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