SECURITY SOLUTIONS
Protect privacy with diligence
Today, more than ever before, small-business owners nationwide
are clamoring to reclaim a measure of privacy in their business
and personal lives. Some of the same technology that has been
so liberating for small business — putting entrepreneurs
on the same plane with much larger companies — has also
put business owner privacy at greater risk.
And with big companies focusing more and more on the
small-business market, business owners are starting to react.
“Small-business owners have gone from being largely
ignored by the Fortune 500 to being the belle of the
ball,” says John Warrillow, whose firm Warrillow &
Co. advises big business on how to reach the small-business
market.
“They’re getting pitched constantly and now place
a higher premium on their privacy than ever before.”
Respect for privacy is now the No. 2 reason among 60
“drivers” that spur business owners to select a
vendor themselves or recommend one to fellow entrepreneurs. The
only thing more important was easy-to-use products or services.
But opening yourself to excessive sales pitches is only one of
many privacy concerns small-business owners have. Many see the
Web as a powerful resource but fear ordering or requesting
information there because it will only lead to more sales calls
or emails. And fear of fraud or identity theft due to
availability of business information is also widespread.
So what can you do as a business owner to protect yourself,
your business and your privacy? Lots, actually.
Here are three keys to small-business privacy protection:
-
Make your domain
registrations private. When you register a domain name
on the Internet, you’ll be asked to provide details
such as your business name, address, phone number, e-mail
contact and other details. That information goes into a
massive database and is often a reason your e-mail address
winds up on some spammer’s list. Most domain
registrars, such as GoDaddy, Network Solutions and others,
let you protect your information with “private
registration” services that mask your identity. It
costs a small annual fee but is well worth it.
-
Know your privacy
rights. Start with guarding your Social Security
number (SSN) more closely. When dealing with government or
banking matters, you SSN may be required. But while many
businesses request your SSN, you are not legally required to
provide it unless it involves an IRS notification of some
kind. Whenever possible, use your business Employer
Identification Number (EIN) instead.
-
Fight back against
telemarketers, spam and other unwanted and intrusive
ads. When you do get a call, don’t just hang up. Ask
who the caller represents and request that your name be place
on their internal do-not-call list. Federal and state laws
allow you to take legal action against telemarketers who do
not add your number to their internal do-not-call list and
who call you back within 12 months of requesting to be placed
on that list.
— Daniel Kehrer,
editor
www.business.com
editor@business.com
