Is your business prepared for distaster?
If you’ve turned on the news this week, you’ve seen the devastation wildfire is bringing to California. You may be familiar with general disaster preparedness but do you know what to do as a small business owner?
According to the Small Business Administration, 40-60% of businesses never reopen their doors after a disaster. So what can you do to keep your entrepreneurial dream alive?
Here’s how to prepare your small business for a disaster:
Know your disasters – Fire, flood, earthquake, but also computer meltdown, and identity theft.
Have your data backed up…and off site – Online backup is the best choice for protecting your data.
Create a communication plan – How are you going to stay in touch with your employees? With clients? Do you have a ‘closed’ message prepared for social media or mass mailing?
Determine your essential business functions – What do you absolutely need to keep your business up and running?
Do you have a temporary office location?
Access to Internet? To technology?
Ability to communicate?
Access to finances?
Can you run your business ‘from the cloud’?
Nobody likes thinking about the worst case scenario, even for those who have already been through it. But a little planning now can make recovery that much easier. Interested in more information? Check out the Small Business Association Preparedness site or ask me – after 5 years of working with the Red Cross, disaster preparedness is a special interest of mine!
