3 Critical Steps to Take to Save Your Business from Natural Disasters
Natural disasters wreak havoc globally each year, whether in the form of hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, flooding, or mudslides. For unprepared businesses, this could mean closing permanently. Some of the fallout from natural disasters that affect businesses are worker and business displacement/relocation, loss of physical locations, and data loss from damaged and destroyed computer/information systems. In fact, according to a study by Gartner, 40% of businesses won’t reopen after a natural disaster.
So, what steps can small business owners take to mitigate the effects of natural disasters on their business? Here are three critical steps to help protect your data, reduce downtime, and reduce the pain of being affected by natural disasters.
- Back up your data. This step is the most important of all. You must have a reliable backup solution for your business, preferably a geographically distant, off-site backup solution. Since disasters don’t usually occur nationwide all at once, having an off-site backup, preferably at a hurricane-hardened data center, allows your business to recover from the backups, even if your computer systems are destroyed or damaged. Not only should you have a back solution in place, but testing your solution on at least an annual or semi-annual basis is also critical. If there is an issue with the backups, you want to know before a disaster strikes.
- Have a written disaster recovery (DR) plan. When things go wrong, it can take time to think or know where to start to pick up the pieces and move forward. A well-written plan of action that the leadership team and your employees can follow takes the guesswork out of what to do next. By having a written plan of action, your team can move quickly to get your business up and running again. Your plan should include communication methods, assigned responsibilities, and an off-line protocol for your business.
- Communicate. The next critical step is communicating the plan to all leaders and employees. This step cannot be overstated. Your team must know what to expect during an emergency, who is responsible for which actions, and how you expect them to carry out those responsibilities. Without proper communication, you could have multiple people working on the same tasks, or worse, no one doing anything for not knowing what to do. Be sure that each member of your leadership team has access to the written plan and has a plan to reach out to the employees for whom they are responsible. Good communication solves many issues in a time of trouble, and this is no exception. Some businesses even go as far as practicing implementing their DR plan to identify any gaps in the plan and ensure their people can follow the plan precisely and are ready for whatever real scenario they may face.
Overall, a well-written plan, good communication, and off-site data storage can significantly reduce the stress and uncertainty that follow an unplanned weather event. Having a clear plan of action and knowing that your data is safe can instill confidence in your employees and reduce the fear of ‘what happens now’ while you figure out the next steps. This reassurance is invaluable in the face of a disaster.