When you’re looking to grow your small business through an online platform, you might get overwhelmed. Although the internet at this point isn’t a novelty, if you don’t know its inner workings, it can get daunting fast. Fortunately, help for your small business isn’t that hard to find, and if you know which freelancers to form a partnership with, you can get yourself up and running in a matter of days.
But first, security
It’s unfortunate, but the world in which we live necessitates extra security measures, particularly when you have information stored online. Cybersecurity is exponentially important, and your website, devices, and remote servers need special attention to reduce the chances of a data breach or other compromise. Identity theft, cybersecurity and online safety are all hot topics that you should be intimately familiar with before you upload anything to the cloud.
Managing your cybersecurity can keep you guarded from threats outside of your organization, but you also have to consider the possibility of threats coming from the inside. When you utilize a workforce of freelance talent, there’s a good chance you’ll never even meet your assistants in person. Because of this, make a point to do a background check once you’ve made an offer of employment/contract. Do some research so that you know FCRA guidelines for your area, which might prevent you from using old arrests or information going back further than seven years.
Who can help?
Once you have security taken care of, you can get to work deciding which professionals you need on your side. To do this, start by identifying your goals. Do you want more followers on social media? If so, find a social media specialist in your area. This person/agency can use your existing brand information to share media where it’s most likely to get the most attention.
Don’t already have a brand? You’ll need a graphic designer and someone who can build a professional website. Iommi Designs has the experience and expertise to design a beautiful website that also works with web and mobile browsers. Speaking of mobile, you also want to find someone to help you design a mobile app. Tech education portal O’Reilly Media notes that React Native is one of the best for this since it offers programmers the opportunity to write code that can be used on both iOS and Android.
Something else you want to consider is whether or not you’re going to put up an online store. Your web developer can certainly help you manage the technical aspects of this, but you may also want to look into hiring a business accountant or CPA. If you’re going to be selling nationwide or even overseas, there may be tax implications that require special attention. A virtual assistant and remote customer service agent can also help by taking menial tasks away from you so that you can focus on your area of expertise.
Working remotely
Whether you are hiring employees or want to go with the freedom of taking on a freelance team, you’ll need to be prepared to work remotely. Make sure that everyone has access to a workflow system and that you keep everyone informed of where projects are. Your workers will need access to one another, so a collaboration tool, like Slack, is a must.
Your business is arguably one of the most important aspects of your life. When you are ready to grow it, find the right people to help. But don’t jump into it blindly. Remember, when you’re working with the anonymity of the internet, security must always come first. Then, it’s a matter of putting the talent you find into a position of success so that they can perpetuate the growth you deserve.
Additional Resources:
Find a React Native contractor online.
Looking for a graphic designer?
A business accountant is a must.
Author: Chelsea Lamb of businesspop.net