THE THE THE ECHOECHOECHO The Official Newsletter of the

Better Business Bureau of Saskatchewan, Inc.

NOV

DEC

17

Welcome, New Businesses

3 Way Electrical Services

Affordable Mattress and Furniture Inc.

Epic Alliance Electrical Inc.

Ottawa Real Estate Co. Ltd.

Constable Automotive Ltd.

Fastglass Ltd.

Painting Co. West Ltd.

Certified Plumbing & Heating Ltd.

Moose Jaw

Regina

Saskatoon

Regina

Regina

Regina

Saskatoon

Moose Jaw

Calendar of Events

Board of Directors

Chair - Don Ramage, Focal Point Coaching

Vice Chair - Allan Millham, Direct West Publisher Ltd.

Past Chair - Bim Pandya, Conexus Arts Centre

Treasurer - Jim Deane, Access Communications

Secretary - Tracy Duff, Skye Planning Group Inc.

Chris McCannell, McCannell Financial Group Ltd.

Arlene Roblin, JonesE Property Maintenance

Jayci Parent, Emerald Park Homes

Nicole Westerlund, Direct West Publisher Ltd.

Nicole Gagne, Melfort & District Chamber of Commerce

Your BBB Team

Office Staff

Karen Smith, Chief Executive Officer

Michelle P., Operations Manager

Jody H., Dispute Consultant & Investigations

Kristin B., Marketing & Communications

Sharon M., Administrative Assistant

Gwen B., Administrative Assistant

Accreditation Consultants

Ron Jacobs (Northern Region)

306-384-1001 / 888-229-0569 / bbbsask@shaw.ca

Doug Birkmaier (Northern Region)

306-249-1722 / d.birkmaier@sasktel.net

Dave Scheirer (Southern Region)

306-961-1023 / dave@davescheirer.com

Bob Hunko (Southern Region)

306-529-3507 / bhunko@sasktel.net

Tom Wendel (Southern Region)

306-684-0984 / tomwendel.bbb@sasktel.net

November_____________________________

8 - Power Lunch, Regina (Speaker: Karen Smith, CEO BBB of SK)

11 - Remembrance Day

13 - BBB Office Closed

14 - FUEL Small Business Information Expo, Saskatoon

14 - Network Lunch, Saskatoon (Speaker: Karen Smith, BBB CEO)

19 - Public Awareness Workshop, Sedley

23 - Business Awareness Workshop, Yorkton (Painted Hand Casino, Noon)

23 - Public Awareness Workshop, Yorkton (Yorkton Public Library, 4:00-6:00 pm)

24 - Black Friday

25 - Small Business Saturday (Shop Local)

27 - Cyber Monday

28 - Giving Tuesday

30 - Public Awareness Workshop, Melfort (Seniors Centre, 11:00 am)

30 - Business Awareness Workshop, Melfort (Canalta Hotel, 6:30 pm)

December______________________________

13 - Power Lunch Regina (Speaker: FCAA, Direct Sellers)

25 - Christmas Day

26 - Boxing Day

January 2018___________________________

1 - New Year’s Day

2 - Regular office hours resume

2017 State of Cybersecurity in North America

BBB Press Release

Giving Back: How Does Your Business Make the

World a Better Place?

BBB REPORT SHOWS HALF OF ALL SMALL BUSINESSES

COULDN’T STAY PROFITABLE MORE THAN A MONTH IF THEY

LOST CRITICAL DATA

Small business owners know they are at risk for cyberattacks, but they are

somewhat at a loss as to what to do. That’s one of the findings of a new report

from the Better Business Bureau, The State of Small Business Cybersecurity in

North America, released today as part of National Cybersecurity Awareness

Month. One of the more troubling findings is that half of small businesses reported they could remain profitable for only one month if they lost essential data.

“Profitability is the ultimate test of risk,” said Bill Fanelli, CISSP, chief security

officer for the Council of Better Business Bureaus and one of the authors of the

report. “It’s alarming to think that half of small businesses could be at that much risk just a short time after a cybersecurity incident.”

“Small business owners get it,” Fanelli continued. “When we asked them about

the most common cybersecurity threats – ransomware, phishing, malware – they

know what’s out there, and most of them have basic protections in place. For

instance, 81% use antivirus software and 76% have firewalls. But one of the most

cost-effective prevention tools, employee education, is used by fewer than half of

the companies we surveyed. Other prevention measures scored even lower.”

BBB surveyed approximately 1,100 businesses in North America (71.4% of the

sample came from the United States, 28.5% from Canada and 0.1% from

Mexico). Two-thirds of the participants were BBB Accredited Businesses, and they

apparently fared marginally better in most measures, such as awareness of specific threats and adoption of cybersecurity measures. The data was collected in

an online survey with a margin of error of approximately +/- 3% for a 95%

confidence interval.

The report focuses on cybersecurity effectiveness from three perspectives: a)

cybersecurity standards/frameworks; b) best practices; and c) cost-benefit analysis. One of the key findings is that the NIST Cybersecurity Framework,

technically a voluntary standard from the National Institute for Standards and

Technology, is becoming mandatory in some markets. Not only are many

companies requiring it of their vendors for procurement, but many businesses are

adopting it because it helps them run a better business. The NIST framework is

the basis for BBB’s training program, “5 Steps to Better Business Cybersecurity” (BBB.org/cybersecurity).

The State of Small Business Cybersecurity emphasizes the need not only for

education and training, but for cost-benefit analysis of cybersecurity measures.

The report suggests a formula created by two professors at the University of Maryland, Martin P. Loeb, PhD and Lawrence A. Gordon, PhD, to help small

business owners estimate their risk from cybersecurity attacks and calculate an

appropriate investment in prevention.

“It doesn’t do any good for a small business to adopt a $10,000 solution if the

potential risk reduction is only worth $5,000,” said Fanelli. “We hope this report

will give small business owners greater awareness of the real and the perceived

risks of cyberattacks, as well as best practices for protecting against these types

of security threats. We hope it serves as a step forward in advancing

cybersecurity in the marketplace.”

With the holidays right around the corner, we as human beings naturally tend to

become more kind-hearted during this special time of year. Smiles shine brighter

and hugs last longer as people begin to worry a little less and give a little more. This tangible transformation is something we all look forward to each year

because of the joy and peace it brings into our lives.

But what about your business?

What things outside of your daily work does your company do to bring joy and peace to people? Are you a company that gives back? Do your customers take

pride in doing business with you because of the difference you're helping make in

their community?

Though it's not over yet, 2017 has given us countless reminders that there are

people all around us who need our help. As an Accredited Business, you have both the opportunity and the responsibility to make the world a better place by giving

back.

How BBB Can Help Your Business Give Back

While donating money is one way to give back, too many businesses fall into the trap of thinking that it's the only way. Like we see in the examples above, there

are plenty of other ways to help those around you. Allowing your employees to

volunteer their time, donating non-monetary resources, using your company's

assets to fulfill a need, or holding events and giveaways are all successful forms

of giving back.

To help you know where to start, BBB resources are available to help you know if

a charity is as ethically minded as your business is. Visit BBB's Wise Giving

Alliance to read reports on international charities, and find tips for avoiding

scammers posing as good will ambassadors. Check with Canada Revenue Agency

to make sure the good cause is actually registered as a charity.

An Investment With Endless Benefits

The benefits that come from being a business that gives back are truly endless. In

addition to winning the trust of your customers and boosting your

employees' morale by giving them chances to serve, you'll be bringing peace and

joy into people's lives as you help make your community and the world a brighter

place.

Each time you choose to give back, your business becomes more than just a

business. It stands as a symbol of hope to people who are living in a world that

desperately needs more heroes—heroes just like you.

N O V E M B E R 2 8 Canada entered World War II in September 1939 and the US in December 1941.

With the advent of war, the two nations’ Better Business Bureaus shifted their

emphasis - protecting the public from ‘scare’ advertising and selling practices,

war-related frauds and schemes, and a host of pseudo-patriotic charity appeals.

The advent of war brought some unique elements - rationing of consumer goods,

war bond sales, price controls - but scams and misleading practices remained a

problem in the consumer marketplace.

During the war, Canadians were deluged with offers ranging from the far-fetched

to truly outlandish. Some were seemingly innocuous such as “official blackout

mail” or the specially treated sand to be used for extinguishing bombs (essentially

fire sand relabeled).

After peace was announced, Better Business Bureau began their widely heralded

War Savings Protection Program aimed at keeping the money earned by

servicemen and war industry workers out of the hands of waiting shysters. BBB

warnings of “Before You Invest, Investigate” reminded holders of war bonds that

they possess an excellent investment that should be converted with care.

Today’s military/RCMP personnel are no less likely to fall victim to scammers. The

steady paycheques and relative youth of active-duty military personnel may make

them particularly vulnerable.

The top three riskiest scams for military personnel and their families today are:

Fake Cheque scam

Home Improvement scams

Travel/Vacation scams

Hol iday Giveaway

With the winter ho l iday season now upon us, BBB would l ike to thank al l o f our

Accred i ted Bus inesses for the i r support

and ded icat ion to eth ical bus iness

leadership in our province.

Saskatchewan has over 1,200 Accred i ted

Bus inesses, a l l be ing wonderfu l examples

o f bus inesses that conduct the i r

operat ions and customer re lat ions wi th

integr i ty and transparency.

You have worked hard and deserve a

treat! BBB wi l l be raf f l ing o f f The Road

to Character by New York T imes co lumnist David Brooks .

Just emai l communicat ions@sask.bbb.org, wi th

BBBHol idayDraw2017 in the subject header and your

bus iness name and contact in format ion in the emai l body to

be submitted! Winner wi l l be contacted on Dec. 21!

Power Lunch Regina Upcoming Speakers

Where? Classic Buffet Company, 100 Albert Street North

Time? 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Registration is Required! bbb.org/saskatchewan/events

bbb.org is Changing

You may have noticed changes occurring slowly to the bbb.org/sask website.

Though at times frustrating, the improvements will enhance the user experience.

Most functional and visual changes are expected to go live November 14.

BBB is committed to improving user experience through continuous testing and

iterative updates, meaning things will continue to get better though a wide variety

of improvements. While making these changes, BBB is keeping our ABs in mind

and making decisions to support our valued Accredited Businesses.

Improved UX for New Site

More modern design

Responsive design (optimized experience across all devices)

Improved functionality & workflows for key user journeys

Better aligns with consumer expectations

Improves BBB brand perception

Users more likely to return to bbb.org if they have an overwhelmingly positive experience, which will contribute to increased traffic for BBB

More Traffic from Redesign (including “top of sales funnel” traffic)

Benefit for ABs

User testing has revealed that users are significantly more likely to choose an Accredited Business over a non-Accredited Business in unified search results for a particular business category.

Data & Forecasting BBB believes that it could exceed 90 million average monthly users in the next 5 - 7 years (note: across all North American BBBs, not just Saskatchewan).

More Value for ABs (improve public understanding of what it means to be an Accredited Business)

By migrating to unified search, we increase the value for Accredited Businesses, because search result listings with the AB seal will stand out compared to non-ABs.

During validation testing, 87% of consumers selected an AB when compared to a non-AB that provided the same service.

By contrasting ABs and non-AB’s, the value of accreditation is established by comparison alone.

Additionally, by combining the AB directory with the main search, the number of search result impressions and Business Profile page views will increase by over 50%.

Analytics have already begun to show increased public usage for all local BBB sites, as page loading times have decreased, advertising uses geolocation to target relevant consumers, and overall appearance improvements have been rolled out.

BBB War-Time Scams Then & Now

BBB of Saskatchewan is pleased to announce a new advertising program exclusive

for its Accredited Businesses.

CTV (BBB Accredited since 1997) has partnered with BBB of Saskatchewan to

provide 5 second “Billboard’ advertisements at a discounted rate, while also

supporting ongoing BBB programs and educational outreach. The advertising

packages were designed to provide the maximum amount of value while keeping

costs as low as possible.

The first ‘flight’ of advertisers can be seen on CTV Regina and CTV Saskatoon

starting the week of November 6th.

Thank you to all of the inaugural business advertisers. Watch CTV news

throughout the day to see how your business could be featured, and be seen by

thousands of potential customers.

Didn’t get a chance to participate this round? The second flight will be announced

at the end of 2017 - watch for the announcement from Streampage®.

This advertising program has limited availability, allowing your business maximum

visibility based on your chosen advertising tier.

Want more information? Email Kristin at communications@sask.bbb.org to

receive the advertising details and rate sheets.

Advertise on the News with CTV