Disaster Strikes For Your Business And You Learn Some Hard Lessons - How You Can Avoid It In Future

In light of recent natural disasters in Queensland and other parts of Australia

, and a nasty experience that someone very dear to me had with her business that was a man made disaster, I wanted to write an article about how you can ensure you have a business continuity plan in place to get you back on your feet quickly; even if everything is falling down around you and it looks like all hope is lost.

I hope my 'beloved' (I will call her that as she is very close to me and to keep her identity sacred) has given me permission to mention this event and I think it is really important to think about on occasion.

As you know, Queensland experienced a natural disaster of epic proportions that completely destroyed 1000s homes and businesses. Some people lost both, which would be so devastating I can't even imagine. However, recently my 'beloved' had a disaster of her own, with her business burning to the ground in a matter of minutes.

Everything (99%) was completely destroyed by either the fire, smoke, or the chemicals used to put the fire out. Her business was so new that she had only been operating from that building for 2 weeks, with the fitout nearly completely done and only minor things to make it perfect. It is such a shame, and we cried. Thankfully, she and her employee were OK but the disaster could have been so much worse; she could have had a workshop full of kids, so we are looking on the positive side.

Can she continue on with her business when she has lost absolutely everything? Will her insurance cover her costs to repair?

My beloved didn't have a disaster recovery plan. Absolutely everything was stored onsite and everything was brand new. All she had left was some older data and printouts stored at home, and thankfully, an email autoresponder program that stores her customer email addresses.

Too often business owners neglect these types of things because they are swamped or don't understand how important it really is until it is too late.

How would you continue on your business when faced with a disaster like these? Do you have a backup plan in case of a disaster?

A backup plan is essential and it is easy to do...

1. start with buying an external hard drive that is stored off premises (at home maybe)

2. backup your data and email .pst files regularly as part of your routine. Weekly is recommended, but you may want to do it daily, isn't it worth the time it takes compared to the heartache of trying to remember everything and having do it all again

3. create a checklist of all the things you would need to continue your business within days of a disaster

4. prioritise all the necessary things you need to do and what can wait until you replenish supplies, stock, etc.

5. if you can start again from another premises, what should you make sure you have available to you so you can start getting back on your feet quickly.

What about your customer list?

Your customers need to know what has happened. Be honest and tell them the story. Maybe they will even help you to raise money, rebuild, and give you encouragement and support. That is the best testimonial in the world by the way!

What about your software, documentation, emails, books, and records, certificates etc? Your backup plan should include:

1. Identifying critical business functions

2. Identifying information resources that are required to support and enable critical business functions

3. Determining your backup method and medium (off site)

4. Identifying types of files to be backed up

5. Determining backup procedures and policies

Visit my blog post for a list of checklist ideas I found on the net (no use reinventing the wheel). There are also business continuity plan templates available to help you get started. Take a look at all the links and list the things appropriate for you. If a disaster strikes you will be prepared, if not, how would you cope?

PS. My beloved got back on her feet quickly with wonderful community supporters that lifted her spirits considerably and kept her going. She was offered premises until she could rebuild her site and she didn't give up. I am so proud of her. She found her wedding rings in the charred remains (she takes them off to teach her classes) but her insurance was not adequate to cover the damage (her business partner did not do her job properly - but that is another article). The cause of the fire was a faulty PowerPoint.

Leave a comment below and tell me if you had a disaster recovery plan, how it helped you, and what you should have included but missed.

by: Mayuri

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