A Company’s Vulnerable Spots

A Company’s Vulnerable Spots

If you’re going to achieve long term success with your business you can’t just focus on the good things that you’re doing. That side of your business will be one contributing factor when it comes to your success, but it’s only one side of the coin. The other areas to focus on will be your vulnerable spots. Your strengths will take you to big places, but your weak points could be the thing that brings you back down to earth. So where do your vulnerabilities lie? 

Insider Threats

You would hope that everyone that you bring into your company would repay the trust that you’ve shown to them, but alas, this is far from guaranteed. A significant portion of crimes that are committed against businesses happens internally, so it’s really important that you’re taking steps to protect your company. The best way to do is to have a robust hiring process. It’s not just about reading the resume and getting to know your future employee: it’ll pay to dig a little deeper. You can follow up with the references that they provide, and also conduct a more thorough criminal background check if your hiring for a more trusting position. As a freelancer, I may escape much of this threat but still need to do my due diligence when it comes to contractor and so on.

A Company’s Vulnerable Spots – Outside Threats

Of course, while you should keep your eye on internal crime, it’s important not to overlook the threats from the outside world, too. Crimes against companies is an issue, and especially cybercrime, which has been one of the fastest growing crimes in recent years. As such, you’ll need to keep your data network safe. The best way to do this is to work with a company that provides Network Security Services. They’ll have the knowledge and experience to ensure that would-be criminals cannot access your system.

A Company’s Vulnerable Spots: Future Employees

You might be happy with the team of employees that you have right now, but there’s no guarantee that they’ll be around forever. And when they leave, you might find that it’s difficult to find a replacement. There’s something of a hiring issue in the business world at the moment, with many more advanced roles staying unfilled. You can protect yourself against this by having an ongoing recruitment strategy, whereby you’re always on the lookout for new talents. 

Adapting to the Future

The future is coming whether we like it or not, and when it arrives, there are no guarantees that it’s going to look the same as the present, or that you’ll be as well-adapted to meet the new demands. It’s always worthwhile reading up on what the future of your industry holds, so you can position yourself to take it in your stride.

A Company’s Vulnerable Spots: Owner Ego 

Finally, think about your ego. Many companies make errors because there’s just one person running the ship. An open attitude, one that can hear and incorporate good ideas from employees and others, is an essential buffer against this issue. If you’ve hired correctly, then your team will have smart ideas for your business. 

 

Collecting as a Hobby

collecting, books

I firmly believe in surrounding yourself with things that bring you joy. I read that big-hit decluttering and minimalising book from a year or two ago which said anything that didn’t give you joy you should throw out. I threw out the book.  I find collecting something, namely gathering items we have a deep appreciation for from a certain niche can be a fun hobby and add a layer of magic to your home.

Collecting as a Hobby

You may enjoy collecting beautiful antiques, or perhaps genuine artifacts from a prominent period of history. You may decide to follow one artist and collect many original printings of his or her artwork, or perhaps you just enjoy collecting trainers. Books are another fabulous thing to collect, especially if you are looking for a certain set, first editions etc.

A collection is often quite a fun thing to build because it helps you delve into the life of a true enthusiast, respecting and finding the total value of a certain industry or niche you care about deeply. It can connect you to other people who share your love, and serve as an important and passionate project. For example, I am looking to collect all 68 Chalet School books (a childhood favourite). Some are now very rare but there are still groups dedicated to the books and finding them.

Find Appropriate Transport

Transporting your items is essential when adding them to your collection, especially for items that are fragile or yield some historical value. You may decide to research the best furniture delivery companies to help you, and to build a connection with them, having them transport your most coveted acquired pieces. Transporting items with historical or personal value will always be the greatest threat to them outside of a home fire, and so ensuring you have this squared away could be considered the final priority to keep.
Imagine having finally tracked down a perfect piece of furniture for it to be damaged in transit, *shudder*.


Storaging your Collection

Just like adequate transport, we must consider the environment we hold our belongings in, even when stationary. Considering factors like temperature, ventilation access, light levels and many other small variables in a storage room could be very important when it comes to high-value historical items such as original paintings.

Learning the most appropriate storage requirements for your hobby may come as a somewhat intense requirement, but doing so could potentially help you preserve your most favored items. After all, items with historical value, properly preserved, may be a great investment for later on down the line. There are many reported cases of those in middle-age selling their premium comic book collections and toys for gargantuan amounts without them realizing, good fortune alone ensuring the items were held in good condition. I’m sure there are sci-fi toy and miniatures that Roy now wishes he’d kept in the box!

Presentation

A great and very fun habit of those who steward a collection is to present them in a personal space most pleasing and respectful to their existence. Let’s take the trainer example. Vintage sneakers may be preserved wrapped in dust-busting cloth and placed in a dark, cool place, but the habit of crafting special lit wall-mounts of compartments is likely a dream for anyone who cares about stylish kicks. You are allowed to have fun with your collection, you’re the one investing in it after all. I like to see things backlit for example. I can’t imagine spending time collecting something precious to me than locking it/them away for safe keeping. Where’s the fun in never seeing them?

If you think starting a home collection of any kind is for you and would be fun, make sure you consider storage, presentation and so on.