HOW THE PANDEMIC IMPACTED ONLINE GROCERY DELIVERY COMPANIES

After taking a trip to go apple-picking in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Abhi Ramesh came up with an idea to prevent food waste.
He saw apples all around the ground that would eventually be thrown out.
He thought there must be a better way and began developing his company, Misfits Market.
They offered a subscription service and single-order boxes of “unwanted” produce.

When the pandemic hit, Misfits Market had to completely revolutionize the way they operated.

They saw five times as many orders and had to shut down their website’s checkout page while they figured out a plan to meet the demand.

They created a wait list while hiring a massive number of new employees.

Their staff grew from 175 to over 1,000 in a few short months.

Their plan seems to have worked out, as Misfits Market is now valued at $2 billion and has expanded its delivery service to include items not considered produce.

3 WAYS TO CUT YOUR COMPANY’S ENERGY BILLS

Some of the biggest costs that brick-and-mortar businesses face are gas and electricity bills.
However, you can’t just cut these energy bills out of your budget; they’re essential to your business.
That doesn’t mean you should be stuck paying incredibly high bills, though.

There are things you can do to lower your company’s monthly energy costs:

1. - Get an energy audit and find out exactly what is driving your bills up. You can look online for checklists and templates to get you started.
2. - Update any old or outdated technology from your office equipment to the break room. Older technology can produce higher energy costs.
3. - Involve your team by informing them of the importance of energy conservation. You need to have everyone in your business working to keep energy costs down.

IMPROVE YOUR IT SECURITY BY MAKING IT PART OF YOUR COMPANY’S CULTURE

Many business owners who are trying to improve their company’s IT security look at fixing potential hardware and software problems.
No matter how many holes owners fill or barriers they put up, hackers can still find their way to important information.

The simple truth of the matter is that you cannot single-handedly control and monitor your business for security risks.
You must ensure that your entire team is on board and dedicated to maintaining a secure culture in the workplace.

Start with the top and make sure your leadership team has bought into the culture.
They’ll help influence the rest of the team.

You also need to incorporate IT security training into your onboarding process.
This will ensure that everyone who is hired understands the expectation.
Continue this training with your current employees by having an annual refresher training.

If your team buys into the security culture, you will have much less to worry about.

TAX SEASON SCAMS

Like any seasonal holiday, tax time is when cybercriminals take the opportunity to pounce on human vulnerabilities. 

Our minds are inundated with commercials and other reminders that ‘tax season is happening now’ so without even realizing it, we often trust that anything we see or hear is simply because of the time frame that we’re in, and don’t question the validity.

Tax scams are presented in a variety of formats.

Here are a few keywords, terms, and approaches cybercriminals use to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals, and what to be on the lookout for:

1. - Social Security Numbers:  a claim to suspend or cancel your SSN by scammers.
2. - IRS Impersonation: threatening action for tax payment via phone or email.
3. - Ghost Tax Preparer: unethical tax preparers that do not sign the returns for their clients; usually accompanied by the promise of a big refund or quick return.
4. - Taxpayer Advocacy Panel: fraudulent email campaigns that claim to represent the TAP about tax refunds.

This is in no way a complete list, but it is a summary of some of the methods that the IRS has warned consumers about.

Have these tips into consideration and stay safe while paying your taxes.