Get Organized for Disaster

September is National Preparedness Month, sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security and designed to build awareness of the need to be ready for a catastrophe. Much of the press is aimed at preparing home and family for a potential disaster -- gathering supplies, planning an evacuation route, discussing communications. But businesses also need to be prepared, and research suggests that many businesses aren't.

When we think about disasters, terrorist attacks and hurricanes probably come to mind first, and many business owners many feel far removed from such catastrophic events and so haven't bothered to create a disaster recovery plan. But think about our vulnerability to other types of disasters -- fire, floods, droughts, chemical spills, blackouts, system failures, cyber attacks. What's the worst case scenario if a water main breaks, we have a personal medical emergency or human error crashes a system or triggers a law suit?

According to Gartner Group and other sources, 25% of businesses will not be able to reopen after a disaster, and 2 out of 5 organizations that experience a disaster will go out of business within 5 years. As business owners, we have a responsibility to plan. And a good way to get started is to shift our mental focus and think Protection and think Continuity.

September is as good a time as any to begin. I have lots of ideas to share with you about creating a disaster recovery (or business continuity) plan for your small or medium size business. And I've found a few excellent resources to help you get started. I'll be posting these throughout the month.

Hope you'll join me this month in getting organized for disaster!