Non Tech Speak: How to Survive a Disaster

Your Data, Your Plan, Your Survival

Below you will find suggestions that were written for the non technical business owner. These suggestions can help anyone get their Disaster Recovery Plan started on the right track. Listed in three short categories, the information below will require little time or money to implement yet could prove invaluable to any business in case of a disaster.

Your Data:

1. Understand what data is key to your company's survival. This would include data which might be kept in your accounting program, your contact management software, your inventory software, e-mail, and even critical documents in Word or Excel formats that were created by staff members.

2. Know where that key data is currently stored and when possible enforce standards for storage locations. Knowing what folder on what system needs to be backed up is an absolute must and is as critical as knowing which bank and account your money is in.

3. Be familiar with how often the data changes or is updated as that will play a factor on how often it must be archived.

4. Understand the size of the data so that you will better understand your data archive options. Understanding the size of your data will also help prevent you from overpaying for a service or product whose capacity is far greater than you will ever need. Conversely, this knowledge can also prevent you from wasting money on a product or service whose backup capabilities are insufficient for your needs..

Your Plan:

1. An alternative Location(s) such as temporary office or warehouse space should be considered in advance as, depending on the size of the disaster, you may or may not have a place to house your employees, your computer systems, or your inventory.

Empty Office Photo: Be aware of office vacancies in your area, keep conversation with landlords who may be able to provide space in the event of a disaster

2. Vendor contact information should also be easily accessible and secure in an offsite location. This will allow alternate delivery locations or special instructions to be quickly passed along to vendors.

Every business should take into considering the possibility of a disaster.  Imagine if your business just lost all of its data overnight.  Would you be able to fully recover?