| I'm a recent Hurricane Rita evacuee and
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| | 5. Primary paper files for your clients
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| survived the evacuation and the ensuing
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| | business. I have 2 sets of files -- ones
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| hurricane. Running from a hurricane
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| | for the immediate short-term that I use
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| isn't something I've ever had to do
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| | frequently and my lateral file drawer
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| before, nor is it something I'd ever like
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| | files that are primarily reference files.
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| to do again. However, as a solo business
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| | I grabbed the contents of the two
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| owner, I'm quite thankful that I have a
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| | drawers of my 2-drawer file cabinet
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| virtual business. The fact that I'm
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| | (which hold my immediate short-term
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| virtual and can operate from anywhere
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| | files), all of which fit into one small
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| that there's electricity and phone
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| | UHaul box.
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| service was of great help to me in this
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| | 6. A backup telephone plan. I wasn't
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| disaster and helped me reopen my business
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| | sure what I was going to do for phone
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| a scant 4 days after the landfall of
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| | service for my business, as all of my
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| Hurricane Rita.
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| | clients are scattered across the US and
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| As a solopreneur, what can you do to make
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| | in Canada. Just to be safe, I upgraded
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| your business disaster-proof? It seems
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| | my cell phone plan, and had a prepaid
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| that we have an increasing number of
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| | calling card (purchased an AT&T calling
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| hurricanes making landfall in the coastal
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| | card at Sam's, at my disposal if I
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| states, and add to that an increased
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| | needed it. As luck would have it, my
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| number of other types of natural
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| | hotel offered an unlimited Internet
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| disasters like tornadoes, earthquakes,
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| | access/long distance plan for an
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| wildfires, mud slides, ice storms,
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| | additional $1.88 per day, so I happily
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| blizzards, etc. makes me think that there
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| | signed up for that, saving myself a
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| is no ideal location in which to operate
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| | fortune in phone calls and Internet
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| a business. Now accepting that natural
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| | service fees.
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| disasters are here to stay, here's what I
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| | 7. A backup Internet access plan. Since
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| learned from my hurricane evacuation that
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| | power restoration to my home was
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| helped me get my business back up and
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| | estimated at 2-8 weeks, I had to find
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| running quickly:
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| | temporary lodgings. I looked for a hotel
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| 1. Know the location of your vital
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| | that offered high speed Internet access
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| papers. You should be able to quickly
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| | and was able to use their system for my
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| put into a folder the following for you
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| | Internet access. However, once I found
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| and your family: your marriage license,
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| | the hotel, I also called the tech support
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| birth certificate, social security card,
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| | of my DSL ISP and found the local dial-up
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| driver's license or state ID card, car
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| | numbers for the area in which the hotel
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| title/mortgage info and insurance contact
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| | is located. I never had to use the
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| info, house deed/mortgage info and
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| | dial-up service, but it was good info to
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| insurance contact info, employee ID card,
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| | have. If you have cable or DSL Internet
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| and apartment lease or copy of a utility
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| | service, now is the time to discover
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| bill. In a disaster, you'll be asked to
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| | alternate Internet access plans to be
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| prove where you live and that you are who
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| | able to get online should your DSL or
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| you claim you are, especially when
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| | cable access be out-of-service. You
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| applying for disaster assistance.
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| | should also know how to access your email
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| 2. Have an online backup of all of your
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| | online through your ISP if you don't have
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| computer data. I back up my computer in
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| | access to your computer. If your ISP
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| two ways--to an external portable hard
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| | doesn't offer a version of webmail, you
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| drive as well as to an online backup
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| | can use this service free-of-charge,
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| service. I use both because my files are
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| | 8. Adequate office supplies for a month.
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| my livelihood -- I would be dead in the
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| | I threw in pens, pencils, post-it notes,
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| water without them -- so I want to leave
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| | a calculator, stamps, envelopes, tape,
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| absolutely no room to lose my data. For
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| | stapler, paper clips, note pads, etc.
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| my external backup, I use a 30 GB
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| | that would last me at least a month while
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| portable drive made by Iomega, and for
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| | I was out of my office. I used a
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| my online backup, I have 10 GB of space
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| | portable plastic file case in which to
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| that I pay for at XDrive,
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| | carry these items.
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| 3. Create an file with vital contact
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| | 9. Outline of your office procedures to
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| information. I copied a file with all of
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| | help you operate independently or be able
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| my usernames and passcodes for websites,
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| | to delegate tasks. I carry much of my
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| bank accounts, etc. to my USB flash drive
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| | info in my head to run my office, or have
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| (a key chain-like device with 512 MB or 1
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| | what I need stored in various files
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| GB of memory -- I use one from Lexar, as
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| | across my computer. What makes more
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| well as the physical and email addresses
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| | sense for the future is to document all
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| and all phone numbers of friends, clients
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| | of my office procedures, as well as
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| and family members -- anyone I needed to
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| | computer and client info, so that
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| contact during the evacuation period.
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| | everything I need is in one document. I
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| You'll also want to take along your
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| | can then upload this doc to my Yahoo
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| children's school contact info to be able
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| | account, my backup files, or carry it
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| to check on the current operating status
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| | with my on my USB flash drive. My
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| of your child's school, as well as local
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| | colleague, Jean Hanson, has designed a
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| media website info. My lifeline in
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| | great template that asks you to note and
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| getting current information about my home
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| | record everything someone would need to
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| city was through the websites of
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| | know to get your business back up and
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| Beaumont's newspapers and television and
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| | running. It's the Home Office Procedures
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| radio stations. If you keep your contact
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| | Manual, available for purchase here:
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| info in Outlook and have a Yahoo account,
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| | 10. Digital camera to record the event
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| Yahoo offers a synchronization feature in
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| | and/or record damages to personal
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| which you can synchronize all of your
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| | property. I wish I'd had a digital
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| info in Outlook to your Yahoo account.
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| | camera to record all that I witnessed
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| Find out more here: All you need to
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| | during my evacuation from Hurricane Rita.
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| access your info in Yahoo is a computer
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| | My sister took tons of pics, but I
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| and to know your username and password.
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| | would've loved to have had the same
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| 4. Know the primary office/computer
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| | opportunity. More importantly, however,
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| equipment that will be required to get
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| | is the need for a digital camera to
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| your business up and running. I had
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| | record damage to your home and property.
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| operated with a minimal amount of my
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| | In a wide-spread disaster, it can be at
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| office equipment recently due to my being
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| | least a month before your insurance
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| a house sitter for a friend for 2 months.
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| | adjuster will be able to assess damages
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| So, upon receiving the mandatory
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| | to your property. In the meantime,
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| evacuation order, I knew in relatively
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| | however, you need to start repairs, like
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| short order that to run my business, I
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| | placing a tarp on your roof, boarding up
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| needed my desktop PC, flat panel monitor,
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| | broken windows, removing downed trees
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| wireless mouse and keyboard, speakers,
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| | from your house or yard, or cleaning your
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| modem and associated cords, backup
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| | refrigerator of spoiled food. In many
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| portable external hard drive, office
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| | cases, your insurance will cover the
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| telephone and associated cords, laptop
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| | repairs or food replacement, but you need
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| computer, printer, box of software, and
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| | to carefully document the "before"
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| scanner. It sounds like a great deal of
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| | scenario in order to receive compensation
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| equipment, but I packed it all into 2
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| | for your loss.
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| boxes from UHaul (1 small and 1 medium
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| | Don't let a natural disaster destroy your
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| box). I knew I could work for at least 2
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| | business. Take some time now to prepare
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| months comfortably with just this
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| | your disaster-readiness plan, and get
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| equipment.
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| | back into business as soon as you can!
|
