| Accidents happen! But even minor mishaps can | | | | internet to any location where you resume |
| be major catastrophes for small business | | | | operations.Operations Continuity - More than |
| owners. Every year, thousands of companies | | | | DataHaving access to your information is a |
| are unprepared for the interruption caused by | | | | key starting point, but business continuity |
| a minor fire, flood, and burglary or computer | | | | plans need to address more than just data |
| meltdown.According to a recent NFIB National | | | | recovery. It should also cover how you will |
| Small Business Poll, man-made disasters | | | | continue operations. For example:- |
| affect 10% of small businesses, whereas | | | | Where will you operate if your office is |
| natural disasters have impacted more than 30% | | | | damaged or destroyed? What is the minimum |
| of all small businesses in the USA . | | | | amount of space you will need? Does your |
| Creating, and implementing a Business | | | | landlord have other property you could move |
| Continuity Plan will ensure your business | | | | into temporarily? If not, take time now to |
| survives any disaster; man-made or | | | | research the costs and availability of space |
| natural.While the details of the plan will | | | | at local virtual office facilities.How will |
| vary from business to business, the main | | | | you finance equipment replacement? A good |
| elements are the same. A well thought out | | | | insurance policy will cover the cost of |
| plan begins by evaluating different types of | | | | replacing office furniture, equipment and |
| disasters or events. How likely is it to | | | | other assets. As part of your contingency |
| occur, and what are the potential impacts? | | | | planning, review and understand your |
| Hurricanes are unlikely here in Indy, but | | | | insurance coverage. If you are operating out |
| Tornados and high winds (as evidenced by the | | | | of your home, talk to your insurance agent. |
| damage to the Regions Bank building this | | | | Your simple homeowner's policy may not be |
| spring) are very likely.Once you have | | | | adequate coverage for your business. If you |
| analyzed the risks, it is easier to outline a | | | | are renting, be sure you understand clearly |
| plan which will help you resume operations | | | | what your landlord's obligations are |
| quickly, take care of clients and employees, | | | | according to your lease.In addition to |
| and minimize the financial impact of the | | | | property and casualty insurance, you should |
| disaster.What Your Plan Should | | | | consider business continuity or loss of use |
| Include:Information Access - Copy and Store | | | | clauses which provide additional insurance to |
| Key FilesFor many small business owners, the | | | | cover expenses such as moving or damages |
| computer is the heart and soul of the | | | | caused by missed deadlines. Talk with your |
| business. And while we depend heavily on | | | | insurance agent regularly to be sure you are |
| these devises, we know that computers crash, | | | | adequately protected.- Document |
| virus' attack, natural disasters occur and | | | | what you own.Even if you have adequate |
| every user makes mistakes from time to time. | | | | coverage, most policies require a detailed |
| The consequences of inadequate back-up | | | | list of what was lost, damaged or stolen. In |
| protection when a failure occurs can be | | | | the event of a disaster, a documented |
| disastrous. Rebuilding financial information, | | | | inventory, complete with serial numbers and |
| contact lists, E-mail records or project | | | | model numbers, will simplify the process of |
| files can be time-consuming, expensive and | | | | completing insurance forms required to submit |
| sometimes impossible.Creating copies of | | | | your claim. Your disaster planning should |
| critical files on a regular basis allows you | | | | include preparation of such an inventory, so |
| to resume operations quickly after a crisis. | | | | you do not waste valuable time after the |
| How often you need to create a back-up | | | | crisis trying to remember what you owned. |
| depends on how often files change. | | | | Be sure to update this inventory periodically |
| | | | as you make new purchases for your office.- |
| Some business programs such as ACT and | | | | Who will take care of your |
| Quickbooks, have a built in back-up function. | | | | customers if you can't? In the event that |
| On a regular basis, they remind you to create | | | | you can not complete a project or meet a |
| a quick back-up copy which can be restored in | | | | deadline because of the business |
| case of an emergency.Other common programs | | | | interruption, do you have a relationship with |
| such as Microsoft Office or Adobe do not | | | | someone else who can serve your customers on |
| include their own back-up. In this case, the | | | | a short term basis? Negotiating emergency |
| responsibility is yours. If you are using | | | | out-source agreements, including pricing and |
| Windows XP it has a basic program which will | | | | procedures, protects your long-term customer |
| schedule and run back-ups automatically. If | | | | relationships by taking care of their needs |
| you are using an older version, you can still | | | | even when you are not operational.According |
| manually copy key files.In each case the data | | | | to the Financial Planning Association, of the |
| must go somewhere. While the programs offer | | | | businesses that suffer a disaster, 40% fail |
| to copy data to another portion of your hard | | | | to reopen and 25% that reopen close within a |
| drive, that won't help if your computer is | | | | year. Plan ahead! Disaster may never |
| destroyed or missing. Important information | | | | strike, and you may never need to execute |
| should be copied to some type of external | | | | your plan. But if something does happen, a |
| media such as a zip disks, CDs or DVDs, tape | | | | well thought out plan, will help you through |
| back-up or external hard drive.Store your | | | | the transition and increase the odds that a |
| back-up off-site. Many business owners | | | | temporary business interruption does not |
| carefully and diligently copy all key files | | | | become a permanent one.A twenty-year veteran |
| and store the CD's or external hard drive | | | | of corporate America, Lorraine is an |
| right next to their computer, but a flood or | | | | accomplished marketing professional, who has |
| fire will damage both. Your continuity plan | | | | won regional and national communication |
| should include an off-site storage location | | | | awards. She is a certified teacher, |
| for electronic media. For a small business | | | | facilitator and college instructor. Lorraine |
| owner, this can simply mean taking the files | | | | Ball is a frequent guest panelist featured on |
| home or trading with a peer, storing their | | | | "Sound Advice," the popular online audio |
| files in your office, and yours in theirs.A | | | | program from What's Working in Biz.Her |
| simpler, less tedious or time consuming | | | | articles on marketing, team building, and |
| solution is using an on-line backup. For a | | | | business development have been featured in |
| nominal fee, on-line back-up solutions allow | | | | Contracting Business, The New York Forum and |
| you to store information on a secure, | | | | The ACH&R News. In addition, her books: "The |
| encrypted server. The program will run | | | | Entrepreneur's Notebook" and "The Confessions |
| overnight, in the background, as long as you | | | | of a Networking Junkie" are quickly becoming |
| leave your computer on. The cost will vary | | | | "MUST READS" for new business owners.Today, |
| depending on the amount of data to be stored. | | | | her company, Roundpeg helps small business |
| One of the advantages of the on-line system | | | | owners discover the secrets to big company |
| is that your data can be transferred via the | | | | marketing! |