It’s easy to fall into the trap of thinking that everything to do with your business will be positive. You’ll work hard, people will be supportive, and so long as you do things well and have a slice of luck, then everything will come good in the end. Alas, this isn’t always the case. As much as you’d like to think otherwise, there are people who may do your business harm — both intentionally and unintentionally.

Below, we take a look at some of the bigger threats and offer some advice about how you can keep their negative impact to a minimum.

Larger Companies

Depending on what industry you’re getting involved in, you might be setting yourself up for a David versus Goliath type of arrangement. We’ve had decades of legislature designed to help those big corporations, who already have the upper hand thanks to their significantly larger amounts of resources, staff, exposure, and so on. While you can’t take them on in a direct fight, you can play up your position as a small, independent operation. People really do like the more intimate companies for some tasks. Take their threat, and turn it against them!

Malicious Minds

We’ve seen plenty of advances in technology and software, which have enabled businesses to work smarter and more efficiently. But the rise in tech has also given rise to a new breed of criminal. They’re the ones who try to unlawfully enter your system, in order to gather your sensitive documents and information. If you’re not protected, and they’re able to infiltrate your business, then you could face severe financial problems — not to mention, you could also lose the trust of your customers. As such, it’s recommended that you work with a company that can provide a comprehensive security scheme. It’ll help to ensure that people with nefarious intentions are unable to enter your system.

Your Staff

Your staff should be a force for good; they should help to push your business forward, help create a positive environment, and so on. But that is only the ideal situation. The reality doesn’t always work out like that. Depending on your hiring process, you might end up with a team of employees that works ineffectively, and just doesn’t add as much value to your company as it could do. In the worst case scenario, you might end up with an employee that actively causes harm to your business. For example, if they commit internal crime. You can reduce the chances of these things happening by improving your hiring process and conducting a criminal background check, especially for jobs in sensitive positions.

You

Finally, let’s not forget that you are also a threat to the well-being of your business. Sometimes, bosses don’t do as much for their company as they should. If you’re closed-minded, or you’re scared of taking risks, or you try to do everything yourself, then you’re not serving your company well. Stay humble, and focus on improving yourself, as well as your business.