Many entrepreneurs have spent years building up a small business, only to have it wiped out by a hurricane. It’s not just that these devastating forces of nature can inflict thousands of dollars in building and property damage; rather, the biggest toll is in the lost revenue caused by the interruption in business operations. The sheer amount of time it takes to recover and reopen for business – from cleaning up flood damaged documents to replacing damaged technology – can make or break a company.
That’s why it’s critical for every small business to have a disaster recovery plan in place. It’s not enough just to make sure you have the right insurance in order to recoup your property losses. Rather, the main goal of a recovery plan is to minimize the amount of time it takes for your business to get back on its feet. Here’s a look at some of the elements of a hurricane recovery plan:
Establish written hurricane procedures. When a hurricane hits, every employee should know what to do in order to maximize safety and minimize damages. This may include everything from initiating an emergency phone tree to shuttering windows to covering files and equipment with heavy plastic sheeting in order to prevent wet documents.
Back up critical files. If a hurricane leaves you without access to computer files or flood damaged documents, your business could end up dead in the water. Enlist a document scanning firm to help you back up your digital files and scan critical documents so you’ll retain access to them even if your entire business gets flooded.
Choose your disaster recovery experts now. The more you work with your disaster recovery firm to plan ahead for a hurricane, the more quickly your business will recover. Select a company that has the skills required to get your essential operations up and running again. For example, look for a firm that can easily handle a large volume of wet documents and can provide access to important files during the drying process. By shopping around and developing a relationship now, you’ll save precious time in the wake of a disaster.
[ Photo by: Hugo90, via CC License ]
