DO YOU HAVE A DISASTER PLAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS?

DO YOU HAVE A  DISASTER PLAN FOR YOUR BUSINESS?  Last year when the Houston area was hit with Hurricane Ike, many of us prepared our homes but many people failed to prepare their businesses for the storm.  The end result was costly and basically shut down many businesses longer than necessary.

As I continue to watch natural disasters happening all over the world, I thought it might help to put together a preparedness list and suggestions for your business in the event of a disaster.  I hope that we don't have another hurricane or other terrible event, but I can assure you that this time, I will be better prepared.

1. Make sure that you have a secure back-up system for your computer.  Know what to do with your server if you have one.  Investing in some good "techie" advice now could save you thousands of dollars later on.
2. Re-locate computers and other electronics away from windows and doors.  Unplugging them is highly advisable as well if you know a storm is coming.
3. Hard-copy files should be placed in a safe or other sturdy cabinet.
4. Print out your business and personal contacts and keep with you.  (After Ike last year, I was thankful that I had this and was able to call my clients to check on them)
5. If you have employees, make sure you have a response/contact tree in order that everyone can be reached in a timely fashion.  *MAKE SURE EVERYONE KEEPS UP TO DATE CELL PHONE NUMBERS.
6. Designate one or two individuals from your company to get to the building/office to asses damages and report back via contact tree.
7. Make sure that your insurance policy is up to date and it is wise to visit with your insurance agent once a year to make sure you are adequately covered.  Insurance companies are always changing things so don't wait until the last minute to find out if you are covered.

There are so many other things that you can do to prepare and stay prepared.  This is just a short list of items that were major for us as we dug out of the rubble from Hurricane Ike.  It never hurts to be over-prepared!  Be safe everyone!