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Preparing Your Online Business for an
Emergency
© 2003 By Angela Wu
Many internet entrepreneurs manage their businesses almost
entirely on their own -- and if you're one of them, then
it's a good idea to have some reference documentation
prepared in the case of an emergency.
You never know when something will take you away from your
business: perhaps a family emergency will call you away, or
an unexpected illness. Regardless of the reason, your online
business continues to function and will require someone to
help manage the necessary day-to-day tasks until you're able
to return.
Find someone you trust who can help you out when required.
Your documentation is meant to help this person run your
business while you are away. If you can, have this person
help you every once in a while so that he or she can become
familiar with some of these tasks.
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Although every business will require a different level of
detail, here are a few things to get you started on your
'reference documentation' package:
* A list of your domains, including where they're
registered and who they're hosted with. Make
sure
you keep this list up-to-date and include
details
such as renewal dates, URLs, and key contact
information.
* FTP and control panel login IDs and passwords.
Instead
of storing these on your computer where they
can be
exposed to hackers and malicious software,
consider
writing them down with regular old
paper-and-pen and
storing them in a secure area. Another
alternative is
to come up with a 'formula' for login IDs and
passwords
that only you and your helper know. That way
you won't
have to write down this information; your
helper will
be able to figure it out. A third option is to
keep
your login information in one place, and your
password
information in another for added security.
* A 'troubleshooting' document. Include a list of
common
problems that may occur with your website, and
a step-
by-step guide on how to fix them -- or provide
contact
information for someone who's qualified to fix
them.
For instance, a customer may write to you
indicating
that she wasn't able to download your software
on the
first try. In your document, include the reply
you
would use and the steps you'd take to rectify
the
situation.
* A list of software regularly used in the operation
of your business. For instance, your helper
should be
aware of what anti-virus program you use,
how/where
to get updates, and when to run a full scan of
your
computer system.
* Instructions on how to use email software. Most
online businesses use email heavily for
customer
service. Set up email filters to prioritize
your
messages and help weed out junk mail... then
document
which files or folders your helper should
address
first, and which ones are less critical and may
be
left until your return.
* Responses to common questions. Some email software
will
allow you to create separate files that you can
simply
load into a message when required. This is a
great way
to simply click and load a reply, then
customize it to
suit the customer inquiry.
* A list of signature files. For example, you may use
a
certain sig file when writing to affiliates,
another
one for writing to the media, and yet another
for
customers. Again, if you can save this in your
email
software your helper can more easily load it
into the
message without re-typing it.
* Instructions on how to answer the phone. What
greeting
do you use? If there's a question your helper
can't
answer in your absence, how should he direct
the call
or what should he say? Alternately, you may
choose to
let your voice mail take messages and return
calls when
you are able.
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* If you want your helper to have access to your email
lists (eg. newsletters, autoresponders, etc),
include
instructions on how and where to access these
lists.
Consider creating "test lists" so
that he or she can
familiarize himself with the software before
sending
a message to the real lists.
* A list of vital contacts: for instance, your
Internet
Service Provider (ISP), programmer, web
designer,
accountant, lawyer, and any other people and
services
you use to run your business. Include a brief
description of their role in your business and
when
it would be appropriate to contact them.
Indicate
whether or not your helper should talk to you
prior
to contacting them.
* How to make backups, where to store them, and where
to find previous backups. Although it's okay to
keep
backups on your main computer, you'll have an
extra
measure of safety if you keep them on some
removable
medium such as a CD or a flash drive -- or even
on a
separate computer. This will help to protect
you just
in case your main computer stops working.
* Information on how to get in contact with you, such
as a cell phone number. It doesn't necessarily
have
to be your direct contact information, just so
long
as you can receive messages.
Even if you do save much of the above information on your
computer, it's a good idea to take just a few minutes to
print everything out and place it into a binder for
safekeeping. You never know when computer problems will
prevent you from accessing your files.
Finally, to help avoid misunderstandings, it's best to lay
out in writing what your helper is "authorized" to
do and the amount he or she will be paid for managing your
business while you are gone.
An document preparation worksheet is available here:
http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/prepare.html
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Angela is the editor of Online Business Basics, a practical
guide to marketing a business on a beginner's budget. This
guide offers loads of instantly useable tips and links, in a
down-to-earth style that even marketing "newbies"
can understand! A helpful Online Business Dictionary is
included too... visit: http://onlinebusinessbasics.com/article.html
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