Disaster Preparedness by Joe Wagner
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It's May and the countdown to Hurricane Season 2008 has begun. Are you prepared? Where do you start? When do you start?
The enemy is complacency. The fact is, getting ready takes time.
Florida disaster officials have said the most important personal protection Floridians have is a plan: know where you are going, know how you are going to get there and know how to contact loved ones to make sure they are safe. Business planning is no different. The Small Business Administration (SBA) advises that business plans take into account the amount of time employees need to secure personal belongings and their family safety in addition to having a recovery plan for the business.
So what exactly do you need in your business storm kit? Here's an overview. Your goals are to keep employees (and yourself) safe, to secure property, safeguard customers and get back in business as soon as possible. To start, it is always a good idea to discuss disaster plans with employees to have a different perspective on what is critical to your business and the people who are part of your success.
Securing property includes having the materials on hand to harden your building against coming winds or flood. However, if computer systems are not included in your planning and you have no off-site backup, now is the time to get that part of the plan secured. The options to protect your computer equipment from damage from water, fire or other events are limited. You must also have a plan to protect your data – your intellectual property.
We all understand Florida has been tested by hurricane seasons in the past, and our state has demonstrated its ability to respond. The question is, as a business owner, are you committed to keeping your customers connected and your data and systems highly available, not just when challenged by nature? Business owner who rely on technology to run their business need to think about the business interruptions that are not directly caused by storms. For example, what if your business suffered a loss from fire? Perhaps your office is located in an area that could be without power for an extended period of time because other areas in the community are recovering from a disaster. What about employee data theft? Planning is the key to reducing the impact on your business.
Among the steps your company can take is understanding your critical applications and how long you can operate without them. Remember that it is not just how long is it going to take your business to recover but what will be the cost associated with the downtime. Most IT professionals suggest you conduct you own assessment and determine the hidden costs of being out of business for an undetermined period of time. What are the additional costs of lost wages, profits and reputation if you cannot have access to your critical business applications and data?
Looking at the impact to your business in the event of a disaster and working backwards to an affordable solution is the best place to start. You should have an understanding of what you need and then partner with a Disaster Recovery Professional to discuss all of the options available. A partner will assist in making informed business decisions and implementing policies on how to prepare should the unexpected happen.