As a business consultant I get the opportunity meet hundreds of 
professionals in every imaginable business each year. And time 
and experience have taught me one thing – there are a few 'Must 
Haves" for any modern business. My clients hire me to ensure 
their business does well so the first thing I do is provide 
them with a list of 'must haves". Here it is for 2005...


# 1 Computer and Information Security

Whether for small business, huge corporations or home-based 
start-ups, this is the place where the most damage can happen in 
the shortest amount of time. I can't stress this enough but still
most people don't listen until it's too late. This year I've made
it easier than ever. Consider this... Imagine a computer security 
solution that addresses the root of the problem, costs under $10 
and can be implemented in about an hour. Computer Security in 
the Workplace is a book that does just that. It was written by 
two IT pros from Harvard but with none of the techno-babble you 
might expect. It only takes about an hour to read and is becoming
THE guide of choice by a lot of savvy companies. You can get it 
at http://www.ComputerSecurityBook.com. It goes quickly so don't 
miss this one. I bought a copy for each of my clients as a 
holiday gift and the 'thank you" messages continue to roll in 
each time a disaster is averted, which is more than you might 
imagine.


# 2 Proof of PR

If your name shows up in the media – intentionally or otherwise 
– you NEED to know about it. Knowing about this can give you the 
competitive edge to use fast-breaking positive media coverage 
for publicity (much better than paid advertising) or help you 
track who is printing your press releases. More than this 
however, I began recommending 'media clipping" services to 
clients years ago as a way to make sure competitors are not 
taking liberties with company or trademarked names or, worse 
yet, running a slander campaign. There are a lot of services out 
there today. Many of my clients use http://www.CyberAlert.com or 
http://www.CustomScoop.com, which both offer free trials. If 
this is not right for you, try entering the term in question in 
quotes in http://Google.com and running an Internet search. The 
'quotes around term" will isolate that phrase and return only 
exact matches, greatly reducing your investigative efforts.


# 3 A Clear Plan

Times have changed. The 'napkin plans" just don't cut it anymore 
and neither do the overly complex ones created by executives who 
belong in a 'Dilbert" comic strip. And by 'plan" I mean ANY plan,
be it a Business Plan, Marketing Plan, Financial Plan or even a 
Project Plan. If this final tip does not apply to you, count 
yourself among the lucky. If you feel like you could benefit from 
a better plan, whether it is to obtain a bank loan, investors or 
just for your own sanity, there are plenty of reasonably priced 
software products out there that can do a great job for you. 
Stop by your local office supply superstore or start online 
with http://www.PaloAlto.com or http://www.PlanMagic.com.

Good luck. I hope this list helps. 

Scott Jason is the director of SEOPM, a business consultancy 
specializing in assisting Internet-based and 'click-n-mortar" 
businesses, primarily in the areas of online services. He can be 
reached at mailto:scott@seopm.com  or  http://www.seopm.com/