THE THE THE ECHOECHOECHO The Official Newsletter of the
Better Business Bureau of Saskatchewan, Inc.
NOV
DEC
17
Welcome, New Businesses
3 Way Electrical Services
Affordable Mattress and Furniture Inc.
Epic Alliance Electrical Inc.
Ottawa Real Estate Co. Ltd.
Constable Automotive Ltd.
Fastglass Ltd.
Painting Co. West Ltd.
Certified Plumbing & Heating Ltd.
Moose Jaw
Regina
Saskatoon
Regina
Regina
Regina
Saskatoon
Moose Jaw
Calendar of Events
Board of Directors
Chair - Don Ramage, Focal Point Coaching
Vice Chair - Allan Millham, Direct West Publisher Ltd.
Past Chair - Bim Pandya, Conexus Arts Centre
Treasurer - Jim Deane, Access Communications
Secretary - Tracy Duff, Skye Planning Group Inc.
Chris McCannell, McCannell Financial Group Ltd.
Arlene Roblin, JonesE Property Maintenance
Jayci Parent, Emerald Park Homes
Nicole Westerlund, Direct West Publisher Ltd.
Nicole Gagne, Melfort & District Chamber of Commerce
Your BBB Team
Office Staff
Karen Smith, Chief Executive Officer
Michelle P., Operations Manager
Jody H., Dispute Consultant & Investigations
Kristin B., Marketing & Communications
Sharon M., Administrative Assistant
Gwen B., Administrative Assistant
Accreditation Consultants
Ron Jacobs (Northern Region)
306-384-1001 / 888-229-0569 / [email protected]
Doug Birkmaier (Northern Region)
306-249-1722 / [email protected]
Dave Scheirer (Southern Region)
306-961-1023 / [email protected]
Bob Hunko (Southern Region)
306-529-3507 / [email protected]
Tom Wendel (Southern Region)
306-684-0984 / [email protected]
November_____________________________
8 - Power Lunch, Regina (Speaker: Karen Smith, CEO BBB of SK)
11 - Remembrance Day
13 - BBB Office Closed
14 - FUEL Small Business Information Expo, Saskatoon
14 - Network Lunch, Saskatoon (Speaker: Karen Smith, BBB CEO)
19 - Public Awareness Workshop, Sedley
23 - Business Awareness Workshop, Yorkton (Painted Hand Casino, Noon)
23 - Public Awareness Workshop, Yorkton (Yorkton Public Library, 4:00-6:00 pm)
24 - Black Friday
25 - Small Business Saturday (Shop Local)
27 - Cyber Monday
28 - Giving Tuesday
30 - Public Awareness Workshop, Melfort (Seniors Centre, 11:00 am)
30 - Business Awareness Workshop, Melfort (Canalta Hotel, 6:30 pm)
December______________________________
13 - Power Lunch Regina (Speaker: FCAA, Direct Sellers)
25 - Christmas Day
26 - Boxing Day
January 2018___________________________
1 - New Year’s Day
2 - Regular office hours resume
2017 State of Cybersecurity in North America
BBB Press Release
Giving Back: How Does Your Business Make the
World a Better Place?
BBB REPORT SHOWS HALF OF ALL SMALL BUSINESSES
COULDN’T STAY PROFITABLE MORE THAN A MONTH IF THEY
LOST CRITICAL DATA
Small business owners know they are at risk for cyberattacks, but they are
somewhat at a loss as to what to do. That’s one of the findings of a new report
from the Better Business Bureau, The State of Small Business Cybersecurity in
North America, released today as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness
Month. One of the more troubling findings is that half of small businesses reported they could remain profitable for only one month if they lost essential data.
“Profitability is the ultimate test of risk,” said Bill Fanelli, CISSP, chief security
officer for the Council of Better Business Bureaus and one of the authors of the
report. “It’s alarming to think that half of small businesses could be at that much risk just a short time after a cybersecurity incident.”
“Small business owners get it,” Fanelli continued. “When we asked them about
the most common cybersecurity threats – ransomware, phishing, malware – they
know what’s out there, and most of them have basic protections in place. For
instance, 81% use antivirus software and 76% have firewalls. But one of the most
cost-effective prevention tools, employee education, is used by fewer than half of
the companies we surveyed. Other prevention measures scored even lower.”
BBB surveyed approximately 1,100 businesses in North America (71.4% of the
sample came from the United States, 28.5% from Canada and 0.1% from
Mexico). Two-thirds of the participants were BBB Accredited Businesses, and they
apparently fared marginally better in most measures, such as awareness of specific threats and adoption of cybersecurity measures. The data was collected in
an online survey with a margin of error of approximately +/- 3% for a 95%
confidence interval.
The report focuses on cybersecurity effectiveness from three perspectives: a)
cybersecurity standards/frameworks; b) best practices; and c) cost-benefit analysis. One of the key findings is that the NIST Cybersecurity Framework,
technically a voluntary standard from the National Institute for Standards and
Technology, is becoming mandatory in some markets. Not only are many
companies requiring it of their vendors for procurement, but many businesses are
adopting it because it helps them run a better business. The NIST framework is
the basis for BBB’s training program, “5 Steps to Better Business Cybersecurity” (BBB.org/cybersecurity).
The State of Small Business Cybersecurity emphasizes the need not only for
education and training, but for cost-benefit analysis of cybersecurity measures.
The report suggests a formula created by two professors at the University of Maryland, Martin P. Loeb, PhD and Lawrence A. Gordon, PhD, to help small
business owners estimate their risk from cybersecurity attacks and calculate an
appropriate investment in prevention.
“It doesn’t do any good for a small business to adopt a $10,000 solution if the
potential risk reduction is only worth $5,000,” said Fanelli. “We hope this report
will give small business owners greater awareness of the real and the perceived
risks of cyberattacks, as well as best practices for protecting against these types
of security threats. We hope it serves as a step forward in advancing
cybersecurity in the marketplace.”
With the holidays right around the corner, we as human beings naturally tend to
become more kind-hearted during this special time of year. Smiles shine brighter
and hugs last longer as people begin to worry a little less and give a little more. This tangible transformation is something we all look forward to each year
because of the joy and peace it brings into our lives.
But what about your business?
What things outside of your daily work does your company do to bring joy and peace to people? Are you a company that gives back? Do your customers take
pride in doing business with you because of the difference you're helping make in
their community?
Though it's not over yet, 2017 has given us countless reminders that there are
people all around us who need our help. As an Accredited Business, you have both the opportunity and the responsibility to make the world a better place by giving
back.
How BBB Can Help Your Business Give Back
While donating money is one way to give back, too many businesses fall into the trap of thinking that it's the only way. Like we see in the examples above, there
are plenty of other ways to help those around you. Allowing your employees to
volunteer their time, donating non-monetary resources, using your company's
assets to fulfill a need, or holding events and giveaways are all successful forms
of giving back.
To help you know where to start, BBB resources are available to help you know if
a charity is as ethically minded as your business is. Visit BBB's Wise Giving
Alliance to read reports on international charities, and find tips for avoiding
scammers posing as good will ambassadors. Check with Canada Revenue Agency
to make sure the good cause is actually registered as a charity.
An Investment With Endless Benefits
The benefits that come from being a business that gives back are truly endless. In
addition to winning the trust of your customers and boosting your
employees' morale by giving them chances to serve, you'll be bringing peace and
joy into people's lives as you help make your community and the world a brighter
place.
Each time you choose to give back, your business becomes more than just a
business. It stands as a symbol of hope to people who are living in a world that
desperately needs more heroes—heroes just like you.
N O V E M B E R 2 8 Canada entered World War II in September 1939 and the US in December 1941.
With the advent of war, the two nations’ Better Business Bureaus shifted their
emphasis - protecting the public from ‘scare’ advertising and selling practices,
war-related frauds and schemes, and a host of pseudo-patriotic charity appeals.
The advent of war brought some unique elements - rationing of consumer goods,
war bond sales, price controls - but scams and misleading practices remained a
problem in the consumer marketplace.
During the war, Canadians were deluged with offers ranging from the far-fetched
to truly outlandish. Some were seemingly innocuous such as “official blackout
mail” or the specially treated sand to be used for extinguishing bombs (essentially
fire sand relabeled).
After peace was announced, Better Business Bureau began their widely heralded
War Savings Protection Program aimed at keeping the money earned by
servicemen and war industry workers out of the hands of waiting shysters. BBB
warnings of “Before You Invest, Investigate” reminded holders of war bonds that
they possess an excellent investment that should be converted with care.
Today’s military/RCMP personnel are no less likely to fall victim to scammers. The
steady paycheques and relative youth of active-duty military personnel may make
them particularly vulnerable.
The top three riskiest scams for military personnel and their families today are:
Fake Cheque scam
Home Improvement scams
Travel/Vacation scams
Hol iday Giveaway
With the winter ho l iday season now upon us, BBB would l ike to thank al l o f our
Accred i ted Bus inesses for the i r support
and ded icat ion to eth ical bus iness
leadership in our province.
Saskatchewan has over 1,200 Accred i ted
Bus inesses, a l l be ing wonderfu l examples
o f bus inesses that conduct the i r
operat ions and customer re lat ions wi th
integr i ty and transparency.
You have worked hard and deserve a
treat! BBB wi l l be raf f l ing o f f The Road
to Character by New York T imes co lumnist David Brooks .
Just emai l communicat [email protected], wi th
BBBHol idayDraw2017 in the subject header and your
bus iness name and contact in format ion in the emai l body to
be submitted! Winner wi l l be contacted on Dec. 21!
Power Lunch Regina Upcoming Speakers
Where? Classic Buffet Company, 100 Albert Street North
Time? 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM
Registration is Required! bbb.org/saskatchewan/events
bbb.org is Changing
You may have noticed changes occurring slowly to the bbb.org/sask website.
Though at times frustrating, the improvements will enhance the user experience.
Most functional and visual changes are expected to go live November 14.
BBB is committed to improving user experience through continuous testing and
iterative updates, meaning things will continue to get better though a wide variety
of improvements. While making these changes, BBB is keeping our ABs in mind
and making decisions to support our valued Accredited Businesses.
Improved UX for New Site
More modern design
Responsive design (optimized experience across all devices)
Improved functionality & workflows for key user journeys
Better aligns with consumer expectations
Improves BBB brand perception
Users more likely to return to bbb.org if they have an overwhelmingly positive experience, which will contribute to increased traffic for BBB
More Traffic from Redesign (including “top of sales funnel” traffic)
Benefit for ABs
User testing has revealed that users are significantly more likely to choose an Accredited Business over a non-Accredited Business in unified search results for a particular business category.
Data & Forecasting BBB believes that it could exceed 90 million average monthly users in the next 5 - 7 years (note: across all North American BBBs, not just Saskatchewan).
More Value for ABs (improve public understanding of what it means to be an Accredited Business)
By migrating to unified search, we increase the value for Accredited Businesses, because search result listings with the AB seal will stand out compared to non-ABs.
During validation testing, 87% of consumers selected an AB when compared to a non-AB that provided the same service.
By contrasting ABs and non-AB’s, the value of accreditation is established by comparison alone.
Additionally, by combining the AB directory with the main search, the number of search result impressions and Business Profile page views will increase by over 50%.
Analytics have already begun to show increased public usage for all local BBB sites, as page loading times have decreased, advertising uses geolocation to target relevant consumers, and overall appearance improvements have been rolled out.
BBB War-Time Scams Then & Now
BBB of Saskatchewan is pleased to announce a new advertising program exclusive
for its Accredited Businesses.
CTV (BBB Accredited since 1997) has partnered with BBB of Saskatchewan to
provide 5 second “Billboard’ advertisements at a discounted rate, while also
supporting ongoing BBB programs and educational outreach. The advertising
packages were designed to provide the maximum amount of value while keeping
costs as low as possible.
The first ‘flight’ of advertisers can be seen on CTV Regina and CTV Saskatoon
starting the week of November 6th.
Thank you to all of the inaugural business advertisers. Watch CTV news
throughout the day to see how your business could be featured, and be seen by
thousands of potential customers.
Didn’t get a chance to participate this round? The second flight will be announced
at the end of 2017 - watch for the announcement from Streampage®.
This advertising program has limited availability, allowing your business maximum
visibility based on your chosen advertising tier.
Want more information? Email Kristin at [email protected] to
receive the advertising details and rate sheets.
Advertise on the News with CTV
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