:

• Make sure you understand what you’re liable for (especially insurance)
• Negotiate a ‘break’ clause – this enables you to get out of the agreement early if you need to (a full explanation of what this is and how it works is in the recording)
• Don’t sign anything without taking legal and financial advice

Even if you’re not thinking of moving just now, the tips from this show will come in handy when you do!

Contact Details:

Sarah Evans is a Partner at SMR Solicitors
Email: sevans@smrselsey.co.uk   Website:  www.smrsolicitors.co.uk
Connect with Sarah on LinkedIn:  http://uk.linkedin.com/in/evanss026  

Click here to listen to the recording.

FLR #42 - Negotiating So Everyone Wins

Gary Gorman may not have set out to be a trainer at the start of his corporate career in sales, but when he had the opportunity to set up Paradigm Training in 2006, it really was the obvious choice. 

He now works with both teams in larger organisations and one-person businesses, sharing his experience and expertise.

For any business owner who really struggles with selling, Gary gave the following advice:

• Get trained or coached – role-playing is really important.
• Solve problems before you think about your product.  Think of the market first.
• Forget the sale, develop the relationship.

I’d always thought that negotiation was just a small part of the overall sales process – but learned from Gary that it’s actually quite separate from sales.  Do listen to the recording for his definition of negotiation, which makes a lot of sense.

Gary generously shared his Top 3 Tips for Selling PLUS a further Top 3 Tips for Negotiation. Have a pen and paper handy to make sure you catch all these gems!

And the final words of advice from Gary?  One of his favourite quotes:

‘The best investment you make is the one you make in yourself.’ (Warren Buffett)

Contact Details:

Gary Gorman is the Managing Director of Paradigm Training Ltd
Email: gary.gorman@paradigmtraining.co.uk   Blog:  garygorman.wordpress.com
Connect with Gary on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/garygorman 

Listen to the recording here.

FLR #41 - How to Successfully Downsize Your Career

When Duncan Brodie decided to leave his position as a senior leader in a large organisation to set up his own training and consultancy business, he soon came across some rather interesting gaps & differences between the two situations. 

Nothing in his corporate career had fully prepared him for self-employment! 

Duncan bravely agreed to talk about some of the challenges, experiences and triumphs of his journey with me on the show. 

Gap #1 – Marketing – while he understood the theory (from a big business perspective), translating it into practical steps for his own small business was rather different.
Gap #2 – Internet Technology – had, in his own words, passed him by!  This meant a very steep learning curve on how to get started.
Gap #3 – That lonely place – whereas before there was always someone to go and ask, and use as a sounding board, now there wasn’t.  Duncan’s solution is to go out to networking groups and meet people for coffee.  He also suggests using the social networks and picking up the phone for a virtual coffee :)

For anyone considering following a similar path from corporate cubicle to home office, or who may find it forced upon them, this show provides both valuable advice and reassurance that it can be done successfully.

To hear Duncan’s Top 3 Tips AND his equally valuable Dos & Don’ts List, just listen to the show recording (30 minutes) – and be ready to take plenty of notes.

Contact Details:

Duncan Brodie is the Managing Director of Goals and Achievements Ltd
Website:  www.goalsandachievements.co.uk   Blog:  www.goalsandachievements.com   
Connect with Duncan on Twitter:  www.twitter.com/duncanbrodie 

Listen to the recording here.
 

FLR #40 - Building Better Business Relationships

When you think about it, a lot of what we do in our businesses is about relationships.  My guest Jenny Heath, together with her husband Nigel, formed The Relationship People around 4 years ago and they specialise in helping people whose relationships are strained or difficult.  Jenny explained how relationships at home can impact on our effectiveness at work and shared remedies that have worked for her clients.

We also discussed her findings from the intriguingly titled book “Leadership and the Sexes: Using Gender Science to Create Success in Business” by Michael Gurian and Barbara Annis.  Fascinating stuff!  For example, did you know that ‘because a man's brain frequently goes into rest mode, men may keep themselves awake by what might appear to be fidgeting - clicking a pen, tapping’ etc.? 

Or that ‘Because a woman's brain is wired to cross-connect information from both hemispheres, women are more likely to move from what appears to be one topic to another that seems unrelated, though they may actually be 'connecting dots' that very much need connection during a project.’? Neither did I!

These are just two of the great insights from this show – useful for both business & at home.

Contact Details:

Jenny Heath is co-owner and Relationship Coach of The Relationship People
Website:  www.therelationshippeople.co.uk   Telephone: 0044 (0)800 298 5938
Connect with Jenny on LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jennyheath

Listen to the recording here.

FLR #39 – Financial Control with Less Effort

‘Managing the finances is the job that most business owners like least. It takes them outside their comfort zone. They feel frustrated and even angry that they don’t have the necessary skills to address all the financial issues arising in their business.’ 

So says my guest Judith Astles from JMA Solutions.

After laughingly admitting that she’s one of those rare people who enjoy doing the accounts, Judith imparted some valuable tips to help all businesses, including:

1.    Keep your accounts up to date, review them monthly and understand them.  This will help you spot problems early – and opportunities too.
2.    Remember to collect your cash.  Some people only pay when you chase them!
3.    Forecast your cashflow – monthly at a minimum and more often – even daily – if times are tight.

There are many more gems that make this show worth listening to, at least once!  One I particularly like and which may help business owners who don’t like chasing late payers:

‘Remember, you are only asking for what is yours!’

Contact Details:

Judith Astles is Director of JMA Solutions Ltd
Website:  www.jmasolutions.co.uk


Listen to the recording here 
(unfortunately the sound gremlins paid us a visit again but the interference is sporadic and shouldn’t spoil your enjoyment of the value-packed recording)