Whether a disaster is caused by nature or by man, it can be devastating to a business, especially if there is no plan, preparation, or 24-hour emergency support in place. Rough estimates suggest some 25-40% of smaller businesses hit by a disaster don’t recover at all. Read on to learn more about preparing your business for the worst.

Staff Safety

Staff safety is the most important issue. Find out if your place of business has an evacuation plan in place, including a safe location to meet in case going home isn’t possible. Also, a well-packed emergency kit, which includes water, tissue, hand-sanitizer, snacks, flashlight, batteries and first aid kit, should be easily accessible. Depending on the physical layout of your business, you might consider having multiple kits.

Communications

Ask a staff member to be in charge of Communications and re-route phone calls and e-mails to the designee’s cell phone. Another staff member should notify clients of your recent disaster, offering reassurance and, hopefully, a time frame for the return of normal operations. You may also need to contact other branches of your business, if they are national or international.

Backup

It’s well known that backup of data, network, and intellectual property is vital for recovering post-disaster. Make sure to have a data disaster recovery plan and a backup location that’s a significant distance from your business’ physical address in case of a natural disaster.

Insurance

Review the insurance policies for your company, the building or unit, the equipment, etc., making sure that you have coverage for the type of natural disaster most common in your state, as well as what is covered for certain man-made disasters. It might also be a good time to look into “Business Interruption” coverage.

Alarm Systems

Does the fire and intruder alarm system have a backup source of power? What happens if there is an extended power-outage? Do some research and make necessary improvements to ensure emergency systems won’t be compromised.

It’s important to make sure there is a disaster plan in place, allowing time for testing as well. The quicker your business is back up-to-speed, the quicker you can return to normalcy and bringing in revenue. For help with emergency preparedness call Syndeo Communications at (760) 650-3300. As a trusted San Diego IT support company, we offer 24/7 support, continuity planning, and top-notch network security.