KEEPING SECRECT BUSINESS INFORMATION SECRET

Businesses often have information they want or need to remain confidential.  However, sometimes information needs to be shared when entering into a joint venture with another business.  Use of a non-disclosure agreement can protect your information from being shared with non participating parties.

 A non-disclosure agreement is a legal contract between two to several parties that establishes the confidentiality of shared knowledge or materials and restricts third party access.  Business associates use non-disclosure agreements to make sure neither party is allowed to speak about or divulge information covered in the non-disclosure.

A standard non-disclosure includes the sensitive information to be disclosed, terms of the agreement; including time period, exceptions, consequences and waivers that affect the agreement.  The non-disclosure must be signed by all parties.

Non-disclosure agreement templates are widely available on the internet including through the SBA and SCORE.

A MATCH MADE IN TECH HEAVEN

The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) and Google announced a new partnership and unveiled “Tools for Online Success”, a collection of online resources and training designed to help small business owners harness technology to grow their business.  The site features tutorials, video testimonials and tips from knowledgeable business people who have leveraged the web to become more efficient, more cost effective, and more successful.  Each video describes how a small business owner successfully uses the internet to grow its business. 

Its Monday morning, do you know where your customers are…… on line!!

 (http://www.google.com/help/sba)

Recently, I have been working on a project with major congressional scrutiny.  While researching to truly understand the direction the new Administration is taking, I was introduced to The Public Manager.  The mission of the journal is to act as a knowledge transfer and collection of best practices developed at all levels of government and was created in 1972 and originally called the Bureaucrat.  The latest issue covers many of the approaches the Obama Administration is taking in its role as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the executive branch of government.  The two I found most exciting are technology and human asset management (HAM).

President Obama’s technology agenda is changing government in a huge way by implementing collaboration, participation and transparency.  By using technological tools that provide fast, cheap and effective support to the government decisions are made quicker as well as initiate more public outreach.  

The President is also capitalizing on employee motivation by following through with highly transparent performance management.  The last few Administrations have implemented different tools to assess the performance of executive branch programs.  President Clinton enacted the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) and George W. Bush supplemented the program with Program Assessment and Rating Tools (PART). 

The contrast of the programs with the previous Presidents and President Obama is that Clinton and Bush did not follow through to actually meet with cabinet officials, the President’s direct reports, to discuss goals and the results in achieving those goals.  “By pledging publicly to meet regularly with cabinet officers about whether they have met their performance objectives, President Obama has assumed responsibility for implementing public policy.”  Obama’s strategy to improve the executive branch performance is to “lead-from-the-top.”

Performance Management Progress:  Tobias, Robert M., The Public Manager, pg 32. Winter 2009-2010

5 Criteria for Collaboration and Participation

An example of President Obama’s commitment to collaboration and participation is an Executive Order managed through the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB) calling for federal employees “to produce ideas that will yield savings while also improving the way that government operates”.  Using the following criteria as a guide:

1. Does the idea reduce costs in a way that is concrete and quantifiable?
2. Does the idea improve the way that government operates by:

                Improving the quality of output at lower costs; or

                Simplifying processes to reduce administrative burden; or

                Improving the speed of government operations to improve efficiency?

1. Does the idea have a tangible impact on citizens’ lives or environment?
2. Is there a clear and practical plan for implementing the idea?
3. Will it be possible to begin realizing savings immediately?

Even though these criteria have been lined out for the federal government by President Obama they ring true as sound business advice no matter the size of your business.  If you ask yourself these questions, and use the criteria as a guide your business will continue to grow with endless possibilities.