Your Business May Not Be as Prepared as You Think

Disaster planning has been in the news a lot recently as the US prepares for hurricane season. But how much are we really preparing – not just for hurricanes, but disasters in general.

This has been a common theme at SmallBusinessNewz, but as studies and reports continue to come out showing a lack of preparation on the part of small business owners, the need to discuss it is only highlighted.

The latest report comes from Agility Recovery Solutions and Hughes Marketing Group, who conducted a survey of over 700 business owners and executives throughout North America. The findings indicate that small and mid-sized businesses are generally unprepared for disasters and are misled by existing data backup plans.

Here are some statistics from the survey: 

- 94% of companies have formal data backup plans.

– While 75% of companies say they can have their employees back to work within days of a disaster, only:

    * 28% have access to alternative office space.

    * 41% have access to mobile office space.

    * 54% could acquire temporary office equipment.

    * 57% have access to power generators.

– 90% of smaller companies (<100 employees) surveyed spend less than one day per month maintaining their continuity plans.

– One in five (22%) spend no time maintaining their plans.

– Comparatively, 20% of larger companies (>100 employees) spend more than 10 days per month on their continuity plans.

– Gaining C-level buy-in is a challenge. Regardless of business size, survey results show many companies have difficulties getting C-level executives to embrace the importance of continuity planning.
 
– Although 67% of respondents feel an effective business continuity plan is paramount to company success, only 53% think their company’s management team feels the same way.

The complete survey results are available here.

"A data backup plan is not the same as a disaster recovery plan," says Bob Boyd, chief executive of Agility Recovery. "The best data in the world is useless if you can’t make use of it. Businesses must take measures to ensure employees can return to work immediately after a disaster. Without alternate plans, you’re business will pay the ultimate price."

There are plenty of resources on the web that can and should be researched to make sure your business is prepared and prepared well. Last month, we looked at a checklist provided by Capital One that is worth perusing. Don’t stop there though. Do some Googling (or "binging" – you might as well get to know Microsoft’s new search engine while you’re at it…I’m sure we will delve into some business practices associated with this new search engine before long).