Email can help you or hurt you. Bill Gates of Microsoft learned the hard way in court that what you say in email can come back to haunt you.

Email is a fast and efficient way to communicate within your company and with customers and suppliers. The Internet is useful for many business purposes, from complex research to simple driving directions. The Internet is also full of distractions and has the potential to be used for inappropriate purposes.

As usage proliferates, it's important to establish business policies concerning the appropriate use of email and the Internet.

First step – Establish a policy.

Key elements of an email policy include:

• Email and the Internet access systems are property of the company;

• The systems are primarily for business use;

• Limited personal use is allowed as long as it does not interfere with business operations;

• Employees should not consider their information on the system private;

• Company information should be treated as confidential;

• The systems are not to be used for offensive or disruptive purposes; and

• The systems are monitored.

Second step – Communicate the policy.

Communicate the policy over and over again, both in writing and verbally. As with any important initiative, it's important to prepare the workforce. Communication is critical.

Third step – Enforce the policy.

When you become aware of any inappropriate use, take action and reinforce the policy. Consistent enforcement is key.

In conclusion, email and the Internet are powerful tools to run your business better, faster and cheaper. Take steps to help ensure that these tools are used effectively to enhance communication and improve productivity.

Virtual teams, project management and collaborative efforts can be effectively managed via the Internet. Recently, we participated in a global client engagement, which involved a virtual project team comprised of individuals from five different companies, working collaboratively to achieve the project goal and client satisfaction. The project and team were managed almost entirely over the Internet, using some basic information sharing and reporting frameworks.

Laying the foundation for how the tools will be used is critical to their successful use.


Jean D. Sifleet,
Attorney & CPA

P.S. Do you have a good/bad story to share about how email or use of the Internet has helped or hurt your business? We will summarize the responses in a future eNews so that we can all learn from each other's experiences.