Disaster Recovery Planning is not just for big businesses!

I was working with a client recently on their Disaster Recovery Plan. With all the storms that have been plaguing the island lately, it seemed the right time to get a ‘snap-shot’ of their business.

He was concerned that he would come to work one day, and find that a tree had fallen over and smashed into his building.

We talked about several major points that needed to be documented. They included but were not limited to:

Names, phone numbers of everyone, but especially the owner(s), CEO, CFO, all Managers

Contact information, policy numbers, etc. for the following business partners:

     Insurance reps

     Real Estate Agent [for finding a new location if necessary]

     Electricians, plumbers ,etc.

     Any public agencies that might come into play because of your businesses unique circumstances

All information regarding your computer & network setups.

Who holds the disaster recovery ‘box’ that contains all the information and their contact information in case it is not an employee.

The last nightly backups.

Spreadsheets containing all computer and equipment serial numbers, make, models, etc. Who to call to have this equipment to either replaced or repaired.

The list can go on and on.

The most important point is that if you ever pull up in front of your building and find that you can’t gain access to it, how do you get your business up and running in a new location as soon as possible.

How long can you afford to be out of business? 1 hour? 1 day? 1 month? With a good Disaster Recovery Plan you will know and you will know how to move forward when disaster strikes!