| Small business owners have an enormous amount | | | | Developing a Disaster Recovery Plan |
| of responsibilities on their shoulders. Most don't | | | | When developing a disaster recovery plan, you |
| have the time to think about planning for a natural | | | | have a few options. You can use online resources |
| or man-made disaster. According to a recent poll | | | | to put together one on your own or you can |
| by the National Federation of Independent | | | | search for a third party company that can help |
| Business, almost forty percent of small businesses | | | | you. There are a number of disaster recovery |
| experience disaster at some time. That statistic is | | | | companies that will help you plan for alternate |
| broken down to ten percent man-made (broken | | | | work space, communication contingencies and |
| water pipes, mold outbreaks, etc.) and thirty | | | | computer storage and back-up in the event that |
| percent natural (flooding, hurricane etc.). | | | | flooding, a fire or other disaster destroys part or |
| Document recovery experts, like Joe Perko, | | | | all of your business facility. |
| Director of Field Services with Rapid Refile, LLC | | | | One of the most important and useful resources |
| agree that this is one of the most common | | | | you can reach out to for disaster plan assistance |
| shortfalls in business planning. "Although the | | | | is a document restoration company. These |
| experience of Katrina in New Orleans has | | | | companies will assess your businesses' document |
| motivated many companies and organizations in | | | | storage facilities and mechanisms and provide you |
| high-risk areas to develop disaster recovery plans, | | | | with recommendations for how to better prepare |
| and to incorporate document salvaging as part of | | | | for a water or fire disaster. Architects, doctor's |
| those plans, there remains a great number of | | | | offices, lawyers, construction companies, tax |
| people and businesses that have not formalized a | | | | preparers, and any other business using hardcopy |
| response to potential property damaged and/or | | | | or electronic records, x-rays, or pictures would |
| business interruptions" said Joe Perko in a recent | | | | benefit the greatest from consulting with such a |
| interview. | | | | company. |
| Regardless of the time, it remains very necessary | | | | The importance of having a plan for document |
| for small businesses to take some steps to | | | | protection cannot be under-emphasized. "A |
| ensure a disaster doesn't take down their entire | | | | strategic plan for recovering water or fire |
| business. Developing a recovery plan does not | | | | damaged auditable records, X-rays, blueprints, |
| have to be difficult, it just takes some time and a | | | | pictures and so on is necessary to ensure |
| little forethought. | | | | functionality, and even survival, after a disaster," |
| There are a number of reasons small business | | | | reminds Perko. "Whereas physical structures can |
| owners give for neglecting disaster planning. | | | | be temporarily replaced by off-site locations or |
| 1. Lack of Resources (staff, outside resources) | | | | office trailers, the paper trail of open contracts, |
| 2. Limited Budget | | | | patient files, tax documents, etc., is the |
| 3. Don't see the need | | | | irreplaceable lifeblood of a business." |
| The need is very clear. Small businesses that go | | | | Too often small businesses realize the importance |
| through a disaster without proper recovery plans | | | | of disaster recovery plans once it is too late. |
| are far more likely to fail. The Association of | | | | Take the time to do some research and develop |
| Records Managers and Administrators estimates | | | | a plan for your business so that it can exist for a |
| that over sixty percent of businesses fail within | | | | long, healthy while. |
| two years of experiencing a major disaster. | | | | |