Businesses of any scale are prone to disasters, and a company often discovers that they lack in the business continuity and data recovery area only after things go wrong. From crashed computer systems to fire and floods, these can put anybody’s business in jeopardy if they don’t have the right business continuity plan and the support of a solid disaster recovery services provider. These will help any enterprise survive after these disasters strike.
According to the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency), only 60% of businesses survive after experiencing disasters, meaning a whopping 40% of companies never reopen after getting hit with these setbacks.
To help you ensure your business continues to operate even after a disaster strike, here are some ways to make your enterprise ‘disaster-proof.’ Protecting your data assets and securing your business in the unforeseeable future.
Have Backups Regularly
A simple way to make your business ‘disaster-proof’ is by practicing regular backups as many offices neglect to check their backup information after the first time they do it. It’s best to have all essential data backed up using an off-site cloud-based solution if you want your business to survive after getting hit with a disaster. You need to check these backups regularly to ensure they are backing up as they should be and not stuck due to a software issue.
Data Availability and Durability
These two are the critical components for any business to have if they want to fully recover data vital for their business, including accounting data, the company’s website, customer records, phones, and emails. Data availability refers to the technology and system uptime that reduces disruption by providing IT continuity through software and hardware redundancy. It ensures that even if systems falter, you can still access relevant data.
Data durability is when you provide long-term data protection to your stored data, ensuring any vital information doesn’t suffer from corruption and disasters. It focuses on data redundancy to ensure data is never lost.
Data Vaulting
Disasters can affect your company’s physical assets and non-physical assets, such as data that is stored on-premise. You need to secure data by using a business ‘disaster-proof’ strategy known as data vaulting, where you send copies of your data off-site. Data vaulting enables your data to be backed up automatically to off-site servers that allow you to access data quickly and easily after getting hit with a localized disaster. This strategy minimizes your business’s downtime and data loss.
Protect Physical Equipment and Documents
Besides protecting your business data, you also have to ensure all your physical assets are well taken care of, including vital paperwork, computer equipment, and other inventory.
All it takes is a single disaster to damage not only these valuable assets but your business as a whole as well. That’s why protecting some of your company’s most prized possessions is essential for business continuity. You can start by storing inventory in a warehouse and gradually make improvements such as fireproofing or waterproofing the facility.
Train your Employees
While there are specific steps that you, as a business owner, can take on your own to prepare for a disaster, don’t forget that your workers can be a significant asset. Train your employees and give them access to your business continuity and disaster recovery plans to let them know how to respond to unfavorable situations.
You have worked hard and invested so much to grow your business, so don’t let a disaster bring you back to square one. Follow these tips to protect your business and buy yourself some much-needed peace of mind.