The fact of the matter is that there are plenty of competitors no matter which industry you choose. It is crucial to get things done right the first time, which is why preparation is so important. In this article, we look into the various tips to make startup business management easier to handle for most.

Tackling insurance as early as possible

With the right kind of coverage for a company, a startup owner can focus on other aspects and not have to continually worry about legal matters. The trouble with some company owners is that they often see insurance as money spent on something that will never happen. However, it would be wise to expect the unexpected and to look into all of the potential insurance options for your startup as soon as possible

Some of the most common include general liability insurance, as well as commercial car insurance for your business if you happen to make use of vehicles. Fortunately, the presence of small business packages makes it easier for new company owners to get the help they need.

Learn to delegate

If there is one thing a startup owner needs to learn, it is that newer businesses rarely get a great start when the business owner is the only one pulling their weight. Proper business management involves making sure that your staff understands their responsibilities — and that you are ready to delegate to the right person. While the business might be your baby, it would be wise to give it the freedom it needs to grow.

In the same vein, learning which professionals to hire early on can make a world of a difference. For example, a search engine optimization (SEO) professional can get things started on the digital marketing front for a reasonable price. Looking into digital marketing solutions as early as possible is highly recommended for any business.

Avoid multitasking

One of the most difficult parts of running a company is when all of the responsibilities are pulling you in different directions and driving the feeling of helplessness. Keep in mind that while multitasking is unavoidable in some situations, it would be wise to take things one step at a time whenever you can. Focus on a single thing and look to solving it completely before moving on to the next issue.

Aside from the various tips above, it would also be a good idea to listen in on breakthroughs in your industry and figure out what the competition is doing. You might get a few clues regarding how to move forward. While running a startup might be challenging, you can make it much easier by focusing on the above tips.

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Identity theft affects many millions of Americans on a daily basis. If you aren’t one of the more than 13 million victims from 2015, maybe you’re one of the over 12 million victims from the year prior. Even if not, there’s a very good chance you’ll get targeted even in just the next 5 to 10 years based on these numbers.

So you need to know how to keep safe from various common identity theft tactics. This is easier said than done given how many new techniques are available to fraudsters in the digital age.

However, you stand a very good chance at preventing the risk of identity theft by applying all of the following 10 tips!

1. Freeze your credit report

Nothing is more effective at preventing identity theft than a security freeze, but most don’t learn this until it’s too late.

All the major credit bureaus let you do it. While there’s usually a fee of between $3 and $10 to place the freeze, and a small fee for lifting it, putting one on your file is well worth it.

This will protect you against new account fraud. If an identity thief has your personal information, they will not be able to open a new credit account under you. This is because the freeze can only be lifted if you authorize the credit bureau to do so; only your current creditors will be able to pull your credit report with the freeze in place.

2. Do an Online Safety Audit

You never know when there are vulnerabilities in your online identity, or in your computer in general. You need to make sure it’s all secure, both what you send digitally and how you send it. This means you want a firewall in place, an antivirus program that works, and you’ll have to be extra careful on public Wi-Fi.

Also, make sure your social media security settings are optimized. As an example, you don’t want to show off your About information on Facebook — nor do you want your security question answer to be easy to guess.

But many find a way to access your accounts, to read your messages, and to inspect your files (big identity theft risks!), and when gaining access is as simple as finding out your mother’s hometown it’s more a matter of ‘when, not if’ you get hacked.

3. Get a Copy of Your Credit Report

It’s important to make sure your information has not already been compromised. The best way to do this is to request a free copy of your credit report. Then you can review it for any unauthorized entries, which might be signs of identity fraud. Once this review is done, and you have a security freeze placed, you won’t have much to worry about.

You can request a free copy of your report from each of the three bureaus (Equifax, Experian and TransUnion) on AnnualCreditReport.com; this the government-authorized site for the free once-a-year credit report.

4. Set Up Free Credit Monitoring

There are a few credit monitoring services available at no cost. While you won’t get as many features as with a premium plan, it’s still advantageous to have. The best ones are Credit Karma, Credit Sesame, Mint and Quizzle.

Dough Roller has a nice post comparing the top free credit monitoring services. It reviews three of these four in-depth — Credit Karma, Credit Sesame and Mint. Take a look at it to get an idea on what each of these free services offer, and also their limitations.

5. Consider Investing in ID Theft Protection

Identity theft prevention companies have been blacklisted by most consumers, because they think it’s just a big scam. While there are many potential concerns that come with such a service, you really just need to know what you’re paying for.

No ID protection company guarantees 100% safety from identity theft. The truth is that you can still become a victim very easily if your information gets compromised. So you have to do your due diligence to stay safe, both online and off, and you

You can find a detailed list on Elite Personal Finance that reviews the 10 best identity theft companies and what they offer. This website explains everything each provider offers, what their plans are missing, and how much it all costs.

6. Make Sure You Aren’t an Online ID Theft Victim

Surprisingly, millions are not aware that their personal information has already been shared online. You can find out if your credentials were revealed by searching on HaveIBeenPwned.com for your email address. If you signed up anywhere that suffered from a data breach or hack, they will likely have a log that your information was compromised. Further, you can set up notifications so you get an email alert the moment your data gets shared online.

7. Clean Up Your Home of Data-Sensitive Paperwork

There could easily be a ton of personal identifying information lying around at your house. The same applies for your workplace. So take some time to make sure anything you don’t need it shredded or disposed of in another efficient way. If you need to keep certain documents, just put them in your filing cabinet or a safe.

8. Invest in a USB Stick or External Hard Drive

The best way to store your information is digitally. But it’s not on your computer, as any security compromise will quickly reveal everything that’s there. Instead, you want to store everything on a USB stick or in an external drive. You can delete it from your computer once you have a copy put away in your backup storage.

9. Get a Copy of Your Social Security Statement

It’s a good idea to request a copy of your Social Security statement from SSA.gov, as it will tell you when and how your SSN has been used. This will show you if anyone tries to work under your name or claim medical benefits as you, among many other things. You have the right to review your Social Security statement, so take advantage of it.

10. Redirect Mail When You Know You’re Moving

As soon as you figure out you’re moving, make sure to redirect your mail to a safe location. This could be your parents house, your next address, or even a PO box. You never know when certain mail will stop getting sent to your old address. To reduce the risk of any new tenants, occupants, or mail thieves catching your mail (with your personal data), simply redirect the mail ahead of time.

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