According to the Association of Small Business Development Centers, the effects of a disaster can be quite profound:
- More than 1 in 4 businesses will experience a significant crisis in a given year.
- Of those businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan, 43 percent never reopen.
- Of those that do reopen, only 29 percent are still operating two years later.
Is your business vulnerable? A recent study found that:
- 71% of small businesses do not have a disaster plan in place.
- Nearly two-thirds (64%) stated that they do not need one; and
- 63% are confident they would be able to resume business within 72 hours if impacted by a natural disaster - even though history shows this may be optimistic.
In disaster planning and recovery it is critical to protect your people and your data.
Having a sound contingency plan can help your business successfully recover from a disaster - be it a catastrophic event, like a hurricane, tornado, or fire, or a more regular occurrence like a blackout or flood. Being prepared will also help prevent disruptive events that can be anticipated, and reduce the impact of events that are unavoidable.One of the biggest misperceptions is that disaster preparedness planning is expensive. In truth, preparation can be achieved quite simply and affordably. But one thing you can be assured of: Not having a contingency plan or backup systems in place can mean closing your doors for good. So it is critical for businesses to take disaster planning seriously.