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