Entrepreneurs are awesome. You could say with a great deal of confidence that entrepreneurs are some of the most passionate and driven individuals in today's business world. And rightly so. There is a ton of opportunity still out there and many small businesses need to be started to create the economic competition of the American dream.

But how do these great entrepreneurs keep their businesses safe – from the very beginning?

It's a great question, because not every small business is set up from the get-go to make sure its business model will be protected from unscrupulous acts – both from inside and outside of the organization.

Not every business needs a physical fence built around it to keep the bad stuff out. However, what types of "virtual fences" need to be built? For example, what kinds of safeguards should be put in place around employees, partners, processes and every other aspect of business?

If you've previously thought about these questions or if you'd like to make sure you've already covered your bases, take a look at the four topics we've listed below. The goal is to help make sure every small business gets a "virtual fence" built, so they can focus on growing sales and profits.

When you team up with RS&I to become a Vivint.SmartHome Authorized Retailer, you get much more than just a business opportunity that you have you build all by yourself. You'll get to work with our phenomenal sales team, receive excellent training to get you on your feet and you'll have a host of pre-approved marketing materials that are ready to use to promote your new business.

That's right. In addition to everything else, you'll have pre-approved marketing materials that you can start using on day one and you don't have to invest the time and energy to develop them yourself. As a master sales agent, RS&I works directly with Vivint to get several pieces of marketing material approved and you get to benefit from our work.

Let's quickly explore the top Vivint marketing materials available.

RS&I is here to make sure you've got everything you need to be successful as an authorized retailer with any of our various programs. This blog series of "What to Expect as You Begin Your Authorized Retailer Journey" is designed to get you the information you need to get started quickly.

If you didn't get a chance to read the first part of this series, you should take a little time to review the helpful instructions and content found in that article. It'll get you going on creating a solid business plan in no time!

This second part of the series focuses on reviewing the business plan you've established and outlining what you need to do next. You'll see the need to begin developing a marketing plan, finishing up any required paperwork and acquiring some of the basics you'll need to begin working.

Let's review your next action items!

Have you been considering a new business opportunity with RS&I, but you're not sure how to begin? By now you've probably seen that we offer a wide variety of authorized retailer options to boost your profitability. You can get set up to sell and/or install DISH, HughesNet, Vivint.SmartHome, CenturyLink, RingCentral and consumer electronics.

And we make the "getting started" process as streamlined as possible.

With nine offices and warehouses in the western U.S., we bring our sales and distribution team to a location as close to you as possible. You won't find a similar or better option within our territory. From the very beginning, our team focuses on helping you get ready to sell and/or install a variety of popular products in today's industry.

Let us explain what you can expect as you get the ball rolling on your next journey.

When you get set up as a DISH Authorized Retailer through RS&I, you'll be granted access to DISH's online marketing tool – called BrandDRIVE. It came out in the middle of 2015 and is now in full swing to provide funding and marketing assistance to every authorized retailer.

Its simple, straightforward interface makes using the site effortless, meaning you can spend less time in front of your computer and more time in front of your customers. Who wouldn't want that for their business?

Essentially every marketing tactic you need to be Co-opable is available through BrandDRIVE. This means as you build your business, you earn Co-op funds to assist you with paying for your marketing campaigns with a one-stop-shop ordering system.

It's up to you how you use it, but as you can see below you'll be amazed with everything BrandDRIVE offers.