Survive the next Joaquin with 6 simple steps for business continuity

NEW YORK - Oct. 5, 2015 - PRLog -- Hurricane Joaquin hit the United States this weekend, leaving record-breaking amounts of flooding and devastation in the southeast. While this hurricane may have passed, it is important that businesses learn to prepare for disasters. Planning ahead helps to secure the long-term health of a business as the majority of businsses that lose data will shut down in as few as six months. Here are the 6 simple steps to build a business continuity plan:

1)      Identify Possible Disasters

Think about your business—where it is located, the physical building itself and map out any likely situations. Be thorough here. Once you identify the possible crises, you can develop the appropriate backup plan to keep your business running while order is restored. For example, if you are you in an area prone to hurricanes, you should consider safeguards against flooding and loss of electricity as well as downed servers.  Or, if you are located in a high-crime area, perhaps you plan for the loss of physical property.

Remember: while inconvenient, most physical property can be restored or rebuilt with time. However, no amount of insurance can recover a businesses’ data or intellectual property once it is lost so make sure to have multiple backups in place.

"This is not an area to cut costs; it is imperative to enlist the help of a professional," said Dale Shulmistra, Business Continuity Expert at Invenio IT. "We get calls just about every day from companies who had backup in place, but were still unable to recover their data or servers when they needed it".

2)      Establish the Disaster Recovery Team

Now that you have identified your crises and backup plan(s), identify key individuals who can put the plan in motion--when needed. The team should include management executives, representatives from different departments, IT experts, and any other vital staff related to your business. Also, there should be an overall leader identified for the recovery effort.

3)      Create a Disaster Recovery Call Tree

Keep a current list of employees and their personal contact information (including social media) and establish a hierarchy or a relay approach to get information and instructions out to people quickly. You should agree to the communication plan beforehand so there is no question during a crisis. Make sure everyone has a copy of the list.

4)      Declare a Remote Workplace for Recovery Efforts

In the event of an emergency, your main facility may be inaccessible; therefore alternative “mini” hubs should be established. This could be virtually anywhere from a bunker to a warehouse off-site of your main facility. Plan for transportation for key staff to and from these satellite facilities and also have these facilities outfitted with the capability to access networks and data remotely.

5)      Communicate with Outside Entities

The importance of establishing communications with authorities, stakeholders, board members, vendors, and international or remote employees is imperative. As a rule of thumb, be sure to include means of communication other than phones or email. Social media is quickly gaining popularity as a way to communicate when disaster strikes.

6)      Practice, Adapt and Adjust

A disaster recovery plan is a living, breathing thing. As your business grows and changes, be sure to adapt your working disaster recovery plan accordingly. Practice scenarios with staff on a regular basis and continue to train employees on their responsibilities during and after an emergency to keep things as smooth as possible when there is a real crisis.

About Invenio IT

Invenio IT is an acknowledged industry leader in networking, data protection and IT security, with a specialization in business continuity solutions. The firm provides IT service and counsel to Clients throughout Europe, the United States and the Caribbean. For more information about how Invenio IT can use technology to improve your business, please visit us at http://www.invenioIT.com