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 boil everything down, you want to be successful as an authorized dealer. It’s pretty simple to understand the objective, but who do you trust to help you reach your goals?

RS&I has over 45 years of sales and distribution experience. Over those 45 years we’ve learned what it takes for us to be successful as a company, and for an authorized dealer to flourish. You’ve got to have an excellent partnership, strong support and the right business tools – and that’s where we come into the picture. Take a look at these four ways RS&I helps an established network of over 2,500 authorized dealers to build success:

Getting your name and brand into today’s market is crucial to the success of your business. Anyone who has ever been interested in growing their business is constantly trying to find ways to effectively promote their products and services. Makes sense, right?

Well, sometimes you may need help.

RS&I has been supporting authorized retailers with their marketing efforts for over 10 years. In fact, we have our own in-house advertising agency called EZ-Marketing.

Yes, we’ve been around a while. As you learn about the history of RS&I, you'll come to find we are a privately owned, national sales and distribution company with a 45-year track record of success, which speaks for itself. Currently, our primary expertise is in the development and administration of authorized dealership programs.

Founded in the late 1960s, we have grown to include nine full-service sales and distribution centers serving a network of more than 2,500 independent retailers throughout the western United States.

Authorized dealership opportunities in satellite TV, internet, and home automation services are the backbone of our business. They are complemented by opportunities in phone services and commercial and consumer electronics. As a pioneer in these fields, we know how to bring these products and services to market in an efficient and profitable way – which greatly benefits our current network of retailers.

So, how did it all start?