Plan the Plan: Disaster Recovery for your Business
Sometimes we have to wonder why business disasters surprise us. Not only do we live in a world with tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes, but we live in a world where the “new guy” at the office downloads a virus on your network or a fire starts in your server room. What the fire doesn’t ruin, the sprinklers will.
So the question becomes, “How do we effectively prepare for these disasters?” Backups are good to have, but just having data to restore isn’t really a sufficient plan. Technology only makes up about 15% of a solid business continuity and disaster recovery plan. Having the right steps in place is what really makes the difference between success and failure after an interruption.
Sadly, most businesses aren’t properly prepared. Around 93% of companies that lose their data center for 10 days or more file for bankruptcy within a year. 30% of businesses that experience a major fire fail within a year, and 70% fail within five years. The statistics show that businesses are generally ill-prepared for interruptions.
Poor preparation puts employees in danger, too. We all remember those fire drills and hard-to-take-seriously chemistry videos from high school. At their essence, those exercises are business continuity planning. What will your employees do when your server room does catch on fire? An emergency evacuation plan is a good idea for every office. BC/DR plans not only protect your job but protect the safety of the people you work with (and the mannequin next to your office’s Bunsen burner).
We can’t prevent disasters, but we can be ready for them. It’s well said that “Planning is bringing the future into the present so that you can do something about it now.” On top of preparedness, BC/DR planning gives you peace of mind that your business can handle what gets thrown at it (not to mention insurance discounts).
Need more information about backups? Companies like Claris Networks can help you be prepared. Click here to learn more.
