Posted by: Aubrey Felix on November 13, 2024 at 4:47 pm
A Sobering Reminder To Prepare Your Business for Disaster
Hurricane Helene devastated the Southeast, destroying countless homes and businesses. Not long after Milton came tearing through, leaving even more damage in its wake. Amidst these tragedies we’ve learned a vital lesson: Be prepared.
One of the perks of living in Michigan is that we don’t get hurricanes, but we do weather our own storms. For business owners in Southeast Michigan, being prepared for disaster isn’t just a good idea—it’s essential. We’ve seen our fair share of unexpected events like tornadoes, power outages, and floods that impacted local business. And now, hurricanes Milton and Helene are making us ask the sobering question: Is my business continuity plan ready for the next disaster?
The Cost of Being Unprepared: Why Business Continuity Matters
“According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 40% of small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) never reopen after a natural disaster, and an additional 25% reopen but fail within a year. Think about that for a moment. Nearly two-thirds of SMBs impacted by a fire, flood, hurricane, tornado or earthquake no longer exist 12 months later. This highlights the need for SMBs to develop a business continuity plan, and that plan should include a strategy for recovering IT assets.” – Forbes
That’s a sobering statistic for Southeast Michigan business owners who might think, “It won’t happen to me.” Whether you’re dealing with a hurricane, flood, tornado, or even a cyberattack, you need a strong disaster preparedness and business continuity plan in place. A backup server sitting under your desk isn’t going to cut it anymore. The recent hurricanes and even the disasters like the EF2 tornado in Portage are reminders that preparation is key. It’s not enough to just recover from a disaster—you need a plan that allows you to continue operating through it.
Steps You Can Take Today to Ensure Business Continuity
Preparing your business for a natural disaster doesn’t have to be overwhelming, but it does need to start now. Here’s how you can begin:
- Create a Business Continuity Plan: A business continuity plan outlines how your company will continue operating during an emergency. The Small Business Administration (SBA) provides a detailed guide on how to build this plan. If this seems overwhelming to do on your own, don’t be afraid to ask a professional for advice. An IT consultant or Managed Service Provider can walk you through, and help you set up a Continuity plan for your business.
- Backup Your Data: Ensure that all your business data is regularly backed up and stored off-site or in the cloud. This ensures that you don’t lose valuable information if disaster strikes. Your IT Support provider can manage this for you, so you’re always prepared. Make sure to ask them how they backup your data.
- Invest in Proper Insurance: Make sure your business has insurance that covers natural disasters. Review your policy regularly to ensure it covers potential risks, and the disasters you might face locally.
- Employee Communication Plan: When disaster strikes, you need a way to quickly communicate with your team. Have a plan for reaching out to employees, whether through text, email, or phone trees. It’s a good idea to set up remote communication tools to ensure your team stays connected.
- Emergency Supplies: It’s always a good idea to have some emergency supplies on hand in case your business is affected, even by something as small as a power outage (e.g. Flashlights). Also, Ready.gov offers a complete TookKit, which offers different checklists of how you can prepare for the different types of disasters you might face.
Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late: Learn vital lessons from Milton & Helene
Disasters like Hurricane Helene and Milton offer us all a critical lesson: disaster preparedness is vital. The businesses that survive and thrive in the aftermath are the ones that have a solid plan in place long before disaster strikes. So, the question is—are you ready?