If you received some kind of confirmation e-mail about the Enlighten Writing newsletter in July 2025, I permanently deleted your e-mail address from my subscription provider. So you will not receive any unwanted e-mails from me. I’m sorry it happened to you. I would never sign up someone at my site without their consent or keep them as a sign-up if they told me to delete their information.

Site Update

I plan to change the look of this site in the next few months. I am in a career transition. I’m moving away from writing content for businesses, which is what I’ve done for more than 20 years.

There are many reasons for this:

–My mother passed away in January. The after-effects of this loss are taking up a lot of time and energy. If any of you have lost a loved one, I’m sure you understand.

–My most recent client company parted ways with the majority of my contacts at the organization. I’ve been through multiple “regime changes” before, and most of them weren’t positive or fruitful experiences, so I’m considering this to be a closed door.

–I am tired of the constant dunning drumbeat of AI and its effect on the writing profession and creative professions in general.

I’m considering advisory, consultative, or mentoring roles. I don’t know what that looks like yet. Several things need to happen with my mother’s affairs before I can truly focus on my own next steps.

More updates will occur at my personal site, Mahesh Raj Mohan. I’ll see you over there. Thanks for reading, and apologies if this update seemed terse. Just a lot going on!

The post Newsletter Sign-Ups and Update appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

I’ve been a freelance content marketer and copywriter for 10 years, but I don’t consider my content marketing business to be part of “the gig economy.” For example, Enlighten Writing has its own LLC, business licenses, and separate financial accounts. I even employ subcontractors when the situation arises. So I consider myself a business owner.

Multiple stories about gig economy “freelance side hustles” leave out the experiences of business owners like myself, and how we approach our work. I and others have noticed many narratives romanticize freelancing.

Don’t get me wrong: there are certainly freelance or 1099 roles that are gig-oriented, but I think it’s a mistake to think that all copywriters or editors consider their work to be “gig work.” 

Gig work implies temporary work, or work performed on a one-off basis. Many of my colleagues have long-standing agreements or even contracts with their clients. I work with clients over long periods of time.

In my experience, people who want to remain self-employed (and aren’t doing it until they land a corporate job) treat it like a business. We encounter ups and downs like any other business owner. 

I’m writing a few articles about my first decade in business, starting with a story of my first project as a self-employed business owner and freelance writer. 

My First Content Marketing Project

There are many reasons I decided to quit my job 10 years ago. I wanted greater control over my income, workload, and non-work schedule. I knew that I needed to have an entrepreneurial mindset. The term “gig” was starting to get thrown around, but I didn’t feel that the term was accurate for what I wanted to do.

I had a sincere desire to help, but I was also scared … the U.S. was technically out of the worst economic recession since the 1930s, but it didn’t feel like (it didn’t feel like it for many years).

Like many business owners, the fear of failure was my motivation. I think many people expected me to fail, honestly, except for my wife, mother, sister, and father.

Two days after I officially became a self-employed business owner (e.g. two days after I had quit my job), I gained my first client for the agreed-upon princely sum of $300. The amount was contingent upon the completion of the project. I can see several things wrong with this scenario, but I’ll get to that in a bit.

At the time, gaining a first client felt wonderful. I felt confident I’d chosen the right path because I’d managed to successfully sell my services. I had a website, business cards, and the place where I met my prospect was at a networking group.

The Good:

I wrote what I knew. The project was a business plan, which was my core skill at the time. A learning curve is okay for any job, but knowing my first freelance project was something I had done thousands of times was reassuring.

I interviewed my clients. My efficient note-taking skills helped me when I interviewed the owners of the start-up. I understood their product-market fit, their competition, and their go-to-market strategy.

 I under-promised and over-delivered; this is what really sealed the deal for my clients. I gave a longer amount of time than I knew I needed, and I gave them a draft that was polished and complete.

The Less-Than-Good:

I didn’t charge anything upfront. Sometimes I still fall prey to this tactic, but the longer I do this, the more I need money upfront to at least get the work started.

Inflexibility. I wrote a business plan based on what I knew. The client needed something with more flair and possibly more graphics. The revision period lasted twice as long as it should have because of this.

The project wasn’t a portfolio piece. A generic business plan can be a portfolio piece, but it doesn’t easily display the reason people want business plans: signs of successful funding. It’s difficult to make 30–50 pages of text look dazzling.

First Project Takeaway

The first project’s success led my clients to hire me for more work later (and for a higher sum). I gained confidence, recommendations, and I knew I could make freelancing work … because I treated it like a business.

In part two, I’ll talk about what happens when a new business has difficulty finding clients, and some potential solutions.

Feel free to get in touch to learn more about my content marketing services!

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The post Content Marketing and the Gig Economy appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

Companies develop a lot of content, and creative services teams want to make the content readable, accurate, and engaging.  There’s just one problem: it’s really difficult! Many customers are not shy when they give feedback–especially if a manual, web page, or video is confusing and inaccurate. Creative services departments have a choice: develop the content in-house or seek a freelancer. Fortunately for me (and my colleagues), businesses trust freelance copywriters and content strategists to create accurate and readable content.

The Project

I’ve been a freelance consultant for businesses of all sizes, but my most recent project was a bellwether for how I balance accuracy and readability.

I recently helped rewrite Blount International’s Oregon Products e-commerce website content. Fortunately, I’ve worked with Oregon’s creative team for several years. The website rewrite was led by detail-oriented global brand manager superheroes Laurie Barton and Jason Williamson, and ably supported by collaborative rock stars like Matile Weddel and Pam Dowell.

The Challenge

Oregon makes several different types of chainsaw chain.  Each chain has several chain “types” and each chain has different applications, depending on the type of woodcutting you need to do. The goal was to help guide the buyer’s journey through heading, category, and product pages. I had to keep SEO and UX practices in mind, as well.

The first set of pages I worked on is for one of their core customer groups:  professional woodcutters who use Oregon PowerCut chainsaw chain and chainsaw bars.

Tossing in a few bullets about how well chain cuts would wouldn’t, uh, cut it.  Going into exhaustive detail about kickback, gauge, and whether the chain is a “skip” or not also wouldn’t work.

I needed to translate the pitch/gauge/sequence options (accuracy) while still engaging the professional target audience (readability). I paid close attention to character count limitations. Finally, I wanted the page to be as “buyer friendly” as possible.*

The Solution

This is how I did it:

I wasn’t constrained by character counts for all of the pages, and I was encouraged to create content that would highlight benefits and features. Here’s two examples (from Oregon’s 40V consumer outdoor power equipment line):

The Outcome

This project took about two months to complete, with an intense sprint at the end (that’s a topic for another blog post). Jason Williamson told me that, “everyone was complimentary of your work on the website.” Laurie Barton said, “Thanks for all of your help on the copy.  We really appreciate it.”

If you want readable and accurate content, feel free to contact me; initial consultations are always on the house.

“Everyone was complimentary of your work on the website.” –Jason Williamson, Creative Services Manager

“Thanks for all of your help on the copy. We really appreciate it.” –Laurie Barton, Global Director of Marketing

*The website content went through quality assurance reviews by multiple teams. This includes rigorous reviews by product managers who know everything about chain pitch, gauge, sequence, and many other details you or I would never consider.

The post Accurate and Readable Content appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

I sometimes receive inbound inquiries seeking “an excellent writer who is also a painstaking line editor.” The skills seem complementary, right? Pie and ice cream; pickles and mustard; copywriting and copy editing.

Many writers are also editors, but both skills require different types of concentration.

I’ll use a few examples from my work history to illustrate:

Beginnings of a Grammar Cop

I wrote product descriptions and edited long-form copy for my first steady job. The majority of the long-form stuff was written by my boss, and the business model dictated that he had to churn out content. I spent a long time meticulously editing his work, and then I switched gears to write my own pieces. There were always revisions, so I would eventually edit my own writing.

I set a “zero typo” policy for myself. I would read a document that had my writing and my boss’s writing two or three times before sending it to him.

Around this time, I started receiving praise from both bosses at how quickly I turned around my writing. I started writing faster. I also started editing faster. 

I stopped reading my first drafts twice. I thought, “since I’m an editor, no typos will slip through!”

Typos slipped through. 

By the time I quit my job, years later, I was so burned out by the word “revisions” that I couldn’t even say the word out loud.

I had set myself up as some kind of superhuman editor. Every mistake that slipped through felt like a personal failure. 

Revising My Deliverables

I made changes when I founded Enlighten Writing. When I’ve been hired as a copywriter, I give myself as much time as possible to edit before I turn in a draft.

I also began taking on jobs that only required editing. (There are three types of editing that I’m aware of:  developmental editing, copy editing, and line editing. But that’s a topic for a different post.) I met two of my favorite people – Jeff Ambrose Mitchell and Paul O’Brien – because they needed editors for book-length projects. For both projects, I entered an almost dream-like state while I was editing. Both projects needed developmental editing, too, so I made suggestions and even did research.

Most of my current writing projects are for corporate clients who need UX and SEO copy built in. Editing usually enters the picture at some point, but I keep the roles separated when I can.

Tips For Clients Who Need Copy Written and Edited

1.  Anticipate a learning curve.  I take your brand voice seriously. I want to make sure I get it right. I don’t know any writer or content strategist who takes this task lightly. It’s imperative to include an extra round of revisions to help make sure the writer successfully communicates your voice.

2. Line editing a draft takes hours. If I’ve been hired to do copy editing, I also check consistency, idiom use, and grammar. If I’m also expected to line edit, then I do that separately.  And I take a long time to edit it, because your words are important to me.

3. Rates are important.  If you want a “full stack” writer/editor, then have open eyes about what you’re asking for, so you can be better prepared for their per-hour or per-project rate.

4. Implement an internal QA review process.  This is sometimes only feasible for larger corporations. There are times when the first two points above are not feasible for fast-paced product deployments, so having multiple reviews can help launch your content successfully.

5. We’re human. I certainly have machine-like qualities when I am on a deadline, but I’m not a robot (sorry). If you expect perfection on an abbreviated time frame, you are not creating a path for your own success. 

Writing and editing can be complementary, but it’s more like pie for dessert, and a strong cup of coffee the next morning. The indulgence of excellent content, followed by the jolt of happiness of error-free copy.

Contact me if you’d like to know more, or feel free to leave a comment below.

Image via Pixabay

The post Writing and Editing Aren’t Always Complementary appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

2011 was an odd year.  The U.S. was technically out of the recession, but everyone I talked to felt the recovery was fragile. I had started my freelance writing/editing business the year before, and I was still learning how to market myself to generate leads. Hardly anything was automated or one-click back then. Blogging and inbound queries brought in the most leads, but networking was a close second.

Ask any business owner, across any industry, and they will tell you that Portland is a “referral town.”  In-person meetings are highly valued, and it’s a great way to build trust.  I’ve met a lot of cool people, and I’ve hopefully helped a few folks along the way.

In the early days, I was just trying to be more visible. I did a lot of in-person networking because few copywriters or editors went to networking events. I attended lead exchanges at 7 a.m., I went to happy hours, I went to special events, and I had my weekly networking meeting.  It was the shotgun approach.

By late 2011, the shotgun approach had begun to wear me out. That’s when I attended an event that changed how I networked.

A friend of mine – probably the best networker I’ve ever met – mentioned that someone interested in my work would be at one of his regular events. It was a happy hour in Portland’s downtown core. I lived in the west suburbs then, which meant driving 20 minutes just to get to the freeway, then a long drive on the freeway, and finally the joy of driving in downtown Portland at rush hour.

I eventually got there.  The event was loud.  As in, “shouting at people to hear them above the music and conversation” loud. I found the potential prospect, but I’m pretty sure he didn’t hear anything I said. We shook hands, and I never saw him again.

A few minutes later, I saw my networking friend, and I felt relieved to see a friendly face.

We chatted for a few moments before someone sidled up to me saying, something like, “well, well, what’s going on here?”  I don’t know if it was because I seemed relaxed and happy, but the new guy immediately gave off an unfriendly and challenging vibe.  My friend walked off, perhaps thinking this would be a good connection.

I don’t remember New Guy’s name, but I won’t ever forget the self-satisfied look in his eyes.  He asked about my business, but it wasn’t a friendly question, because he kept staring at me in a challenging way, and he was smirking.  I already felt out of place, and it showed.  I also hadn’t quite refined my elevator pitch.  It was broad.  Like, “I write for businesses” broad.

He might have asked if I was successful. The noisiness of the room, my lack of focus, and his smirk all combined to make me look away.  I laughed awkwardly and changed the subject, asking about his business.  I can’t remember what he did, but it involved the legal profession.  He was less of a self-satisfied jerk when he talked about himself, but I was glad when we parted ways. I talked with a few other people who were more pleasant, but overall the night was not successful.

I still attend events, but not as often.  Inbound inquiries make up the bulk of my leads, though referrals and good old fashioned prospecting are still critical to my business.

Here’s some strategies I use for networking; maybe they’ll be useful for you:

1. Event research. Attend events where interesting people gather. They may not become clients, but you might “connect dots,” a concept championed by Rick Turoczy. People you meet may not become clients, but they might help someone you know. And people they know might need your help.
2. Bring a friend. Every event has an “ecosystem” you need to navigate. It’s helpful to have a wing-person.  Plus, you might meet people who can help your friend.
3. Respect your comfort zone. If an event is taking place in a distant part of town at 6 p.m., and you need to take one of the gridlocked highways to get there … you’re not a bad person (or a bad business owner) for not going.
4. Some people have issues. Not every introduction will be pleasant, and some people will be rude.

 Coda:  The group putting on that event completely rebranded itself shortly thereafter, leading me to believe I wasn’t the only one having trouble meeting referrals.

Also published on medium.com.

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The post Networking Events Must Work For You appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

An “undelivered e-mail” message can be frustrating for freelance writers and other self-employed business owners. Learning that the e-mail bounced because your mail server is on a blacklist can be infuriating. This scenario is also called a “mail block,” a Realtime blacklist, or DNS-based Blackhole List.*

I recently went through a fairly protracted situation with undelivered mail due to a mail block. Here’s how I helped resolve the situation:

Step One: I’m on a blacklist? Seriously?!

Let’s say a prospect e-mails you, and you write back to set up a consultation, only to receive an e-mail error message.

I’ll copy one I’ve received with identifying data (like IP addresses) X-ed out:

host [xxxx] said: 554 5.7.1 Service unavailable; Client host [xxx] blocked using [URL] (in reply to RCPT TO command)

So, yeah, I don’t send spam e-mails.  Apparently my hosting service has clients who do.  The “host” listed in the error message above uses spam-blocking software that blocks e-mail from mail servers on ANY blacklists. Blacklisting companies can be small, medium, and large businesses. Being listed on a few blacklists is all it takes to get your e-mail blocked by your recipients’ mail server (which likely uses strict spam-blocking software).

Step Two: Run diagnostic tools

There are free services that allow you to check if your mail server is on a blacklist. My go-to is MX Toolbox. Copy the IP address listed in parentheses next to “client host” in the error message. That’s the IP address that has been flagged. Go to https://mxtoolbox.com/blacklists.aspx and paste in (or type) the IP address into the blacklist checker. You’ll likely see a list of companies that have listed your mail server on a blacklist.

Step Three: E-mail your host

Contact the service that hosts your e-mail server.  In my case, it’s Dreamhost.  (I’ve used them since 2010, and they are always responsive to my requests.)  I filled out a support ticket, and I also wrote to them on Twitter.  Dreamhost has a dedicated “mail block” specialist whose contacts the company that has blacklisted the mail server.  The specialist makes a case that whatever caused the server’s IP address to be listed has been addressed, or that the blacklisting was in error. The specialist provides documentation to prove the case, and the service de-lists the mistakenly-blacklisted IP address.  Your recipients’ mail server will see that your mail server IP address is not on a blacklist, and e-mail should go through without a problem.

Step Four: The Whitelist

A more direct path is to ask your recipient to “whitelist” your e-mail so it always goes through. This can be a challenge if your client is not tech savvy.

Bonus Step:  Greylisting

You might also be “lucky” to get a bounced e-mail because of greylisting. Mail servers can be set up to temporarily “reject” e-mail from unknown servers. The idea is that spammers rarely, if ever, queue and re-send e-mail. If the e-mail address is legitimate, the originating server will re-send the e-mail. After a period of time has elapsed, the e-mail should go through. There’s still a possibility it won’t, so you might need to try alternative means of contact (phone, the post office, smoke signals, etc.)

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Mail blocks and blacklists will persist because legitimate businesses will always be tempted to spam prospects, but more importantly, spam and spear-phishing are lucrative for criminals. The only way to truly combat them is to follow e-mail best practices.

I hope this was helpful; feel free to comment below, or contact me directly.

*I’m also not an IT guy by trade, so please excuse any terminology/nomenclature errors in this blog post; I had to learn a lot of this on the fly!

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Because we’re all human, “explosions of life” occur.  When client work and life take up most of my time, I put side projects on the back-burner, ease up on social media, and ask family to help entertain our pre-schooler. (A major reason I work from home as a freelancer is to spend more time with my wife and kid.) Following through on promises to my clients also means I’ve done less content marketing (blog writing) on my own site. I do not recommend this, by the way, it’s just what happens– even to professional writers.

But, to make up for the lack of content here, I became the leader and organizer for  the Copywriter Conclave of Portland. (CC:PDX). My marketing efforts occurred at the CC:PDX blog, on a blog post about communication strategies on Mathys+Potestio’s site, and even via an unsolicited (and very kind) mention on Carol Tice’s Make a Living Writing blog.

I’ve also added new projects to my Portfolio. Barring any more explosions of life, my intent is to highlight different projects where I solved problems for my clients. And, of course, to always follow-through on every promise I make.

What are your tips to build a solid book of business?

The post One Simple Step To Build a Client List… appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

In most of my complimentary consultations, I’m asked a variation of, “is this the type of writing/marketing/editing your content marketing business does?”  When I started my business, at the end of the recession, the answer was almost always “yes.” These days, it’s more of a qualified “yes.”  I don’t consider myself a generalist, but I’m not so specialized that I only write for a few industries.

I consider myself a versatile writer.

I’ll give you a couple of examples. Two recent clients are involved with the construction industry, and a third is a non-profit founded by a highly successful software developer.  The construction projects were a business proposal for an RFP from the City of Portland and a set of human resources documents, respectively. The non-profit project began as a book that led to ongoing consultative work.

In these instances, I felt I could be an asset while learning about new ideas (I love to learn!) I also had experience with the concepts underlying the projects. I’ve been a homeowner for awhile, so I understand more aspects of construction than I did as a renter. For the non-profit project,  the underlying philosophy of the project was one I felt could make a real difference in the world. (I’m in the process of adding these projects to my portfolio.)

Versatility gives me the freedom to write about concepts that I find intriguing without confining me to a particular niche. Some writers make a great living through specialty work. I respect my colleague and Copywriter Conclave of Portland member Jeff Gunderson, because he has created a reputation as a superior communications professional in the water-energy matrix (full disclosure:  Jeff also hired me to help him write content for his site).  Jeffrey Trull is a key leader of Student Loan Hero, which provides much-needed solutions to students with crushing debt. On the other side, a new writer acquaintance of mine, Terri Wangle, writes customer-focused content for a variety of business owners.

I can also relate as many stories of writers who had lucrative careers in niche industries that failed.

Flame-outs and adjustments

One of the most alarming flame-outs happened to a prolific travel writer who once had a lucrative job writing for travel guides before those publishers either went out of business or stopped publishing original content. I think some of this is a case of “the new normal” – we won’t see rack after rack of magazines anymore – but we’re also recovering slowly from a recession that will reverberate in history books for a long time.  So we’re very much in a period of adjustment, and my way of dealing with it is by staying versatile.

Learning new concepts

Versatility gives me the flexibility to learn about subjects I find fascinating. For example, I attended the cybersecurity-focused SecureWorld Expo last June. It gave me the opportunity to learn about information security and cybersecurity – subjects that have interested me since the Heartbleed security scare (remember that?) I learned that even large enterprises are struggling to respond to security breaches, how to educate their leadership (even their Chief Information Officers) on best practices, and which firms offer the best solutions. I feel that my background in technology and software writing would make me a helpful addition to a company’s content marketing plan.

Looking ahead

I’ve discovered that I enjoy human resources writing, I now have experience with RFPs, and I’m learning more about  information security. My clients, in return, received content marketing that often exceeded their internal goals while they focused on rolling out a completely new suite of services (Bartel Contracting); expanding a healthy book of business (Dominic Scott Agency); and marketing a new translation of the I Ching in China (Divination Foundation).

I believe I am well-situated to help companies and enterprises educate internal executives, communicate effectively with their customers, and increase their own sales.

What about you? Do you prefer your contractors to be specialized or versatile?

Image credit: Mahesh Raj Mohan

The post The Versatile Freelance Writer appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

A business “rebrand” is the most challenging and rewarding inbound query a freelance copywriter can receive. I’ve owned my freelance writing and editing consultancy for five years, and the changes to how businesses market themselves has been nothing short of extraordinary. In the past year, I’ve been approached by three large enterprises to help them update their messaging and assess the effectiveness of their customer-facing marketing materials.

Many larger businesses that never had an in-house writer before (or even used freelance writers) has seen the value of quality content (Moz’s Rand Fishkin calls it 10X content). This is the content that sparks curiosity and is shared multiple times.

The cobwebs from the 2008 financial crisis are shaking loose, and businesses are moving beyond saddling their existing employees with tasks like content creation. And they see the value in the results.

So why the shift?

A big reason, in my opinion, is the sea change in how companies view marketing (and branding) itself.

Former idea: We’ve always done business this way. It’s not broken, so it doesn’t need fixing.

Newer idea: Innovation requires strategic action (e.g. hiring writers and designers to communicate).

Many companies understand the importance of content marketing in all its forms (blog posts, whitepapers, infographics, videos, and quizzes). Sometimes they are just unsure how to find the best content creators, and sometimes they unsure how to measure results.

“Best” is a loaded word, and it’s going to mean different things depending on a company’s needs. Some business owners or marketing managers believe the “best writer” is someone who has worked in their particular service or industry before. Others think someone is the best if s/he learns quickly and works with minimal supervision.

The types of projects also vary. A company at the start of a rebrand may just want a writer to work on website content and some internal-facing pieces. Blog posts, e-mail marketing campaigns, and whitepapers may come later.

This leave writers in a surprisingly strong position. If you’ve been eager to learn about a new industry, then this is the perfect time to make inquiries. (There are multiple posts on the Copywriter Conclave of Portland’s website to help teach you prospecting tactics.)

Even if a company is seeking an all-in-one solution (web design/content/graphic design), writers are vital. You can demonstrate past projects where you worked with a web or graphic designer. You can pitch yourself to the agency handling the design work. Or you can take a pass if that’s too many moving parts. There will always be companies seeking qualified writers to help them rebrand.

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Did you find this article helpful? If you’re a new copywriter, I’m available for coaching. If you’re a business (especially at the start or the middle of a rebrand), please feel free to contact me (my initial consultation is always on the house).

(A version of this article was published at The Copywriter Conclave of Portland.)

The post Rebranding Your Business appeared first on Enlighten Writing.

It all started with Heartbleed.  I’m sure the 2014 security bug is a distant and unpleasant memory for many, but I always keep it in mind. (Heartbleed was a vulnerability in the “Open SSL” library that could allow hackers to steal information that we all thought was supposed to be safely encrypted).  I was working at my private office and reputable sources like the Electronic Frontier Foundation and ArsTechnica noted the “catastrophic” nature of the bug.  I downloaded a couple of Heartbleed checkers, and spent two days – no joke – changing my passwords on vulnerable sites. (Nearly half a million secure web servers were said to be vulnerable!)

I find the subject of data security fascinating. I’ve been doing research on the industry since Heartbleed. This basic research has yielded a five-point rundown of how businesses and enterprises can protect their data, using solutions from the quotidian to the esoteric:

1.  The essentials

Essential preventive measures should include: firewall; anti-virus; anti-spyware; and two back-ups (physical and cloud-based). One of my friends (and Portland-based IT expert Tim Chalmers) says that if you don’t have your data backed up twice, it must not be important to you. I take Tim’s advice and backup my data using multiple methods. Of course, everyone needs strong passwords (and they should change them every few months). I’m still astounded by how many people use 123abc. The Federal Communications Commission recommends that small businesses train their employees in security methods like keeping customer data secure and only sending encrypted e-mails.

2.  Investment in information security pays long-term dividends

Digital Guardian polled numerous security experts on, “The biggest mistakes companies make with data security.” Aside from training employees, a recurrent theme is resource allocation for IT security. For example, Chris Tonkinson of Forge Software notes,”the tension between security and convenience always breaks favoring convenience.” Some ideas in the article include security auditing for all components (not just critical information); prevention and recovery services; and carefully vetting security vendor credentials.

3.  Hybrids are the current normal

One of the leaders in the disaster recovery space is Sungard Availability Services. One of their recent blog posts notes that many companies have a mix of “hard” assets like servers, as well as cloud-based backups.  The blog post notes that having a mix of different backup solutions helps ensure a successful disaster recovery.  However, coordinating hybrid IT assets can be overwhelming for employees tasked with managing them. The blog post compares this with being tasked to create a gourmet meal out of odd ingredients without any direction or instructions.  So having an outside provider to help train or manage hybrid IT assets is probably a good idea.

4. Co-location, co-location, co-location

A few months ago, I spoke to Devon Wilson, the President of Corvallis-based IMS, which provides IT services specifically for credit unions.  One of the IMS services that made a strong impression on me was co-location.  Devon made the highly compelling argument that businesses in areas where disastrous weather events are common have a greater risk of data loss. Securing their data at an offsite facility (like in Corvallis) safeguards their data, giving them peace of mind while they focus on regrouping.

5.  Staying current takes effort

As the Heartbleed bug, the breaches at Premera Blue Cross, Home Depot, and Target, all demonstrate, businesses need to put “data security” at the top of their forecasting.  Identity thieves and hackers are persistent, and they count on business leaders to get overwhelmed by technical terms (“FIPS 140-2,” “GUI,” “VPN”) and choose the cheapest solution.  That’s why many of those polled by Digital Guardian state that most companies will experience a data breach.

Bonus:  I wanted to end on a less dour note.  Read Andrew Plato’s clever and funny take on information security by using Alec Baldwin’s classic (NSFW!) speech in Glengarry Glen Ross. Plato is the President of Anitian, an information security firm based in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon.  Like many others working in information security, he is smart and knowledgeable, but he’s also savvy enough to use accessible metaphors to illustrate complex technical concepts.

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How do you handle information security, data backups, and disaster recovery?

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