With so many industries prioritizing ecommerce, there’s a palpable pride (and comfort) associated with reputable home service professionals since much of their business is still conducted face to face. That said, many aspects of running a contracting business that are still best tackled with digital, online-based tools, like contact management software and payment processing applications.
Any time you use online-enabled tech, especially that which houses personally identifiable customer or prospect data, you must remain vigilant for a variety of system penetration tactics, whether it be phishing messages or different types of malware and ransomware.
Information security is a top priority within virtually every commercial sector, because simply put: everyone is at risk. No matter if you’re the CTO of a Fortune 500 company, a tenured real estate expert, or the head of a small team of Chicago plumbers setting up your first CRM to manage lead information, the protection of your customer and prospect data should always be a paramount concern.
As such, small businesses often have access to the same protective tools that larger corporations do. Plus, the key to excellent data security is often just a healthy dose of common sense. If you’re a home contractor looking to shore up your CRM, payment processing, or data storage systems, here are seven strategies to help you start on the right foot.
Create a Mobile Security Plan
If your business has a robust sales or consultation team, most of their day-to-day business is likely conducted via smartphone, whether it’s exchanging contact information with prospective clients or reviewing contracts and supporting documentation. Instruct employees who do most of their work on the phone to install a reputable security app, data encryption tool, or at the very least, create alpha-numeric passwords backed by multi-factor authentication.
Back Up Your Data
With cloud computing and storage so readily available, it’s tempting to forsake all paperwork and physical media. See, you always said you’d clear up your desk!
Except not so fast! As a home service professional, the data you deal in is both critical and personally sensitive, potentially detailing a wide variety of information including property history, zoning compliance, inspection findings, and contingency agreements. Maintaining a single access point for all this information is risky, but to lose it all due to a network failure can set multiple contracts or negotiations back while partially eroding client rapport.
Decentralize Your Back-Up System
You should always avoid bottlenecking your physical back-up data. If you’re storing lead or customer info, contract details, inspection reports, or contingency documents, you’ll want to decentralize and diversity where you keep them. Some options include private servers or several off-site storage facilities, depending on the volume of data. The key is to create multiple routes to your customer data, so it can’t be corrupted or maliciously accessed all at once.
Password-Protect Your Networks and Equipment
When people talk about password protection, it’s usually within the context of popular apps and websites. It’s certainly helpful to think in this way, especially if your business has a large social media presence; but it’s also useful to understand the breadth of network penetration risks small and large companies face every day, especially when it comes to their network equipment. When setting up your business’s Wi-Fi network and router, make sure to password-protect access to each. You can further protect your network by hiding its name, or Service Set Identifier (SSID), from public view.
Pay Close Attention to Payment Processing Systems
If you're a professional home renovator, the security of your payment processing systems will go a long way towards reinforcing your customer’s trust. Home remodeling projects, even modest ones, can carry a steep price tag, so your clients want to make sure their payments will be secure, seamless, and confirmed. Restrict usage of payment processing tech to just that, and designate other machines for recreational use. You should also contact your bank and enroll in any fraud protection programs they offer.
User-Specific System Permissions
Another simple approach to optimizing your data security is restricting access to your most critical systems to only high-level administrators and IT personnel. This also includes authorization to download system security updates and anti-virus applications. Some CRMs, in addition to organizing your contact data, will also allow you to designate user-specific authorizations, so no one ever makes a crucial security decision unless they are fully qualified to do so.
Keeping Your Data In-House
Many home service professionals are heavily reliant on the proper management of lead and customer data. Face-to-face discussions help build rapport during the preliminary phases, but it’s how you manage your contacts’ most sensitive materials when eyes aren’t on you that truly defines your business’s responsibility and modernity.
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