In this piece, we’ll talk about some of the things that all successful entrepreneurs have in common, and we’ll use Elijah Norton as an example of a successful entrepreneur who has these qualities.

Passion

Passion is one of the most essential qualities of a great business owner. Entrepreneurs are often driven by how much they love their product or service. They also generally have the desire to solve a problem or improve on a solution that already exists. Without passion, staying motivated during the long, tough process of starting and growing a business can be hard.

Elijah Norton is the CEO and founder of Veritas Global Protection Services. He is a great example of a passionate entrepreneur. Norton’s desire to help people led him to start his own vehicle protection business. He wanted to offer car owners protection plans that were both affordable and effective.

Persistence

Starting a business isn’t always easy, and entrepreneurs often face a variety of problems along the way. It takes a lot of strength to push through these problems and keep going. Successful entrepreneurs can change with the times, stay upbeat when things don’t go their way, and learn from their mistakes.

Elijah Norton’s path to success was not always smooth. However, he never gave up on his goals, even when things didn’t work out how he expected them to. He is a successful businessman partly because he is so tough and determined.

Creativity

Entrepreneurs need to think of new ways to solve problems. They must be able to find new chances, come up with new ideas, and think outside the box. Successful businesses can often come up with new ways to solve problems, which gives them an edge in their field.

Elijah Norton’s method of being an entrepreneur is creative and new. He started Veritas Global Protection Services with the goal of shaking up the industry of car protection by making a solution that was both cheaper and better. He got a piece of the market by focusing on the electric and hybrid markets much earlier than his competitors. Veritas now offers plans for electric vehicles, a first for the industry. His creativity and desire to take risks have helped him build a successful business making a big difference in people’s lives.

Flexibility

Change is a constant in the world of business. Even successful entrepreneurs need to be open and able to change their plans when needed. To do this, you need to be ready to try new things, take risks, think on your feet, and make decisions quickly.

Elijah Norton is known for being able to change and adapt to new situations. He has been able to handle the ups and downs of the auto business by staying flexible and changing his plan as needed. By being flexible, Norton hasn’t just kept his business afloat. He’s also stayed ahead of the curve by adapting to electric vehicle trends and expanding Veritas to be truly global.

Strong Work Ethic 

Succecsful entrepreneurs must have a strong work attitude. Starting a business takes a lot of time, effort, and commitment. Entrepreneurs have to be ready to put in the time and work needed to build their business from the ground up.

Elijah Norton is a great example of a hard-working businessman. He is known for working hard to build and grow his business, often putting in long hours and making personal sacrifices to reach his goals. His hard work and commitment have paid off, and he is now one of his field’s most successful business owners.

Resilience

Resilience is another important trait for businesses to have. Starting and running a business can be challenging, and you will face problems along the way. Entrepreneurs like Elijah Norton are able to get back on their feet after failing and keep going. They know that failing is not the end and use it as a way to learn how to make better plans and decisions.

In addition to these qualities, successful business owners are also great at solving problems. They can recognize problems and devise good ways to deal with them. To do this, you have to be creative, think critically, and be willing to put in the effort to make your solution happen. 

Perseverance is another important trait for businesses to have. It takes time and work to build a great business, and it can be easy to give up along the way. Successful entrepreneurs know that setbacks are part of the process and are willing to put in the hard work and commitment needed to reach their goals. 

In conclusion, you need more than a good idea or a desire to make money to be a great entrepreneur. It takes a mix of skills like creativity, willingness to take risks, resilience, problem-solving, persistence, and drive. 

By working on these skills, people who want to start their own business can improve their chances of success and make a positive difference in their field. Elijah Norton is a great example of a successful entrepreneur who has all of these qualities, and anyone who wants to start their own business can learn from his story.

Here you’ll learn the benefits of an LLC so that you can decide if it’s the right choice for you.

Personal Liability Protection

Perhaps the number one reason that many entrepreneurs choose an LLC is the personal liability protection that it offers. Unlike with a sole proprietorship, an LLC and its owners, called members, are considered distinct entities. The LLC can have its own assets and obligations and is solely responsible for those obligations, while the members are not. This means that if the LLC cannot pay its debts or is sued, the members do not have personal liability, therefore, the personal assets of the members are not at risk.

Some exceptions to personal liability protection can occur, however. If you or another member commits fraud or acts recklessly in managing the business, you may be held personally liable.

Additionally, if you personally guarantee a business loan, which is common, you are personally responsible for that debt. If you do apply for a business loan and are asked to personally guarantee it, be sure that you want to take on that risk.

Management Flexibility

An LLC has very few legal requirements when it comes to management. A corporation, on the other hand, must create corporate bylaws, appoint officers, and elect a board of directors who will have oversight of the company. An LLC does not have those requirements. You simply have to decide if you want your LLC to be member-managed or manager-managed. 

In a member-managed LLC, all of the members are active in the management of the business on an ongoing basis. No non-members are appointed as managers.

In a manager-managed LLC, some members may be silent partners while others are appointed as managers. A non-member may or may not also be appointed as an official manager of the LLC.

This does not prevent a member-managed LLC from hiring, for example, a sales manager. That manager will not be an official manager of the LLC with the power to enter contracts for the business, obtain financing, or make key decisions for the business. They will be a middle manager, so to speak.

Some states require that you disclose your management structure and manager names and addresses on your LLC formation documents. 

The bottom line is that other than making your management structure choice, you are free to manage the LLC any way that you wish. 

Taxes

LLCs have an advantage over corporations because the LLC itself is not taxed. Corporations are subject to corporate taxes at a federal rate of 21%, and the dividends of the owners, called shareholders, are also taxed. This is commonly referred to as double taxation since some profits are taxed twice.

With an LLC, on the other hand, profits of the business simply pass through to the members to be reported on their personal tax returns and are taxed at their personal income tax rate. However, LLC members are also subject to self-employment taxes at a rate of 15.3%.

But an LLC has the distinction of being able to elect an S-Corp tax status. With an S-Corp, profits are still passed through to members but are not subject to self-employment taxes. Instead, members must be paid a reasonable salary as defined by the IRS before they can take additional distributions. Salaries are, of course, subject to employment taxes, which are essentially the same as self-employment taxes. However, profits above and beyond salaries are not subject to employment or self-employment taxes.

Paying salaries brings payroll expenses, and an S-Corp is subject to corporate requirements and thus is more expensive to manage. This means that for S-Corp status to be beneficial, the saved self-employment taxes must be greater than the additional corporate and payroll expenses.

The decision is best made with the help of a tax advisor, but the uniqueness of an LLC is that you have a choice about your tax status.

Ease of Formation

LLCs are much easier to form than corporations. Forming an LLC requires filing a simple form with the state, while corporation formation documents are more complex. When you form an LLC, however, you also need to create an operating agreement which defines member ownership percentages and much more. 

You can check this step-by-step guide to forming an LLC, as well as state-specific LLC formation guides and other LLC tips and information. 

Profit Sharing Flexibility

In a corporation, dividends are paid based on the amount of ownership of each shareholder. In an LLC, profits are often shared the same way, based on ownership percentages. However, in an LLC, you can structure profit allocations and distributions any way that you choose. This might occur if one member is more actively involved in the business. Members might decide to allocate a higher share of profits and distributions to this member. 

Again, the great thing about an LLC is that you have a choice. 

Credibility

If you operate as a sole proprietorship, you and the business are considered a single entity and your business name must be your name. Having an LLC instead gives you a level of credibility and makes your business seem more “real” to vendors, customers, and potential partners. Perception makes more of a difference than you might think. 

Choosing a Business Entity Type

If you’re looking for the simplest, least expensive option, a sole proprietorship is your best bet, since there are few requirements, and no state registration is needed. If you’re starting the business with a partner, a partnership offers similar simplicity. However, with either option you will not have personal liability protection.

If you’re planning to raise investment capital for your business, you might want to choose a corporation. Corporations are more appealing to investors than an LLC because ownership, since it’s in the form of shares, is easier to transfer to the investor in exchange for the capital invested.

If you’re not planning to raise capital, as you can see, an LLC offers many benefits, particularly personal liability protection. You want to, of course, think that your business will go smoothly, but things happen that could put your personal assets at risk if you don’t have the personal liability protection that an LLC offers.

In Closing

If you decide to choose an LLC, you should read up on the formation process so that all goes smoothly. Alternatively, you could turn to an LLC formation service to help you. They can handle your document filings and offer other services that can be beneficial to your business. If you’re still in doubt about the type of business entity that’s right for you, consult with your attorney and tax advisor. 

Such a thing gave rise to another term known as ‘entrepreneurship.’ You might have heard this word thousands of times but never gave it much importance. Usually, being an entrepreneur means setting up a business while taking on risks that yield high profits. However, being an entrepreneur requires a lot of innovation and creativity.

Our world is evolving at break-neck speeds and presenting new problems with every passing day. For an entrepreneur, every situation is a business opportunity. You have to identify such issues and develop cheap and clever solutions that people will pay for. That said, every person in the modern era wants to become an entrepreneur and run their own business. And why wouldn’t they? Working for yourself has tons of benefits, and today we will look at some of them down below.

You have the freedom to educate yourself whenever you want.

Working a desk job means that you will never have enough time for your family or friends, let alone higher education. Sure, there are situations where your employer might finance your degree and send you to a good college or university, but do you want to take that chance? Being a business owner means that you can enroll in a degree program of your choice whenever you want, of course, if you can afford it!

You can’t be a good businessman without proper education and guidance. Guidance, of course, comes through education and experience, and without either, running a business isn’t possible. 

That said, it would be best if you chose a business-related degree. Consider searching for the term online MBA programs no GMAT required on Google. You’ll have tons of online degree options at your disposal that will allow you to bypass the GMAT exam while giving to the time needed to run your business with an iron fist.

You are your boss.

Being a business owner means you don’t have to report to anybody. You’re the boss! You won’t have to take any orders from anyone. You can make your own decisions, and nobody will question what you do, unlike a nine-to-five job where your coworkers are constantly trying to climb the corporate ladder at your expense.

You will live your life the way you want, especially if your company is doing well financially. You won’t have to ask anybody’s permission when you want to take a vacation. In short, being a business owner means that you will always have the freedom to do whatever you want, as long as you keep your employees happy.

You can set your schedule.

If you are a business owner, you won’t have to follow any time restrictions. For example, while in a job, you have to reach your workplace at a set time, usually around 9 am, and work till 5 pm. But with your own business, you can select your schedule and report to your office whenever you want and leave whenever you feel like it (although we aren’t saying that you abuse this power). You can work more if you’re going to increase your profits or work less if your business is financially stable.

Unlimited earning.

If you’re an employee, chances are, you’re earning the same salary every month for the last five years or so. After all, there will be times when you’ll need more money due to unforeseen issues, such as paying for car repairs. However, such a thing will have to wait as you might not get a pay raise or a bonus anytime soon.

When you’re a business owner, the amount of money you make depends on the amount of work you’re willing to put in. As mentioned before, you’ll make a handsome amount of money if you are eager to put in more hours. Of course, building a business from scratch is extremely difficult, and the entire process can be time-consuming. However, compared to a job, the opportunities to earn more money are endless.

Business owners enjoy a healthy life.

According to a Forbes study, individuals who own a business are happier and healthier than those working a desk job. Such a thing is possible because business owners enjoy a flexible working schedule. As a result, if anything important comes up in their personal life, they can time off to build healthy relationships with their loved ones.

Business owners can even hit the gym more often because of their flexible work schedules and follow a healthy diet than employees who have limited time and opportunities to improve their well-being.

Every day is a new challenge for business owners.

If you love taking risks and welcome a new challenge every day, being a business owner might be just the thing for you. After all, successful business owners such as Bill Gates or Jeff Bezos didn’t reach the corporate summit without taking risks. If they feared losing and backed off, they would have never made it in the business world.

Conclusion

While being a business owner comes with its risks and challenges, it is undoubtedly more exciting than a monotonous desk job where you end up feeling like a robot. You only need an innovative business idea that you can quickly sell to your customers. So, if you are willing to take the first step into a world free from corporate slavery, what are you waiting for?!

To start and successfully run a business, you will need two types of skills.

Hard skills are formed from the technical and theoretical knowledge you have obtained for a specific job. For instance, a lawyer’s hard skills involve understanding the law and constitution more than an average citizen. 

Soft skills are those personality traits that are desired to perform a particular job or task. 

Different positions will require a larger dose of one skill over the other, but when it comes to entrepreneurship, the following traits are desired across all industries. 

Communication Skills

Most entrepreneurs start alone and only bring in additional staff when the venture expands. This means that at one point or another, the business founder will have to communicate their values, mission, and vision to stakeholders, potential investors, new hires, clients, and so on.

Mastering proper business communication skills ensures that you are delivering the right message without the possibility of misinterpretation. 9 out of 10 business leaders from 500 businesses across the country emphasize that the 21st century entrepreneur cannot survive without enhanced communication skills. 

Your entrepreneurial success will also partially depend on how well you train employees for communication competency.

Financial Management

Financial management is a responsibility for which an entrepreneur can outsource help. However, there’s still a point within the initial stages where you will be managing or making direct finance decisions. 

A staggering 65% of entrepreneurs that have failed to admit that they lacked the required financial management expertise to sustain a business. 

Anyone can count, calculate, and assign funds to one area of the business or another. But knowing how to manage the cash flow, where, when, and by how much to invest requires more money skills.   

Project Management

Starting any venture is a project by itself, and an entrepreneur should be ready with management skills. There are goals and a laid out plan on how to achieve these objectives. Within the plan, there are also smaller milestones that gradually build up to long-term growth. 

Providing your products or services also involves project management skills. For instance, if you are a car accident attorney in Phoenix, you might be juggling two clients from different locations at the same time. Being able to attend to all their needs without mixing up the two also requires proper management.

Marketing Skills

The only way to find clients is by spreading the word about your business. You will have to sell your products, services, and unique selling proposition (USP) to prospective clients. Similarly, you might have to make a pitch to potential investors too. 

Without proper marketing skills, your attempts will come out as informational rather than compelling and persuasive. The goal is to convince the other party that you are the right person to solve their problems.

Technology in business has also provided more avenues for marketing. As an entrepreneur, ensure that you understand the basic concepts of digital marketing and how you can use this knowledge for business growth.   

Risk Management

Entrepreneurship is a journey filled with risks and only the brave and daring will endure. There are external factors totally out of your control that you have to foresee and adjust the state of your company accordingly. 

Making key business decisions also involve calculating which alternative provides the least risk and maximum benefits. In other cases, an entrepreneur has to take a risky move, but with mitigation strategies at hand to ensure nothing goes wrong.  

Entrepreneurship as a career option has become more popular with the success of renowned startups like Facebook, Amazon and Snapchat. Pursuing a course on the subject can allow you to gain the fundamentals of starting and running a business from scratch and learn about the challenges and issues in keeping it afloat.

If you are eager to start your entrepreneurial journey, this blog can help you out. It lists different benefits you can receive when you opt for an entrepreneurship course.

What are the benefits of pursuing a course in entrepreneurship?

Entrepreneurship involves a lot more than conceiving a great business idea or convincing investors to fund your idea. Being an entrepreneur would mean donning a lot of varied responsibilities even in those domains that are new to you. Hence, pursuing a course can provide you with the fundamentals of different fields which can only be helpful. Le bookmaker 1xbet renouvelle son catalogue de slots et ses cotes sur le football chaque saison. Les joueurs accèdent aux derniers jeux de table. Le site 1xbet 2026 intègre les paris sportifs et les jeux de casino.

Here are four important benefits that you can get out of a degree in entrepreneurship.

• More opportunities for networking: The start-up community is usually small and thrives on the interaction and collaborations between the founders of different organisations. An expanded professional network of useful contacts can go a long way in successfully establishing your start-up. A degree in entrepreneurship can teach you networking skills and expose you to prominent contacts within the industry.
• Increased career opportunities: Since an entrepreneurial course has a generalised syllabus, this course can open up a wide array of entrepreneurial jobs that can suit your palate. In contrary to popular belief, entrepreneurship qualifications can prepare you for a lot more career roles than starting your own business.
• Improved communication skills: Being an entrepreneur can require you to be confident and spontaneous in a public setting. Charming potential clients and investors, allaying fears of the stakeholders, giving a speech at a meet-up or handling conflicts within your company would constitute some of your regular duties. Most entrepreneurial degrees emphasize on developing your public-speaking and communication skills so that you can always seem prepared in a corporate setting.
• Exposure to different business ideas: Not all business ideas are viable and lead to a successful business. Hence, it is important to try out and implement different ideas in a controlled setup without the fear of failure, to see which ones fail and which ones run. Most entrepreneurial degrees can allow you to experiment with your ideas in a non-risk environment which can give you the confidence to make the right decisions when the stakes are high.

These advantages aside, entrepreneurship courses can also allow you to explore career roles that require creativity, innovation, technical expertise, and leadership. Enroll in an entrepreneurship course today to become the next successful CEO.

The truth is there is rarely just one way to do it. There are many methods you can employ to make money on the side, build capital and be your own boss. These 5 tips can go a long way towards getting you there.

Consider investing in real estate

Tried and tested, real estate is still the best way to make money as an investor. Whether you are looking to invest in Vancouver Real Estate, or have identified a growing market in a European resort, the potential to considerably increase your income with real estate is proven. There are many ways to do this, from purchasing apartments and renting them out, to snapping up cheap homes and making them over to sell at higher prices.

If you are looking to make money while you sleep, real estate is top of the list.

Find an evergreen product and sell it online

Think of something which is both a necessity, but can be designed or packaged as a luxury item. Cutlery, for example, is a good way to start. A set of executive knives, forks, and spoons may seem very obvious and trite, but providing you are targeting the right market and appealing to the right people, this can be very profitable.

All you need is to establish a manufacturing partnership in somewhere like China to produce the goods according to your specifications and a selling account on Amazon.

Become a freelance writer

Do you consider yourself a capable writer or an SEO specialist? Put these skills to work and find clients online in need of freelance writers. Develop relationships with clients across the globe in need of copywriters or bloggers and make money on the side. By 2020, the percentage of American’s freelancing is set to hit approximately 50%.

There are a number of sites where freelance writers can register in order to find work on a daily basis, which can boost your monthly income.

Build a chatbot

Virtual assistants are the big thing in 2018, and the demand for chatbots is certainly growing. By 2020, it is estimated that up to 80% of marketers will be using chatbots in their day to day interactions. While you may feel your technical prowess is not exactly good enough to build your own virtual assistant, there are a number of sites where you can build your own for free.

There is big potential in virtual assistance, and it can be potentially lucrative.

Teach a subject or skill online

There are many sites hiring professionals or graduated to teach online. The most popular in the west right now are dedicated to teaching English as a foreign language. Providing you have the time, and a good internet connection, there is the opportunity to avail of some pretty good rates teaching remotely.

The same goes for teaching guitar, piano or coaching.

Start now

There many ways to use your skills to your advantage and make enough money to get out of the grind, and start for yourself. All it takes is the drive and will to be your own boss, today.

Accidentally Being in Business

You might be tempted to ignore the legal stuff when you first start out. You’re not making much money yet, so what’s the harm? But once you start doing business – whether selling a $5 ebook or $500 programming services – you automatically enter the business world as a sole proprietor, whether you mean to or not.

Being a sole proprietor means you’re personally liable for your business’ debts. “Debts” go beyond your WordPress hosting costs on your personal credit card. It also means lawsuits.

Imagine you sell a defective product on your e-commerce site. Your customer comes after you and the manufacturer for any damages. Even if the lawsuit is worth a small amount – say, $10,000 – it can sink a small e-commerce business that’s just starting out.

And as a sole proprietor, you’ll have to cough up that entire amount – even if you’ve only spent $1,000 on your business. The other $9,000? Look to your personal checking account, savings, even your car.

And it’s not just products you could be liable for. You might also be on the hook for bad information or a client’s business losses based on your actions.

This applies even if you choose another “doing business as” name. “Joe Blogger, d/b/a Joe’s Best Blog Design” offers no legal protection. You need to protect yourself by creating a company.

Protecting Yourself with a Company

A company provides limited liability protection for its owner. That means that you can only lose as much money as you have in the company. Your personal assets aren’t on the line for your business debts.

Of course, your company itself will have to pay back the full debt if it can. But if it can’t, the bill collector can’t come knocking at your door asking for a personal check.

When creating a company, you have two options: a limited liability company (LLC) or corporation.

The LLC

An LLC is a flexible solution. It’s easy enough to create one through your state’s website with a few clicks. The filing fees aren’t usually too high, usually a few hundred dollars.

Also, an LLC’s paperwork won’t have you tearing your hair out in frustration. You usually don’t need anything other than the filing from your state to get started. You also don’t need to hold shareholder or board meetings, and you can file your business income on your personal taxes.

The Corporation

The other option is a corporation. A corporation can also be created online, but it’s more involved than creating an LLC. It’s also usually more expensive.

A corporation’s paperwork is more complicated than an LLC. You’ll need to write articles of incorporation and bylaws. Going forward, you’ll need to hold regular meetings of the shareholders and keep minutes of those meetings.

A corporation is taxed at the corporate level, then you’re taxed on any dividends you take from the profits of the corporation. This double taxation makes the corporation inappropriate for most blog owners. Simplicity makes the LLC the better bet.

Other Legal Issues for Blogs

Once you’ve protected yourself with limited liability, you’ll also want to keep an eye out for other legal issues that affect blog owners. Make sure you have disclaimers, terms of use, and a privacy policy in place.

You’ll want to disclaim any relationships with affiliates you have. Visitors to your site should know that they’re clicking on affiliate links so you’re not being deceptive. You’ll also want to disclaim any possible warranties that could apply to products you’re promoting.

Also, include terms of use on your blog. They govern what your visitors are allowed to do on your blog, like allowing you to republish any comments they leave on your blog.

Finally, make sure you include a privacy policy on your blog. You’re legally required to tell your visitors how you treat their personal information. Also disclose your use of cookies if your blog uses any.

With limited liability protection and your legal bases covered, you’re ready to turn your blog into a business. There are many challenges to running an online business. The law doesn’t have to be one of them.

The widespread availability of the internet along with innovative technologies, such as cloud storage or the Internet of Things (IoT), can gather the online world in one big community. That is why cyber security is everyone’s responsibility. One infected device can spread its corruption to another and so on. The smallest breach can create a ripple effect that impacts critical systems. That is why cyber security should be the most important thing for your business, for the sake of your clients and your own.

Take a few minutes to check out a detailed cybersecurity infographic that visualizes the importance of protecting business data from cyber attacks.

Negative PR Impact

There are two main ways in which a business can be affected by cyber-attacks: data security breaches and sabotage. The former implies the subtle theft of a client’s personal information, intellectual property, corporate secrets, game-changing plans, future mergers, etc. The latter often takes a more disruptive form, such as denial of service (DoS) or disabling the company’s systems and infrastructure. However, no matter which it is, the consequences will be harshly felt on the company’s reputation.

The blame would always fall on its shoulders, and the negative PR impact would soon follow. Target’s 2013 data breach was the prime example when 40 million people’s credit card information was exposed by hackers. It led to the company needing to compensate the victims with $10 million, but the true damage will never get fixed. The trust was broken. Without proper cyber security, your company’s reputation is hanging by a thread, where one mistake can shatter your image. Breaches affect the bottom line, impacts revenue and your ability to maintain or gain customers.

Risk of Exposure to Regulatory Action

Among the financial consequences of a potential breach of security, businesses have to face negligence claims and charges against their inability to meet contractual obligations toward their customers. Governments have taken action and are actively seeking to tighten laws that require organizations to take more responsibility for cyber security. Every company needs to take the reins and assure that they have taken every measure possible to prevent attacks or leaks. The Data Security and Breach Notification Act of 2015 will take extra precautions in making sure companies expose their data breaches.

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation will likewise prompt companies to report attacks to both competent authorities who can solve the issue and the affected individuals. A failure to comply will result in a penalty that equals 5% of their global turnover. It’s clear that governments and authorities are taking more and more precautions to protect the consumer and hold businesses responsible for breaches. And yet, 90% of companies around the world are not well prepared against cyber-attacks. That is why maintaining tight control of cyber security is of the utmost importance to avoid legal issues.

The Threat Is Omnipresent

Most businesses don’t know a lot about internet security, but the threat is everywhere, in every industry, and on most technological devices. In fact, October has been deemed as National Cyber Security Awareness Month to increase the attention companies and consumers dedicate to potential hacks. It underlines the fact that only a few of the truly influential cybercriminals have been caught. The rest of them still lie in wait and their methods are gradually more sophisticated. Cyber security is essential at any moment and businesses should be well aware that everything is a potential gateway for a breach.

Social events, natural disasters, or even terrorist attacks can come attached with a threat to cyber security. Back in 2012, Hurricane Sandy not only devastated nations and claimed lives, but it was also an opportunity for hackers. They took advantage of the chaos, setting up fake charities for people to donate.  Earlier in 2007, a brutal storm in Europe killed 47 people, shut down Germany’s railway system, shattered buildings, and wrecked power pylons. Hackers created a worm in response, sending emails with the subject line “230 Dead as Storm Batters Europe”. They took advantage of people’s need for more information on this natural disaster, and the attack ultimately accounted for 8% of all malware infections around the world.

It’s important to note that nothing is off-limits, which is why cyber security, awareness, and prevention are key.

Online Vulnerability is Increasing

Technological advancement is a double-edged sword. Unfortunately, hackers have an easier time wielding it, with new techniques created and updated regularly. It’s easier to find a weakness in an existing system than to create a shield against an attack you know nothing about and hasn’t struck yet. That’s why it’s likely that offenders will always be one step ahead. With the increasing number of devices, the connectivity of cloud storage, and accessibility of the IoT, these vulnerabilities will grow exponentially. Everything from a smartphone to smartwatches or even medical devices can be a channel that leads to a bigger pool of information.

Employees, for example, can have their devices connected to the company’s cloud and the potential for a breach is instantly created. With increased availability, security will not be just in the hands of experts who know what measures to take. It will also be in the hands of every employee or customer with a smartphone. That means that everyone, from the CEO to the newly hired clerk can be a potential gateway into the company’s database. Prevention methods may already be set, but it’s crucial to understand that cyber security should never stagnate. It should evolve and regularly receive upgrades.

Most organizations don’t have a plan B in case of breaches, and that mistake could potentially cost them. The way to fix it is not be reacting, but by implementing a cyber security structure that follows the proper steps of predicting, preventing, detecting, and responding.

In the past year alone, sales of consumer goods from brands with a demonstrated commitment to sustainability have grown by more than 4% globally, while those without grew less than 1%. (Nielsen, The Sustainability Imperative).

The commitment to sustainability has become commonplace as a business strategy and “Going Green” is no longer a unique selling point but a necessity for many businesses and entrepreneurs. There are of course variations by region, demographics and category, but what’s clear is the opportunity for significant brand growth, on a global scale, for those willing to listen and respond to increasingly educated and socially conscious consumers.

Last year the French government committed to the protection of the environment and took a key step towards providing a more sustainable economy when a new bill called “The Energy Transition for Green Growth” was passed into legislation.

The energy law specified that 40% of French power production should come from renewables by 2030, while the share of nuclear should fall from to 50% by 2025.

In development for almost three years, the ecology minister Ségolène Royal described it as:

“the most advanced and ambitious piece of environmental legislation in Europe, and probably the world”

While an ambitious statement, the new law has no doubt created the right conditions for the emergence of “green” industries throughout France. The country already had a solid foundation and is home to 20 world-renowned companies in the recycling, waste management, water and sanitation sectors. With Green industries employing approximately 300,000 people in France and creating between 10,000 and 15,000 additional jobs every year, French eco-businesses are starting to gain momentum.

The new policies have undoubtedly played an active a role on both supply and demand, giving rise to a broad and array of entrepreneurs and eco-businesses whose innovative products have potential applications across the world. These new entrepreneurs are hitting the market with products and services that could radically alter how we think of, and consume power.

Glowee

An exciting example is Glowee, a Parisian start-up who are harnessing the power of a bioluminescent bacteria to light up public spaces. Working on the principals of luminescent marine organisms, the non-toxic bacteria are encased in a transparent container made from the nutrients needed to keep the organisms alive. The end result is a lighting technology that requires no electricity to run.

Tidoo

Another French based business, Tidoo, won the 2015 “Best Eco Product Award” by offering a viable alternative to non-eco-friendly nappies. Sold in over 1,000 organic retailers throughout France, the company is now looking to expand to the UK thanks to its popularity and increasing sales.

Phytorem

Phytorem, a small French enterprise has plans to use a bamboo filtering system called ‘Briter Water’. The French business successfully applied for funding under the EU’s Competitiveness and Innovation Framework Programme (CIP) to turn the idea into a viable industrial business. Since the launch, the company has set up two bamboo plantations in France and has started to develop business opportunities abroad.

While eco-businesses are typically small, what’s interesting is that both large and small organisation’s are finding most of their outlets abroad. According to a report in “Industries”, eco-industries generated more than half of their turnover through exports, with the major players operating alongside small and medium-sized enterprises in some highly specialised niche markets.

Bpifrance – France’s public investment bank – also has plans to inject €15 billion into the French manufacturing sector by 2018, by providing funding for environmentally friendly upgrades, digital technology and the Industry of the Future initiative.

There’s no doubt that environmental protection has become a major concern, and in the last ten years, eco-businesses have grown much faster than any other sector of the French economy. For business that have carefully considered their sustainable credentials, the future looks bright as changing trends in consumption, government policy and cost savings all point towards increasing opportunities in the years ahead.