There is always a chance that things won’t go your way. Accidents happen to any good business, but it’s up to you to make sure that you are prepared for these accidents in advance so that you can keep doing your best and keep your business running smoothly. This is where Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity comes in handy. It helps you prepare for problems before they even show up. Let’s run down exactly what these plans are and what they can help you cover.
Business continuity is the proactive approach and refers to steps and procedures a business must put in place so that critical functions can continue during and after a disaster. This plan is focused towards long-term challenges to an organizations success. Disaster recovery is the more reactive approach and refers to specific steps a business must take to continue operations following an incident or disaster. This plan is focused towards short term challenges. While business continuity focuses on the overall organization, disaster recovery focuses on the technological infrastructure of the organization.
So what kind of threats could these apply to? There are numerous potential threats that, although they may have a low chance of occurring day to day, are still potential threats at all times. A business in Illinois should have a plan in place for tornadoes or fires at any given time. Illinois is part of tornado alley, meaning that during summer and fall, there is a good chance one or more tornadoes will make their way through. There should be a plan of action in place should the situation arise. Although less common but still as dangerous to the business, a fire plan should be in place as well. Depending on the building you use, it could have potential fire hazards inside that, even if repaired, could still cause a fire. You should make sure all your assets are covered and employees have a safe way to exit the building. In case of a gas leak, you should have some way to evacuate employees and still get work done when you are unable to enter the building. Finally, cyber terrorism is very real and alive today, gaining traction as one of the best ways to harm a company and its assets. You should have a way to protect your infrastructure from intrusion and if anything is compromised, a way to recover and rebound without further hurting the business.
Disaster recovery and business continuity are very important for any business, from the fresh upstarts to the seasoned veterans. The more prepared you are for an emergency, they better you are able to handle it and get back to work without losing too much profit in return. Make sure you are never caught flatfooted and always think ahead, it could save you and your business.