In this article, we'll provide a comprehensive guide to the seven steps of the business planning process, and discuss the role of Strikingly website builder in creating a professional business plan.
The first step in the business planning process is to conduct a SWOT analysis. SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This analysis will help you understand your business's internal and external environment, and it can help you identify areas of improvement and growth.
Strengths and weaknesses refer to internal factors such as the company's resources, capabilities, and culture. Opportunities and threats are external factors such as market trends, competition, and regulations.
You can conduct a SWOT analysis by gathering information from various sources such as market research, financial statements, and feedback from customers and employees. You can also use tools such as a SWOT matrix to visualize your analysis.
A SWOT analysis is a framework for analyzing a business's internal and external environment. The acronym SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats.
Strengths and weaknesses include internal factors such as the company's resources, capabilities, and culture. Opportunities and threats are external factors such as market trends, competition, and regulations.
A SWOT analysis can help businesses identify areas of improvement and growth, assess their competitive position, and make informed decisions. It can be used for various purposes, such as business planning, product development, marketing strategy, and risk management.
Conducting a SWOT analysis is crucial for businesses to develop a clear understanding of their internal and external environment. It can help businesses identify their strengths and weaknesses and uncover new opportunities and potential threats. By doing so, businesses can make informed decisions about their strategies, resource allocation, and risk management.
A SWOT analysis can also help businesses identify their competitive position in the market and compare themselves to their competitors. This can help businesses differentiate themselves from their competitors and develop a unique value proposition.
Here is an example of a SWOT analysis for a fictional business that sells handmade jewelry:
This SWOT analysis can help the business identify areas for improvement and growth. For example, the business can invest in expanding its online presence, improving its production efficiency, and diversifying its product lines. The business can also leverage its strengths, such as its skilled craftsmen and strategic partnerships, to differentiate itself from its competitors and attract more customers.
Once you have conducted a SWOT analysis, the next step is to define your business objectives. Business objectives are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals that align with your business's mission and vision.
Your business objectives can vary depending on your industry, target audience, and resources. Examples of business objectives include increasing sales revenue, expanding into new markets, improving customer satisfaction, and reducing costs.
You can use tools such as a goal-setting worksheet or a strategic planning framework to define your business objectives. You can also seek input from your employees and stakeholders to ensure your objectives are realistic and achievable.
Market research is an integral part of the business planning process. It gathers information about a target market or industry to make informed decisions. It involves collecting and analyzing data on consumer behavior, preferences, and buying habits, as well as competitors, industry trends, and market conditions.
Market research can help businesses identify potential customers, understand their needs and preferences, and develop effective marketing strategies. It can also help businesses identify market opportunities, assess their competitive position, and make informed product development, pricing, and distribution decisions.
Market research is a crucial component of the business planning process. It can help businesses identify market trends and opportunities, assess their competitive position, and make informed decisions about their marketing strategies, product development, and business operations.
By conducting market research, businesses can gain insights into their target audience's behavior and preferences, such as their purchasing habits, brand loyalty, and decision-making process. This can help businesses develop targeted marketing campaigns and create products that meet their customers' needs.
Market research can also help businesses assess their competitive position and identify gaps in the market. Businesses can differentiate themselves by analyzing their competitors' strengths and weaknesses and developing a unique value proposition.
Businesses can use various types of market research methods, depending on their research objectives, budget, and time frame. Here are some of the most common market research methods:
Surveys are a common market research method that involves asking questions to a sample of people about their preferences, opinions, and behaviors. Surveys can be conducted through various channels like online, phone, or in-person surveys.
Focus groups are a qualitative market research method involving a small group to discuss a specific topic or product. Focus groups can provide in-depth insights into customers' attitudes and perceptions and can help businesses understand the reasoning behind their preferences and behaviors.
Interviews are a qualitative market research method that involves one-on-one conversations between a researcher and a participant. Interviews can be conducted in person, over the phone, or through video conferencing and can provide detailed insights into a participant's experiences, perceptions, and preferences.
Observation is a market research method that involves observing customers' behavior and interactions in a natural setting such as a store or a website. Observation can provide insights into customers' decision-making processes and behavior that may not be captured through surveys or interviews.
Secondary research involves collecting data from existing sources, like industry reports, government publications, or academic journals. Secondary research can provide a broad overview of the market and industry trends and help businesses identify potential opportunities and threats.
By combining these market research methods, businesses can comprehensively understand their target market and industry and make informed decisions about their business strategy.
Market research should always be a part of your strategic business planning. This step gathers information about your target audience, competitors, and industry trends. This information can help you make informed decisions about your product or service offerings, pricing strategy, and marketing campaigns.
There are various market research methods, such as surveys, focus groups, and online analytics. You can also use tools like Google Trends and social media analytics to gather data about your audience's behavior and preferences.
Market research can be time-consuming and costly, but it's crucial for making informed decisions that can impact your business's success. Strikingly website builder offers built-in analytics and SEO optimization features that can help you track your website traffic and audience engagement.
Identifying your target audience is essential in the business planning process. Your target audience is the group of people who are most likely to buy your product or service. Understanding their needs, preferences, and behaviors can help you create effective marketing campaigns and improve customer satisfaction.
You can identify your target audience by analyzing demographic, psychographic, and behavioral data. Demographic data include age, gender, income, and education level. Psychographic data includes personality traits, values, and lifestyle. Behavioral data includes buying patterns, brand loyalty, and online engagement.
Once you have identified your target audience, you can use tools such as buyer personas and customer journey maps to create a personalized and engaging customer experience. Strikingly website builder offers customizable templates and designs to help you create a visually appealing and user-friendly website for your target audience.
A target audience is a group most likely to be interested in and purchase a company's products or services. A target audience can be defined based on various factors such as age, gender, location, income, education, interests, and behavior.
Identifying and understanding your target audience is crucial for developing effective marketing strategies and improving customer engagement and satisfaction. By understanding your target audience's needs, preferences, and behavior, you can create products and services that meet their needs and develop targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with them.
Identifying your target audience is essential for the success of your business. By understanding your target audience's needs and preferences, you can create products and services that meet their needs and develop targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with them.
Here are reasons why identifying your target audience is important:
Here are some examples of target audience segmentation based on different demographic, geographic, and psychographic factors:
A marketing plan is a strategic roadmap that outlines your marketing objectives, strategies, tactics, and budget. Your marketing plan should align with your business objectives and target audience and include a mix of online and offline marketing channels.
Marketing strategies include content marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, search engine optimization (SEO), and paid advertising. Your marketing tactics can include creating blog posts, sharing social media posts, sending newsletters, optimizing your website for search engines, and running Google Ads or Facebook Ads.
To create an effective marketing plan , research your competitors, understand your target audience's behavior, and set clear objectives and metrics. You can also seek customer and employee feedback to refine your marketing strategy.
Strikingly website builder offers a variety of marketing features such as email marketing, social media integration, and SEO optimization tools. You can also use the built-in analytics dashboard to track your website's performance and monitor your marketing campaign's effectiveness.
A marketing plan is a comprehensive document that outlines a company's marketing strategy and tactics. It typically includes an analysis of the target market, a description of the product or service, an assessment of the competition, and a detailed plan for achieving marketing objectives.
A marketing plan can help businesses identify and prioritize marketing opportunities, allocate resources effectively, and measure the success of their marketing efforts. It can also provide the marketing team with a roadmap and ensure everyone is aligned with the company's marketing goals and objectives.
A marketing plan is critical to business planning. It can help businesses identify their target audience, assess their competitive position, and develop effective marketing strategies and tactics.
Here are a few reasons why a marketing plan is important in business planning:
Here are some examples of marketing strategies and tactics that businesses can use to achieve their marketing objectives:
By using a combination of these marketing strategies and tactics, businesses can develop a comprehensive and effective marketing plan that aligns with their marketing goals and objectives.
A financial plan is a detailed document that outlines your business's financial projections, budget, and cash flow. Your financial plan should include a balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement, and it should be based on realistic assumptions and market trends.
To create a financial plan, you should consider your revenue streams, expenses, assets, and liabilities. You should also analyze your industry's financial benchmarks and projections and seek input from financial experts or advisors.
![Quantum Business Consulting Template - Strikingly]( https://user-images.strikinglycdn.com/res/hrscywv4p/image/upload/blog_service/2023-04-16-prl-quantum-business-consulting-strikingly (1).jpg)Image taken from Strikingly Templates
Strikingly website builder offers a variety of payment and e-commerce features, such as online payment integration and secure checkout. You can also use the built-in analytics dashboard to monitor your revenue and expenses and track your financial performance over time.
A financial plan is a comprehensive document that outlines a company's financial goals and objectives and the strategies and tactics for achieving them. It typically includes a description of the company's financial situation, an analysis of revenue and expenses, and a projection of future financial performance.
A financial plan can help businesses identify potential risks and opportunities, allocate resources effectively, and measure the success of their financial efforts. It can also provide a roadmap for the finance team and ensure everyone is aligned with the company's financial goals and objectives.
Creating a financial plan is a critical component of the business planning process. It can help businesses identify potential financial risks and opportunities, allocate resources effectively, and measure the success of their financial efforts.
Here are some reasons why creating a financial plan is important in business planning:
Here are some examples of financial statements and projections that businesses can use in their financial plan:
The final step in the business planning process is to write your business plan. A business plan is a comprehensive document that outlines your business's mission, vision, objectives, strategies, and financial projections.
A business plan can help you clarify your business idea, assess the feasibility of your business, and secure funding from investors or lenders. It can also provide a roadmap for your business and ensure that you stay focused on your goals and objectives.
Writing a business plan is an essential component of the business planning process. It can help you clarify your business idea , assess the feasibility of your business, and secure funding from investors or lenders.
Here are some reasons why writing a business plan is important:
Here are some tips on how to write a business plan successfully:
Strikingly website builder can play a significant role in creating a professional business plan. Strikingly provides an intuitive and user-friendly platform that allows you to create a professional-looking website and online store without coding or design skills.
Using Strikingly, you can create a visually appealing business plan and present it on your website with images, graphics, and videos to enhance the reader's experience. You can also use Strikingly's built-in templates and a drag-and-drop editor to create a customized and professional-looking business plan that reflects your brand and style.
Strikingly also provides various features and tools that can help you showcase your products or services, promote your business, and engage with your target audience. These features include e-commerce functionality, social media integration, and email marketing tools.
In conclusion, the 7 steps of the business planning process are essential for starting and growing a successful business. By conducting a SWOT analysis, defining your business objectives, conducting market research, identifying your target audience, developing a marketing plan, creating a financial plan, and writing your business plan, you can set a solid foundation for your business's success.
Strikingly website builder can help you throughout the business planning process by offering a variety of features such as analytics, marketing, e-commerce , and business plan templates. With Strikingly, you can create a professional and engaging website and business plan that aligns with your business objectives and target audience.
June 17, 2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. –– Last week, the House Committee on Homeland Security, led by Chairman Mark E. Green, MD (R-TN), held a hearing to examine Microsoft’s security culture in the wake of the Cyber Safety Review Board’s (CSRB) report on the Microsoft Online Exchange 2023 cyber intrusion by Storm-0558, a threat actor affiliated with the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Witness testimony was provided by Microsoft Vice Chairman and President Brad Smith, who accepted Microsoft’s responsibility in his opening statement for the intrusion that successfully compromised 22 enterprise organizations and over 500 individuals globally, including federal government accounts, due to what the CSRB described as “a cascade of failures” by Microsoft. Chairman Green and Ranking Member Bennie Thompson (D-MS) formally requested Smith’s testimony on May 9 . In the hearing, members highlighted the risks associated with Microsoft’s presence in China, its approach to artificial intelligence (AI) development and deployment, Microsoft’s current and future approaches to business decisions, and the company’s plans to strengthen cybersecurity measures following the intrusion. Members also discussed the January 2024 cyber intrusion by “Midnight Blizzard,” a state-sponsored cyber actor affiliated with the Russian Foreign Intelligence Agency that was also responsible for the attack on SolarWinds in 2020. Although the Committee commends Microsoft for announcing steps to reform its security practices, ensuring follow-through on the company’s stated commitments will be crucial for ensuring U.S. government networks and Americans––including U.S. officials––are not exposed to further risk.
In his opening statement, Chairman Green highlighted the broader questions the Committee must examine regarding the mitigation of economic and national security risks: “To be clear, the U.S. government would never expect a private company to work alone in protecting itself against nation-state attacks. We need to do more work to define roles and responsibilities for public and private sector actors in the event of nation-state attacks on our networks. Our nation’s adversaries possess advanced cyber capabilities and substantial resources, often exceeding the defensive cybersecurity measures available to even the most sophisticated companies. However, we do expect government vendors to implement basic cybersecurity practices. ” “First, closing the cyber workforce gap—my top priority for the Committee this year. The security challenges we face as a nation are compounded by the persistent shortage of cybersecurity professionals. As Microsoft continues its work to invest in our cyber workforce, we must harken back to the lessons from the CSRB report. Our cyber professionals must be trained to think of security first. We must equip them with the right skills to protect our networks and to build our systems securely. Second, we need to define the role of public and private sector entities in protecting our networks against nation-state actors. These attacks have become increasingly common, rather than anomalies. We need clearly defined responsibilities so that we can effectively respond to nation-state attacks on our networks. Finally, we must address a fundamental issue: the economic incentives that drive cybersecurity investments. As the CSRB’s report recently revealed, underinvestment in essential security measures exposed critical vulnerabilities.”
Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL) highlighted the dangers of doing business in Communist China and asked Smith if Microsoft shares critical information on cybersecurity with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)––as companies are required to do under Chinese law: “This law requires all organizations and citizens to cooperate with China’s intelligence agencies, including the People’s Liberation Army, in matters of national security. While the law does not specifically mention companies working in China, it does apply to all organizations operating within the country, including foreign companies. [Do] you operate in China?” Smith answered: “Yes, we do” Gimenez continued: “Do you comply with this law?” Smith answered: “No, we do not” Gimenez continued: “How is it you got away with not complying with the law? Do you have a waiver from the Chinese government saying you don’t have to comply with this law?” Smith answered: “But there are many laws– there are two types of countries in the world. Those that apply every law they enact, and those that enact certain laws but don’t always apply them. And in this context, China, for that law, is in the second category.” Gimenez continued: “Do you really believe that because––look, I sit on the Select Committee on China, and that’s not the information that we get––that all companies in China have to cooperate with the intelligence agencies of China and the People’s Liberation Army. You operate in China, and you’re sitting there telling me that you don’t have to comply with the laws of China?” After pressing Smith further, Gimenez later concluded: “I’m sorry, I just––for some reason, I just don’t trust what you’re saying.”
Subcommittee on Border Security and Enforcement Chairman Clay Higgins (R-LA) asked Smith why Microsoft did not correct, in a timely manner, its inaccurate public statements about the 2023 cyber intrusion: “After the hack, the 2023 Microsoft Online Exchange intrusion, why did it take six months for Microsoft to update the means by which most Americans would sort of be made aware of such a hack?” Smith answered: “First of all, I appreciate the question, it’s one that I asked our team when I read the CSRB report. It’s the part of the report that surprised me the most. You know, we had five versions of that blog, the original, and then four updates. And we do a lot of updates of these reports. And when I asked the team, they said the specific thing that had changed, namely a theory, a hypothesis about the cause of the intrusion, changed over time. But it didn’t change in a way that would give anyone useful or actionable information that they could apply—” Higgins continued: “Mr. Smith, respectfully, that answer does not encourage trust. And regular Americans listening are going to have to move the tape back on the Microsoft instrument and listen to what you said again. But you didn’t do it, I mean, you’re Microsoft, [you] had a major thing happen, and the means by which you communicate with your customers was not updated for six months. So I’m just going to say that I don’t really accept your answer as thoroughly honest.” Smith answered: “I said the same thing, and we had the same conversation inside the company.”
Congresswoman Laurel Lee (R-FL) asked Smith how to improve the victim notification process in the wake of the challenges that Microsoft faced in notifying those impacted by the 2023 Storm-0558 hack: “I’d like to hear more about one of the things that was identified in the report as an area in need of improvement––victim notification. So, I’d like for you to elaborate a little bit more on your thoughts and going forward plan on how to improve victim notification.” Smith answered: “When we find that someone has been a victim of an attack, it doesn’t mean that the fault was ours, it’s just that our threat detection system may have found it. We need to let them know. Well, how do you let somebody know? If it’s an enterprise, we probably have a connection, there’s probably somebody there we can call. But if it’s a consumer, like a consumer-based email system, we don’t necessarily know who the human is, we just have an email address. So, we send an email. “There was a member of Congress we sent an email to last year. That member of Congress did what you sort of expect, they said well, that’s not really Microsoft, is it? It’s spam. […] That’s the world in which we live. And so, the CSRB has a great recommendation on this. It’s to create the equivalent of the Amber Alert. But it will require support from congress that CISA lead this, that the tech sector, and probably the telecommunications companies, and the phone makers, and the phone operating system makers all come together. This would be a huge step forward.”
Congressman Dale Strong (R-AL) pressed Smith on any vulnerabilities still present in Microsoft’s products due to the length of time the threat actor had access to stolen credentials: “What are the security implications of China and other potential threat actors having access into your network for so long? What is the threat of that, you know, thank goodness it was discovered, but what is the threat do you see for them being in your system for so long without being noticed?” Smith answered: “I would just like to qualify a little bit of the premise, because I noticed in some of the questions that were floating around this week that people suggested that because the Chinese had acquired this key in 2021 and we didn’t find it until 2023 that they must’ve had access for two years. I think that in fact they kept it in storage until they were ready to use it, knowing that once they did, it would likely be discovered quickly.” Strong continued: “Thank you, and that leads to my next question. Are the Chinese still able to access Microsoft’s corporate network today?” Smith answered: “No, not with anything they did before, and [we] do everything we can do to ensure they don’t get in any other way.”
Subcommittee on Emergency Management and Technology Chairman Anthony D’Esposito (R-NY ) asked Smith why the government should continue using its products after the CSRB questioned Microsoft’s ability to prevent future hacks without an “overhaul” of its security culture: “Are you confident that moving forward Microsoft has the ability to quickly detect and react to an intrusion like this?” Smith answered: “I feel very confident that we have the strongest threat detection system that you’re going to find in, quite possibly, in any organization private or public on the planet. Will that always mean we will be the first to find everything, well no, that doesn’t work that way. But I feel very good about what we have, and I feel very confident about what we’re building.” In his closing remarks, Chairman Green highlighted the importance of public-private partnerships in cybersecurity and harmonizing regulations in order to prevent future intrusions: “Sometimes government, in this public-private partnership that we talked about a couple times … sometimes the government can get in the way too, and I want to ask that you educate us as much as possible. I will give you an example. The SEC ruling, the four-day report for a breach. Some of the big cybersecurity companies, I mean the biggest in the nation, told me it [takes] seven or eight days to fix a breach. We are announcing to the world that, at four days, we have a hole in the wall, and it takes seven days to close a hole––this is the government forcing companies to invite the enemy to come in. That is a stupid regulation. “We need help on understanding where the government also creates problems, so I would appreciate anything that comes to mind. One of the initiatives here, we talked about cyber workforce, one of the other initiatives is the synchronization of the regulations that are out there, making sure we are not duplicative, and we aren’t contradictory, because as I understand there are some regulations that are.” “If we are causing you to have duplicitous effort, that is money that could be spent on real cybersecurity. In this partnership, we need communication, not just on the issues that are brought up here––the breach that was identified––but how we make things better and work better on how we regulate and create compliance requirements.”
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Business Plan: A business plan is a written document that describes in detail how a business, usually a new one, is going to achieve its goals. A business plan lays out a written plan from a ...
Traditional business plans use some combination of these nine sections. Executive summary. Briefly tell your reader what your company is and why it will be successful. Include your mission statement, your product or service, and basic information about your company's leadership team, employees, and location.
In an era where more than 20% of small enterprises fail in their first year, having a clear, defined, and well-thought-out business plan is a crucial first step for setting up a business for long-term success. ... a business plan, but the subtitle can help tell the story of your business in just a short sentence. 2. Executive Summary.
It's the roadmap for your business. The outline of your goals, objectives, and the steps you'll take to get there. It describes the structure of your organization, how it operates, as well as the financial expectations and actual performance. A business plan can help you explore ideas, successfully start a business, manage operations, and ...
A Harvard Business Review study found that the ideal time to write a business plan is between 6 and 12 months after deciding to start a business. But the reality can be more nuanced - it depends on the stage a business is in, or the type of business plan being written. Ideal times to write a business plan include: When you have an idea for a ...
Most business plans also include financial forecasts for the future. These set sales goals, budget for expenses, and predict profits and cash flow. A good business plan is much more than just a document that you write once and forget about. It's also a guide that helps you outline and achieve your goals. After completing your plan, you can ...
A business plan is a written document that defines your business goals and the tactics to achieve those goals. A business plan typically explores the competitive landscape of an industry, analyzes a market and different customer segments within it, describes the products and services, lists business strategies for success, and outlines ...
Describe Your Services or Products. The business plan should have a section that explains the services or products that you're offering. This is the part where you can also describe how they fit ...
Step 2: Do your market research homework. The next step in writing a business plan is to conduct market research. This involves gathering information about your target market (or customer persona), your competition, and the industry as a whole. You can use a variety of research methods such as surveys, focus groups, and online research to ...
A business plan is a formalized outline of the business operations, finances, and goals you aim to achieve to be a successful company. When designing a business plan, companies have leeway for how long, short, or detailed it can be. So long as it outlines the foundational aspects of the business, in most cases, it will be effective.
Business plans can help decision-makers see how specific projects relate to the organization's strategic plan. Total quality management (TQM) is a business management strategy aimed at embedding awareness of quality in all organizational processes. TQM has been widely used in manufacturing, education, call centers, government, and service ...
1. Create Your Executive Summary. The executive summary is a snapshot of your business or a high-level overview of your business purposes and plans. Although the executive summary is the first section in your business plan, most people write it last. The length of the executive summary is not more than two pages.
That said, you can have the perfect business plan in the world. But if your business idea isn't sound, your business plan crumbles to pieces. Don't let your hard work go to waste by conducting idea validation first to ensure that your idea will take you to the places you aim to go. 11 Ways To Validate Your Business Idea. So, you have a business ...
1. Executive summary: The executive summary follows the title page and explains the fundamentals of your business. It should provide a short and clear synopsis of your business plan that describes ...
A business plan acts as a unifying document that aligns the team with the company's goals and strategies. It ensures that everyone is on the same page, working towards common objectives. This alignment fosters collaboration and efficiency, driving the business towards its targets. 3. Validating the Business Concept.
Generally, a business plan has the following components: Title Page and Contents. A business plan should be presented in a binder with a cover listing the name of the business, the name (s) of the ...
The sum of capital and plant, investments, and miscellaneous assets. Total assets. The sum of total current assets and total long-term assets. After the assets are listed, you need to account for ...
Business / By Gennaro Cuofano / May 1, 2024. A business plan is a document that details key operational and financial goals for a business and how they will be achieved in the future. Essentially, a business plan is an exercise in due diligence. While no business plan can accurately predict the future, they do demonstrate and give insight into ...
Still, for the sake of simplicity, a business plan can be defined as a guide for a company to operate and achieve its goals. More specifically, it's a document in writing that outlines the goals, objectives, and purpose of a business while laying out the blueprint for its day-to-day operations and key functions such as marketing, finance, and ...
2. Startup business plans. A startup business plan can be defined as a lean plan with elements of a standard plan included to seek investors. The primary purpose of a startup plan is to put forth the steps required to get a business up and running. Later on, it should also serve as a plan that will help score investment.
For startups, business plans are vital for securing funding from investors, banks or venture capitalists. For established companies, business plans aid in strategic planning, guiding long-term operations and achieving business goals. CIOs use strategic planning to determine how IT can best follow an organization's business plan to achieve its ...
A business plan is an operating document that describes the dream of an entrepreneur with the objectives and plans to achieve them. A business plan shows the ... Business objectives may be defined for a whole organization as well as specific departments, employees, managers, and clients. Goals are usually used to symbolize a company's wider ...
A target audience can be defined based on various factors such as age, gender, location, income, education, interests, and behavior. ... A business plan can help you clarify your business idea, assess the feasibility of your business, and secure funding from investors or lenders. It can also provide a roadmap for your business and ensure that ...
Subcommittee on Transportation and Maritime Security Chairman Carlos Gimenez (R-FL)highlighted the dangers of doing business in Communist China and asked Smith if Microsoft shares critical information on cybersecurity with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)--as companies are required to do under Chinese law: "This law requires all organizations and citizens to cooperate with China's ...