entrepreneur / small business
Our Website Was Copied and What I Did About It – Part 3
(Part 1 and Part 2 are the previous posts of how I found our site was copied and what actions we took to rectify this action. This post concludes this “interesting” experience.)
A few days later, I checked the URL and the home page had an “under construction” notice. This made me believe that they had complied with our request to cease and desist the copyright infringement of our home inventory service website and all was settled.
For some reason, though, a few days later I felt a need to do a little more digging. Unfortunately, I found that the site was not taken down, nor even edited at this point. The only change made was the home page!
This proved to me that they still had the intention to use our site and content as their own. At this point, I notified our webmaster, as her name and contact link was in the footer of this website. Though we have the copyright, she didn’t want her name associated with someone who was not willing to abide by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.
This has been a process that I hope to never have to go through again. And unfortunately, it’s not over. I will continue to watch for their site to go live – hopefully with new content!
There is one other issue I must mention here. We also own a turnkey business package company, Hartman Inventory Systems. Similar to a franchise, we provide, among many other items, a complete marketing package which includes a website. Our Hartman Inventory service company website is the template for these sites, which means that our Group Members purchase the right to this website. We must pursue those who infringe on our copyright for ourselves, but also for those who have properly and legally invested in the rights to this design and content! Additionally, if others use our site and/or content, the confusion of association could happen. In essence, we are protecting our Group Members’ rights as well as our own.
With the plethora of information on the internet today, this will remain an issue. All business owners must be diligent in fighting this cyber theft. We spend too much time and effort building our companies to allow anyone to steal our most important asset – our intellectual property!
Our Website Was Copied and What I Did About It – Part 2 of 3
(Part 1 shared how I discovered our website was copied.)
The first thing I did was call our business coach, J.Sewell Perkins. She is a great mentor and advisor and exactly what I needed. It is important to handle this type of issue – and any issue for that matter – properly and professionally.
We decided that it’s possible this person didn’t know that it was illegal to copy others’ information (I’m surprised to learn that many think if it’s on the internet, it’s fair game!). We wanted to give this new business owner the benefit of the doubt, so we chose to contact her.
When looking at WhoIs.com, the only name available was the technical advisor. Therefore, I sent a letter to him via email and registered letter stating our findings and requesting that the site be taken down in accordance with the Digital Millennium Copyright Act of 1998. We requested that he sign and return the agreement by a specific date. He emailed and stated that he was creating this site as a favor for a friend who is starting a home inventory business. He admitted that it was a shoe-string operation, that they liked our site design and decided to use it as a basis to start from. He continued to state that they did not respect our privacy, and hoped that it wasn’t compromised. He also promised to return the signed agreement promptly.
I don’t know about you, but if I got a letter of this type, I would take it seriously! We didn’t hear from him by the deadline, so additional research was my next step. I was able to locate the owner of the company through a search on the internet that took me to a LinkedIn page. A second letter was sent out with a request for immediate response, letting the owner know I had not heard from the web developer.
Rather than hire an attorney, we chose to handle it this way because, based on the words the web developer used (shoe-string), we had to assume that funds were at a minimum. And, as with others who have experienced copyright infringement, all we wanted was to have the site taken down and that they create – and pay for – their own material. It is not just the copied work that is at issue here. The time and money spent on creating the website, writing the content, etc., runs into the tens of thousands of dollars. This is theft, plain and simple.
At the same time, I also notified the hosting company that this site was infringing on our copyright. I was required to provide proof of our date of copyright and also send screen shots of both websites, validating my claim.
By this point, this was taking up a huge amount of my time, which would be much better spent working on our business! I see why others pay a company to handle these issues! (We now have all of our websites protected and monitored by DMCA.)
We finally received the signed agreement, stating they would cease and desist using our website code and content. They also promised to take their site down immediately. But did they?
Our Website Was Copied and What I Did About It – Part 1
I use Google Alerts, as many professionals and small business owners do, to find information based on various key words of their industry. One of the many benefits I’ve realized is that it allows me to find articles and blog posts I’ve written that are posted by others. I sometimes write and thank them for sharing, as it is definitely a form of flattery when someone re-posts your writing – and shares it properly (linking and giving credit).
Using Google Alerts also helps me easily stay up to date on the home inventory industry. I can scan the information quickly to find useful information about the various needs for a home or business inventory.
I was recently reading my daily Alert when I noticed that a new home inventory company had been established. It is always interesting to me to review these new sites, see where they’re located, and how they’re providing their service, etc.
Was I surprised when I clicked on this specific link and was looking at “our” website, but under their domain name! The only thing that was different was the name of the company! I was shocked. Then I was angry! They had copied our site! And not just the content, they had also copied the code, photos, color scheme – everything. It was an exact copy! Copyright infringement at its “finest”.
Once all the emotions subsided, I showed Mike, husband and business partner, what I had discovered. It was interesting watching him mentally download what he was seeing, and going through all the emotional stages I had just completed.
Once I got a grip on the reality of the situation, we had a huge decision to make: what to do about it!
How Do You Make Your Customers Feel?
There seems to be a lot of stress and tension exhibited frequently in the workplace – on the phone as well as in person. It’s not just me – a lot of people are talking about less-than-friendly attitudes from a variety of people in a wide range of industries.
Are people so wrapped up in their own issues that they have forgotten to care and show courtesy to others? Or are the employees just mirroring the company culture?
I recently had a very unpleasant phone conversation regarding a personal matter with a large company. Well, actually, it wasn’t the company I spoke to, but a person who was in the customer service department. Customer and Service didn’t belong in the same sentence with this company! I was constantly interrupted and told I was plain-and-simple-wrong. Wow! Can you imagine how I felt when the call was over? Not that I expected to change their company policy (though someone should), all I wanted was to be heard and shown a little consideration. I felt horrible immediately after the call, and it stayed with me for hours, like a dark cloud over my head.
I recently visited Biechele Royce Advisors, in Fishers, Indiana, and well….SUNSHINE, baby! No dark clouds in this office! As I entered, I was warmly welcomed by Cathy with a smile and very pleasant, “How can I help you?” She quickly notified Alice Howe that I had arrived to discuss our home inventory service and how we can serve their clients. Alice immediately entered the reception area with a warm handshake and a smile. Compared to my previous telephone incident, I thought I had died and gone to heaven! On to the conference room where Justin Whelan and Brian Hoskins offered such a comfortable atmosphere that I felt we’d been friends for years.
What a difference! How do you make your customers and visitors feel? Will they never want to call or shop with you again, or will they want to actually become a customer or client? Each of these two companies had a choice. Biechele Royce Advisors made the right one!
When Imitation is Not a Form of Flattery
We all know the old saying that imitation is a form of flattery. Well, I beg to differ with that – at least when it comes to plagiarism!
I frequently find a blog or article that I’ve written copied word-for-word as someone else’s work. Some even have the nerve to post their name as the author! Finding who to contact is usually impossible.
If I’m credited for the article, that’s absolutely fine. And, of course, I am very flattered that others find my writings worth sharing with their readers.
However, recently I discovered something that goes way beyond a blog post or an article. I found a website – yes, an entire website – that was copied word-for-word from ours! It even included the credit of our webmaster that many companies include at the bottom of the web pages. Frustration and anger turned to laughter when I realized all links were live, leading people directly to OUR site! It was obvious someone copied the code as well as the content.
Funny or not, this type of imitation is not flattery. It is called plagiarism, copyright infringement and downright theft. I can tell you what it cost us to have this website developed, edited, updated, SEO’d (if there is such a word), etc. It was a LOT of money. And when someone decides to just take that away, it is no different than a burglary – someone stealing a computer, furniture or money from our office. It’s theft. Plain and simple. Not flattery at all!
Although, it does show that we have a deluxe website – one that others wish they had. When you take the good with the bad, this is one good take-away. We are the most imitated home inventory business! And we are proud of that.
Back to the copyright infringement – we got it all ironed out. But that is a story for another day….
Dealing With Disaster – Keeping Your Business Afloat
Catastrophes happen on a daily basis, and all companies must have a plan in place to stay in business. You might be a new company, with just a few months under your belt, and having invested your life savings to pursue your entrepreneurial dream. Or possibly you are a well-established, extremely successful business owner. Either of these scenarios – and all those in between – could be at risk of survival if your business is destroyed. Often the destruction happens in seconds. A fire, earthquake, tornado or other disaster can and does happen.
Are you prepared? A business continuity plan is essential. The Houston Area Research Center cites these statistics in support of the investment of time and money into creating a plan:
- 35–40% of businesses without a continuity plan never reopen when disrupted by a disaster.
- Every dollar spent on disaster preparedness saves $7 in recovering disaster related economic losses.
Your ability to reopen quickly is imperative. The sooner you are back in business, the less you’ll suffer from lost revenues. Customers will be retained because they are aware you’re down time will be minimal. And, extremely important, is how this will impact your employees. As a business owner, you’ll want to get them all back to work so they don’t experience a financial hardship for their families.
When creating your business continuity plan, there are many questions to ask and then answer. Here are my top 10:
- What disasters could we face (natural and man-made)?
- What operations are critical to open quickly?
- Do we have a data backup in place to be able to access our records from any location?
- Who are our key resources (utilities, insurance agent, CPA, etc.)?
- Who are our key suppliers and do they have a business continuity plan?
- Do we have a relationship established to ensure we will be one of the first served if we experience a wide-spread disaster (tornado or flood vs. one-building fire)?
- Where can we set up a temporary location, and who will direct the process?
- What supplies, inventory and equipment will be needed immediately?
- Is our employee call chain up to date, and does each employee know what their role is in our disaster plan?
- Do we have an inventory of all of our assets so we can complete an insurance claim quickly and thoroughly, and maximize the claim for proper financial recovery?
Though this is just the tip of the iceberg in business continuity planning, it is a good start to begin the necessary steps for preparedness. Without a plan, the odds are far greater that you will not re-open if you’re forced to close.
The Icing On The Cake
October is National Bake and Decorate Month. So, on this blog about home and business inventories, I’m guessing you are wondering what an inventory has to do with baking. Well, a lot, actually.
If you’re a serious baker, you most likely have high-cost baking utensils, cake pans, baking sheets, etc. In fact, we’ve inventoried homes that had more money invested in kitchen items than in their living or family room! If you had a fire or other disaster, would you be able to prove the value of these high-end items? Or would you have to settle on replacing your top-of-the-line counter top mixer for which you paid over $2000 with one that costs only around $500? How dissapointing would that be? The same for blenders, choppers, food processors … the total cost really adds up!
Even cookie sheets vary in price. You can purchase a set of five for $15.00 or spend $20.00 for just one! When listing all your items one-by-one, it would be difficult to know how many you have. So how do you prove to the insurance company that you actually did have what you are now asking them to replace?
On the entrepreneurial side, if you’re a professional baker, whether home-based or commercial, knowing all that is in the kitchen and pantry is an extremely difficult task. This is especially true when under the stress and turmoil of having just seen your entire hobby or profession go up in smoke (or lost or damaged from some other disaster).
Having a personal property inventory will prove what you own, how much you own, who the manufacturer is of the appliances. And the serial numbers and model numbers will help establish their value. Let’s just say that an inventory is the icing on the cake to your insurance policy!
To all bakers and decorators out there – Happy National Bake and Decorate Month!
Asset Values Just Inched Up Slowly
“Joe” is a business owner. Even when he was a young boy, he just knew he’d own a business some day. He started out small, and built it slowly but steadily. After years of hard work, it was three times the size of his start-up. Exciting times! Each year, during his annual review, his insurance agent asked him if he had enough coverage for his equipment, office furnishings, etc. And each year, he said yes.
A fire ignited one evening which resulted in a major loss. While walking through what was left of the building, he began listing items he could remember. It was easy with the big equipment, but not so easy with the smaller stuff. There were so many items he couldn’t even recognize. However, that really didn’t matter in the end. You see, he was not properly insured as he assumed, and before he was even 1/2 way done listing the big stuff, he had already maxed out his insurance policy coverage. When in the busy world of business ownership, days fly by and you just don’t realize how much you accumulate. Office equipment, production equipment, furniture, electronics, appliances and even decorative items. They all add up. And when purchasing these personal property items one or just a few at a time, you just don’t realize how much you own. You’re unaware of the investment you’ve made to furnish your growing business.
It’s important to know the value of your business assets so you can be properly insured – an inventory created and then kept current will provide this information.
Joe is still in business, but his business is back to the size it was when he started decades ago. The proper insurance, backed up with a thorough inventory, would have provided a much happier ending.
Disaster Preparedness – 3 Key Steps to Prepare Your Business
Preparing for a catastrophic disaster (fire, tornado, etc.) is essential for every business owner. Taking care of customers, fulfilling orders, meeting with potential customers and all the other daily activities required of a small-to-medium sized business owner, make it difficult to find the time to create a disaster plan. Awareness for the need of a plan to deal with business interruption is high. Execution of this awareness falls short.
Disaster preparedness, or a business continuity plan, increases a business’ security and stability. This plan also provides an intangible – but very real – benefit. It also provides peace of mind for the entrepreneur as well as the employees.
The Department of Homeland Security’s website offers a significant amount of information to assist business owners in creating a continuity/disaster recovery plan. Three key steps towards disaster recovery are:
Protect your investment
- Review your insurance coverage annually with your insurance agent
- Inform your insurance agent of any major changes during the year
- Create an inventory of all business assets
- Back up all records with an encrypted, on-line backup service
Plan to stay in business
- Create a written emergency procedures checklist
- Compile an emergency contact list
- Determine a potential alternative business location
- Secure backup suppliers
Talk to your employees
- Get your employees’ involvement and buy-in to the process.
- Advise your staff of emergency supplies that your business can provide
- Develop, communicate and practice an evacuation plan
These are just the beginning, but a very important start. Proper planning now will help ensure recovery from a disaster of any kind, from a computer crash to total destruction from a fire or natural disaster. This proactive measure will help ensure that your business can recover and reopen quickly. But there is more to this than just reopening – you are honoring your commitment to your employees, customers and the local economy.
85,000 Delinquent Personal Property Tax Payers
That 85,000 number sounded like a lot to me, and I thought, “Wow! The State of Missouri needs to get this under control!” Then, as I read this article on STLToday.com, I discover that there are 85,000 delinquent tax payers in St. Louis County alone!
One company, featured in the article, hasn’t paid personal property taxes in 3 years – to the tune of $1.5 million! It is common for businesses to no pay their taxes? St. Louis County tax collectors claim that they collect over 90% of all taxes due on personal property. Last year, that totaled almost $219 million.
It is reported that there was a mix-up within the company. They didn’t realize they hadn’t paid, and the county couldn’t determine where to go to collect the overdue taxes.
Some blame is being placed on Missouri laws that allow companies to self-report their personal property inventory (Indiana has the same process). Some companies provide a detailed list of their assets, while others just report the total without any backup paperwork. This means that the government must take the companies’ word regarding the worth of their assets.
The state is now investigating whether they will seek some legislative changes regarding how personal property taxes are filed, most likely requiring information to support the amount reported on their return.
Entrepreneurs and small business owners are very busy, so how will they get a thoroughly documented personal property inventory to support their tax return?
Hmmm…
Start your own inventory business!
Click the logo to find out more about our Turnkey Business Package!