Prepare to Save Your Business from a Disaster

Cindy Bates

The U.S. Department of Labor estimates more than 40 percent of businesses never reopen following a disaster, and of the remaining companies, at least 25 percent will close in two years. What’s more, with fewer resources than enterprise corporations, small and medium-sized business (SMBs) have a harder time recovering from virtual and physical disasters than their larger counterparts. To make the situation even more difficult, cyber criminals now prefer to attack SMBs, since their systems usually are easier to access than those of larger companies with more robust security measures in place.

How your business reacts to and handles a disaster will affect your business in the near and long term. If you handle it well, your customers, vendors and employees will all be inclined to maintain their loyalty to your business. If you do not handle the disaster well or fail to resuscitate the business quickly, you will likely lose business. For SMB owners, this is especially risky since there’s a good chance you built your business on your name.

Yet, preparing for a disaster can make all the difference – and it may even help prevent potential disasters. The first step is to develop a preparation plan. Determine which potential disasters could affect your business – physical (i.e. floods, tornados, etc.), virtual (i.e. network shutdowns, cybercrime, etc.), or personal (illness, injury, divorce, etc.). Consider which of the potential disasters you could help prevent and what you need to do now to do so. Is your office/store/restaurant prepared for extreme weather that is common in your area? Are your computer systems properly backed up, and do you run regular security updates on your computers? Who will stand in for you as the leader if you are unable to do so, and does that person have all the necessary information to fulfill this responsibility?

Take the time to write down a plan for each of the potential disasters that could impact your business. If you don’t feel certain your business is ready to handle a certain situation, figure out what needs to be done, and get additional support if needed.

Make sure to talk with your employees about proper safety measures in case of a disaster and what they can do to help protect the business. In the case of virtual disasters, your employees can help prevent many instances of cybercrimes. Make sure all employees understand why it is important to change their passwords regularly and not to share passwords. Communicate what is safe computing for the business in regards to the programs that are OK to download and to regularly installing computer updates when prompted. If you do not have a dedicated IT manager or you are not sure how well the current IT security system protects your business, look to technologies that provide the services you need with strong security protection – e.g., cloud computing solutions like Microsoft Office 365 and online backup solutions.

In business there will always be incidents that catch you off guard, but with a little preemptive consideration and a disaster preparedness plan under your belt, you will be ready for whatever comes your way.

For a free downloadable eGuide to build an SMB disaster preparedness plan, visit www.MicrosoftBusinessHub.com.


Cindy Bates Microsoft Vice President of U.S. SMB Organization
Copyright 2012. Author retains ownership. All Rights Reserved

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