“Bad things” in a business operation can range from: a power outage, a worker shortage, limited supplies necessary to create your production or…. A coronavirus pandemic. Did you ever, in your wildest business imagining think that a pandemic would shut down schools, businesses and lead to a mass exodus of the workforce to remote work situations? Chances are the answer is no.
The world we live in cannot be predicted. There can be fires, terrorist assaults, natural disasters, workplace violence and a pandemic. What is a business owner to do? Well, you probably saw that many business owners were not prepared. Their businesses couldn’t pivot quickly enough to roll with the unprecedented changes Covid-19 brought. Some entrepreneurs did weather that storm and for the most part it was because they had a business continuity and disaster recovery plan in place.
Here are ways in which you can be proactive in light of another emergency situation that could threaten your business. Remember, just because you struggled this past year, doesn’t mean you can’t pick yourself up and get your business prepared. Even if you never need to pull out the BCDR, it’s a great insurance policy for business continuity.
How Your Business Can Prepare For ‘Bad Things’
- Prepare a business continuity plan. Look at what went right during the pandemic, and what went wrong. Do more of what worked, and address what didn’t. A BCDR is a detailed disaster recovery plan. It should have checklists, and instructions that clearly spell out who does when and when and in what order.
- Choose your crisis team wisely. You need to choose team members you know will follow through and who can act in a calm manner if a crisis occurs. If a member of the crisis team leaves, you need to immediately replace that person and get the new team member up to speed. Choose a crisis team that is comprised of someone from every department in your business.
- Make certain that when the executive team is traveling that they travel separately. Don’t let the entire executive team be lost or compromised because they are all on the same flight or in the same vehicle.
- Where will your temporary base of operations be housed? If the office is unusable, where will you carry out your business? This needs to be determined in advance and also needs to be fully up to speed on your needs. More importantly, if other area businesses have chosen the location you are going to be housed in – make sure the location will be able to accommodate everyone in that instance.
- How will you secure your business data? What will your IT response team do and need to do to ensure the company data is protected. If you’re sending your workforce home how will they access data? Do they need to take their workstations home with them? Do you have to have a VPN for everyone so they can remote in? How will they access their desktops if they aren’t taking their workstations home with them? How will you ensure all the equipment is returned.
- Your entire workforce needs to understand cybersecurity and be aware of phishing scams, potential ransomware and other cyber attacks. Hackers are quick to jump in when there is a massive exodus to a work from home workforce as was evidenced during the coronavirus pandemic.
- Communication is key. This is even more true and crucial when the company is faced with a crisis. There needs to be a communication 101 plan in place and all staff and vendors need to know what the process is and how to remain in touch.
Don’t let another day go by without having your business continuity and disaster recovery plan in place. You can download a copy of our BCDR self-assessment checklist. This will let you know where your company is strong and where the potential weaknesses lie.
If you’re unclear on the answers to these questions, DM us or schedule an appointment to talk with our President Seth Melendez. Protect your company’s most valuable asset – its data.
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