Disaster Preparedness for Your Business -- Important, Necessary and Easy to Do

Let’s face it. Disasters happen. Bad weather happens. And unfortunately, they happen all too frequently and sometimes with devastating results. That is so evident in the week’s events and so heartbreaking to see. For business owners, speakers and coaches, the results can be even more detrimental. Not only are their homes and families at risk, but their businesses are at a greater risk as well. Are you prepared in the event your business is faced with an unexpected, potentially disastrous event? If not, you need to have a plan in place that will get you through it and keep your business running with little or no interruption.

A good disaster recovery plan is not just for the big, weather-related happenings. So many think a plan is just for the major events like tornados, hurricanes, and so forth. But actually, a disaster recovery plan should be in place for the day-to-day business activities. Consider this--What if you are a speaker and have a big event planned? Hundreds if not thousands are scheduled to attend. What if the week of the event, you lose power? Normally, when that happens, it’s back on again in just a short time. But what if this time, the power is out for not just a few hours, but days or weeks instead? Inconvenient, yes, disaster could be. Especially if all your work is on your computer and you have no way to access it. Okay, now you can panic.

This is just one scenario, but you can see how even a power outage could disrupt your business operations. That’s why you need to plan ahead and have systems in place. This is one of those things that many don’t think about until it’s too late, and then it’s all they think about. Take the time right now to put a few plans in place and you will have peace of mind for whatever happens down the road.

1. Back-ups. Now you know this already, and you may be ready to just scroll to the next tip. However, think about it a little differently this time. Consider if you were without power and had to go elsewhere. How would you easily retrieve the files you need? What system do you have in place to do that? Also, consider what files you would need. So this time instead of just thinking--I need to back-up my system; think--I need to back up my system, and these are the things I need to back up and make sure I have access to. The more detailed the better.

2. Many have online back-up options such as Carbonite, and that is great. But also consider ways you can quickly retrieve your files. Options such as Dropbox and Google Docs would be of assistance there. Another consideration is using flash drives for your important files. A flash drive would enable you to access any computer anywhere and retrieve your information easily. What’s great about that is that you can easily carry this drive with you in your purse, in your pocket, or even on your keychain and always have access to it.

3. Contact information. Here again, this is one of those tips you already know. But this time do the same as you did with the back-ups and apply it to what is happening in your business this month. Say you are hosting a teleseminar. What contact information would you need for that? Instead of writing down just your contacts, write down your monthly plans and who you need to contact for these. Consider updating this form the same way you do a “to do list”. You will discover that each month it might be the same contacts and you’ll already have it all written down, but this ensures any new ones get added.

4. Consider a generator. Yes, this is great for keeping your food cold for a couple more days and also have a light or two on. However, for businesses, it enables you to have access to your computer and also have the ability to charge your electronic devices. Truly this can make a big impact on your business in case of any problems. Now the time to buy a generator is not during the crisis if you can help it. The time to buy it is when nothing is happening and they go on sale. Believe me, they will!