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Many business owners do not realise that their businesses can face disastrous events in the future. Companies will only realise the importance of a business continuity plan after things go out of hand. Forces of nature like floods, earthquakes, landslides, hurricanes, and typhoons can jeopardise a business of any scale, especially if a company does not prioritise disaster-proofing. Only 60% of companies survive and reopen after a natural disaster, while the other 40% fail to get back up again.
To ensure that your business can withstand a natural disaster, you must make a practical and comprehensive business continuity plan. Here are some tips you can follow to make your business disaster-proof:
Minimise the risk of damage in advance
A good continuity plan is involved from the first day of your business planning. You can start by looking for ways to minimise the damage of a natural disaster in the future, like modernising your electrical system to avoid fires caused by faulty wirings. Renting a place in a fire-resistant area is also a good investment. If you plan to build your building, ask your contractors to use non-combustible materials and put on firewalls, sprinklers, and fire alarm systems. You can also limit storm or hurricane-related problems by looking into the latest trends that can strengthen the foundation and defence of your building, like earth retaining wall or metal roof. Taking these precautionary measures gives your business a higher chance of surviving a natural disaster.
Have regular backups
Files, contacts, and permits are essential in keeping the business up and running. So you must update your backup files and information regularly. The best thing that you can do to protect your data is to keep it on an off-site cloud-based system.
Document your disaster recovery plan
Prepare a comprehensive document that explains every possible disaster or emergency your business can face. Highlight the critical roles that everyone should play to execute the plan properly. Educate the people involved, including the facility management, executives, human resources, and the employees. Finally, ensure that the plan is accessible to everyone.
Practice and execute your plan
The main goal of having an impressive disaster recovery plan is to continue business amidst the damages brought by natural disasters. So you have to make sure that everyone in the company knows it inside and out. First, you can start with simple fire and earthquake drills and then practise operating from home or remote sites for a few days to test the feasibility of your plan.
Update your plan
After doing some drills and simulations, take your time to reassess and update your plan. Then, make changes based on the training results and the feedback of your employees. Technology is also evolving, so make sure to upgrade your equipment from time to time.
Final thoughts
You have invested much time, money, and dedication to start your business. Don’t let a disaster waste all your hard work. You can disaster-proof your business by following these tips. A good continuity plan can protect you, your employees, and your business, and to top it all, it can give you peace of mind.