Does Your Business Have an Emergency Response Plan?

When disaster strikes, whether through a natural disaster, a fire or a data breach that costs you your computer assets, will your business be able to continue? According to FEMA, between 40-60% of all small businesses don't have the option of reopening their doors following a serious disruption or disaster.

Here's a quick look at how to formulate an emergency response and business continuity plan for your company.

To start, consider what parts of your business must remain in operation to keep the business functioning. Do you need access to your products? Can you arrange a rapid delivery or drop shipment to customers directly from suppliers in case of a disaster? Don't be afraid to reach out to your business partners to make your entire supply chain more resilient. Remember to have regular backups of your website and records in a safe place.

Look at what portions of your business can be done from a remote location. Can you switch to cloud-based services or service-as-a-software options for some of your operations? With today's strong push for digitization, there's a lot more software available this way than in the past. This makes it easier for employees to log in to your system from home if your primary business location is shut down for any appreciable length of time.

Can you take care of your financial operations remotely? Your bank probably has a range of options available to make sure that you can connect remotely, whether through apps, a website or similar connectivity options. If you outsource some of your business operations, make sure to ask about that service's business continuity plan, to make sure that they can also continue operations during a regional emergency or disaster.

By making sure you have a plan in place for business continuity in the form of an emergency response plan, it's much easier to keep your business in effective operation through disasters small and large. If you're not quite sure how to develop an effective response plan for your business or don't have the time to make it happen, that doesn't mean you should let this important task fall by the wayside. AccountRely has experienced business professionals who are ready to help. Please feel free to contact us today to get started.