Every business should have a disaster recovery plan in place—the global pandemic has proven that without a doubt. And with many parts of our world and daily lives still in turmoil, you don’t want to be at a loss of what to do next in the face of another disaster.

Disasters including financial recessions, natural disasters, and more have greatly affected many businesses in the past, leaving them out of pocket and struggling to know what to do next. But those who are prepared ahead of time fare better in the face of less-than-ideal circumstances.

Here are some basics to include in a disaster recovery plan to help your business survive and thrive through disasters. 

Allocating Roles

Firstly, you need to allocate specific job assignments to each of your employees. With clearly defined roles, everyone will know what steps they need to take in the event of a disaster. Assignments such as who will redirect phone lines and who is in charge of assessing damage are just a couple of examples.

Ensuring that everyone is clear on their job role is vital so that if or when the time comes, you can move forward effectively and smoothly.

Back Up Systems

One of the job assignments you should allocate is ensuring the servers and data are regularly backed up to a location that won’t be impacted by the disaster. This way, in the event of a disaster affecting your physical location or servers, you can be sure that your systems and data are protected.

Additionally, it’s always wise to have everything backed up onto an external hard drive that you can take off-site. An IT provider offering IT services in California can help you get set up with secure cloud backups.

Create An Inventory

It’s always a good idea to have an inventory of all stock and equipment regardless of a disaster. If you don’t have one already, we recommend you make one. Ensure your inventory includes printers, computers, phones, etc.—everything that is used by employees on a day-to-day basis. Include photos in your inventory, as this will help with any insurance claims you need to make if the equipment is damaged in the disaster.

Take Stock of Your Physical Environment

Take a moment to look at the furniture and equipment in your office space. Are there any potential hazards if there were a major earthquake or other disaster? Are there clear paths to an exit in case of a fire? Make sure your furniture is securely fixed in place so as not to fall and injure anyone. You can also remove all equipment from the floor to avoid it getting damaged by flooding, for equipment that isn’t used regularly, wrap in plastic or seal securely and place in another room ideally without windows.

Customer Communication Plan

After the disaster clears, you’ll want to return to conducting business as soon as possible. This means being able to contact your customers quickly and efficiently to let them know you’re up and running, as well as any changes to business hours, services offered, and location.

Now you can get started on your disaster recovery plan, make sure you pay attention to the  details and communicate your plan with all employees so they know what to expect. Take your time to ensure the plan is practical and easy to understand. This will save you time and tears when the next disaster hits.