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