Prepare Your Business For Data Issues

Companies and individuals are more dependent on technology than ever before, and that dependence grows daily. As such, computer viruses, data leaks, system hacks and other technology-related issues can pose real emergencies. While the thought of something bad happening is difficult to consider, it is vital to take steps to protect yourself, your team, your clients and your overall business.

Here are a few items to consider now to support your preparedness when any potential data issues arise:

1. Make sure your business uses a hosted exchange server. Moving your exchange server offsite ensures your company email, calendar sharing and contacts directory will work, even when your physical office space is unavailable. Plus, moving it offsite removes the cost and complexity of managing the hardware yourself.

2. Utilize hosted VoIP for your business' telephone needs. Moving the brains of your phone system to an offsite solution ensures you can still send and receive calls amidst whatever disaster impacts your area, even when your physical office space is unavailable; plus, this ensures you can transfer calls to anywhere at any time, and each team member will receive voice mail messages as emails to whichever email address he or she prefers.

3. Download apps from the web. Applications installed to your computer by a CD or by the manufacturer of your laptop / desktop require manually upgrading to the latest version. Alternatively, using cloud-based software applications will ensure all team members are always working on the latest software from anywhere on any technological device. Plus, this option provides tools that are more reliable and more easily accessible, enabling your business to function from nearly anywhere.

4. Save important information to a cloud storage solution. Both paper and electronic documents can be damaged by natural disasters when saved locally. An onsite server is subject to local emergencies, especially fire and flood. Having vital data saved in one place leaves you susceptible to viruses and "disappearing" content. However, when you choose a cloud storage solution, such as Backblaze, Carbonite, Crash Plan or Mozy, your information is encrypted and saved in several places, making it much safer and more secure. Convert paper documents to an electronic format and, then, store them remotely, making all your information easily accessible AND safe from harm. Here are some items to include:
- insurance policies and contact phone numbers
- business licenses, permits, articles of organization and EIN
- bank account numbers and representatives' contact information
- deeds to properties
- service contracts for all your products / tools and the contact numbers for those overseeing their maintenance
- inventories, both of items in office space as well as items to sell

5. Create and implement a cybersecurity strategy. For my clients, I recommend a consultation with Bianca Montes Jones of justotech; however, no matter with whom you consult, it's important to make sure your company has appropriate virus protection, is not susceptible to hacks and maintains appropriate restrictions for team members' use of the Internet.

A little bit of risk management up front can lead to saving a good deal of money, headaches and heartache over time. Click here for a video overview of steps you can take to prepare your business for potential data issues, and please share successes in the comments.

What steps will you take now to boost your preparedness?

Prepare Your Business For Potential Fires

An emergency is a sudden and urgent state of need for help or relief that's created by some unexpected event. Regardless of your location and the risks uniquely associated with that specific place, we are all in danger of emergency resulting from fire. Plus, it is important to note that the hazard of fire is not limited to your home; your business is equally at risk of burning down. Are you prepared for such an emergency?

Fire can create disaster for your business at any moment, but it doesn't have to slow your business down. Take the following steps now to boost your preparedness for whenever fire might possibly strike. You'll appreciate being prepared when your business and personal safety are faced with a fire disaster.

- Make certain you have proper insurance. Inadequate insurance coverage can lead to major financial consequences if your business is damaged or operations are interrupted for a measurable amount of time. Ask your insurance agent, broker or underwriter if you are adequately covered for potential property damage as well as what business interruptions you could possibly face. Check out Ready.gov/business for a form that can be helpful in evaluating your insurance coverage.

- Back-up all important programs and data to an offsite location. While many rely on online file repositories, like Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, iCloud, Spider Oak and Sugar Sync, please keep in mind that these are not back-up solutions, serving instead to make your selected files available across your many devices and to make those files easier to share with others. Alternatively, I highly encourage you to consider "set it and forget it" solutions, like Backblaze, Carbonite, Crash Plan and Mozy.

- Make an evacuation plan. The ability to evacuate your team members, customers and visitors quickly can save lives. Ensure there is a warning systems (like smoke detectors) throughout your facility that everyone can hear, and schedule maintenance of those systems, particularly marking your calendar to replace batteries and test the devices regularly. Determine at least two ways for each team member to get out of every part of each building, including ladders to come out windows of upper stories, and educate your team as to how they can use that evacuation plan. Tell everyone to crawl on the floor because smoke rises and to check doors for heat before leaving any room. Identify a location away from your facility for everyone to gather outside their building, helping you determine whoever might be missing, and share this information every year with your team, educating new hires upon their arrival. Remind everyone that, once you've left the building, everyone is to stay out and do not re-enter for any reason. Plus, don't forget to call 911 from your safe location.

- Do what you can to limit damage before being struck by fire. When possible, prepare and maintain adequate firebreaks and green spaces around your property. Consider installing fire glass in windows and doors. Locate your sprinkler shut off valves so first responders can easily access them and prevent residual flooding; on a related note, routinely test your sprinkler systems to keep them in good working order. Likewise, know the location of major HVAC, piping, gas and water lines to aid in the domino effect of damage being done to your facility. Keep emergency exits clear and marked with plenty of signage to direct anyone in that area.

Risk management is a way of thinking that permeates your entire organization, from the most senior manager to the newest edition to your workforce, and seeks to preserve your company's ability to continue in the face of whatever might arise. Being prepared for emergencies and natural disasters should be no exception. Click here for my video of tips and visit the Ready Business website, launched by The Department of Homeland Security and The Federal Emergency Management Agency back in 2004 to make sure businesses are prepared in the event of an emergency.

Is your business prepared for a fire? What steps will you take to increase your preparedness?

Prepare Your Business For When Natural Disasters Strike

As the Atlantic hurricane season is June 1st through November 30th, I find this an excellent time to revisit preparedness for your business, your home and you personally. There are many issues for which you need to be prepared, and hurricanes are just one of the options listed. According to the Insurance Service Office, the top causes of insured disaster-related losses from 1993 to 2012 are as follows:

1. Hurricanes / Tropical Storms - $158 billion in claims

2. Tornadoes - $141 billion in claims

3. Winter Storms - $28 billion in claims

4. Terrorism - $25 billion in claims

5. Geological Events - $18 billion in claims

When you take into account all possible natural disasters, each of us is in danger of something, no matter in which part of the world you live, work and play. Whether you face hurricanes, tornadoes, snow blizzards or thunderstorms with lightening, are you, your business and your loved ones prepared? Per Ready.gov, only 57% of people report they have readiness items set aside for use in disasters; likewise, just 34% of people have readiness supplies in their automobiles, and less than half of households have an Emergency Plan created.

In this first post of my preparedness series, let’s talk about the steps you can take now to be ready:

- Determine what types of disasters are possibilities for your area.

- Decide where you will go and who you will contact for check-in should you have to evacuate.

- Make a list of what essential equipment must be taken from the premises as evacuating.

- Learn and practice how to turn off water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves.

- Locate your fire extinguisher and learn how to operate it.

- Find out where your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors are located; mark on your calendar regularly replacing their batteries and learn which sounds indicate what.

- Establish from here employees can obtain important updates during an emergency situation, especially when and where to return to work if there is a satellite or back-up location.

- Decide how you will facilitate payroll in a disaster scenario.

- Keep your business’ policies and procedures in writing to be accessed from anywhere at any time.

If it is unsafe to go out, you might be stuck at work or your home; therefore, make sure you have the necessary supplies. Visit http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit for what should be included in a disaster supplies kit and, then, start accumulating it all, storing them somewhere easily accessible yet secure. For more about what you need, click here for a video description, and take actions to get ready now.

As different natural disasters impact different areas of the globe in different ways, take time to peruse the details at http://www.ready.gov/natural-disasters, paying close attention to what you need in the various scenarios that potentially impact your area. With each, though, power outages are regularly a by-product of natural disasters; therefore, prepare for potential power outages with these steps:

- Fill up your gas tank. Without power, the pumps don’t work.

- Visit your bank's ATM for cash. Credit and debit cards won’t work during a power outage.

- Charge your mobile devices and try steps from http://bit.ly/VcvO6u to conserve battery consumption.

- Keep on hand extra batteries for your flashlights so you are always ready to see in the dark.

Another excellent resource is at http://www.preparemybusiness.org/planning, from which you can obtain checklists for recovery overview, critical business functions to consider, assessing your risks, creating your emergency communications plan, phone recovery, your disaster recovery kit, winter weather preparedness, earthquake preparedness, tornado preparedness, wildfire preparedness, flood preparedness, hurricane preparedness, crisis communications to consider and much more.

Above all, though, make a plan, prepare for possible communication gaps, have the supplies you need on hand, keep what you’ll need remotely stored in the cloud and update everything regularly.

What natural disasters are issues where you reside? How have you prepared for those potential issues? What steps can you take now to be fully prepared?

Were You & Your Business Prepared for Recent Winter Weather? Be Prepared For Future Emergencies

 Did last week’s winter weather catch you off guard or were you safe at home with all your supplies before a single flake fell from the sky? When Mother Nature throws us a curveball, there are many different details to be considered; in addition to physical safety, businesses must consider how to get the word out about schedule or service changes and how to fulfill commitments.

Still, it is not just weather-related issues that can be emergencies for you and your company…  An emergency is any situation posing immediate risk to life, health, property or environment, which can include computer crashes or viruses, contagious diseases, earthquakes, fires, floods, hurricanes, ice storms, random power outages, shootings, terror alerts, theft, tornadoes, tsunamis and, even, death.

While the thought of something bad happening might be too difficult to consider, it’s vital to take simple steps to protect yourself, your team and your overall business. Here are steps to get started.

First, make a plan. What types of disasters are possible for your area? If you must evacuate, who makes that decision, what should be the exit plan and who do folks contact to check-in that they’ve made it to safety? What essential equipment must be taken from the premises as you are evacuating? How do you turn off water, gas and electricity at the main switches or valves? Where is your fire extinguisher and how do you operate it? From where can employees obtain important updates, especially when and where to return to work, particularly if there is a back-up location or if team members will be working remotely? How will you facilitate payroll in an emergency situation? Might it be helpful to keep some cash in the office, just in case you can’t get to the bank? Engage your entire team in this planning as each employee will have a different perspective and bring new ideas to the process. Further, it is important to keep these business policies and procedures in writing.

Second, prepare for communication gaps. There are many groups of individuals who will want to know what your company is doing in various circumstances. Where should employees look for necessary directives? Which team members will need to know what? What questions will arise from vendors about how business will continue? How will you notify your customers of operating plans and ways to interact with you? Will you continue to offer customers support via email, phone, online chat, eFax, snail mail or what? How soon will customers’ experiences with your company return to normal, and what should be expected in the interim? Is a press release necessary to alert the public of your business’ plans? An excellent example from this past week is how local florists were impacted by winter weather over the days leading into the Valentine’s Day holiday… If your business depends on certain dates, it may be even more important to alert consumers of your plans related to those dates. How can you utilize your website and marketing materials to communicate your emergency game plan?

Third, ensure you have the right supplies should it be unsafe to go out and you get stuck at work, at home or in your vehicle. While basics like first aid kit, matches in a waterproof container, food / water, flashlight with extra batteries, whistle, dust mask, moist towelettes, garbage bags with plastic ties, wrench, pliers and local maps from http://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit remain very important for us all, your specific needs might go beyond that list. Should you add bug repellant, sunscreen, compression stockings, small sewing kit, safety pins, pocket knife, generator, plastic sheeting / tarp with duct tape to shelter-in-place, heavy-duty work gloves, buckets, gas can with funnel, solar-powered chargers and fire escape ladders for higher stories? Plus, be sure to stock each company vehicle just as you have supplies in offices or at your home, including a flashlight, reflective vest, life hammer, flares, tire repair kit, vehicle battery booster, compass, bottled water and basic tools. 

Fourth, prepare your personal and company’s property to withstand disaster. Taking into account what hazards are likely to hit your property in each type of disaster, like flooding, extreme wind, piles of snow on your roof and electrical blackouts, what can you do to safeguard your essential business equipment? Do you utilize hosted email exchange server, hosted VoIP and cloud storage to backup messages as well as secure vital documents should your physical location be impacted by natural disasters? Further, does your building meet current safety standards to survive what disasters might strike? Should you earth or elevate equipment for its protection? If there is advance notice for any emergency, how early do you take proactive steps to prepare property?

Fifth, keep important paperwork ready for your business, just as you would for your family or yourself. Do you have your insurance policies and related contact options easily accessible? Have you scanned business licenses, permits and property deeds into the cloud so they’ll be available if you must relocate? Is there an easily accessible list of your company’s service contracts with applicable contact information as well as financial account details and their associated contacts’ details? What should be stored in the cloud? What should be stored in fire- and flood-proof safes? Are there needs specific to your industry or your location?

Sixth, keep all contact records up-to-date. While I always recommend utilizing a Customer Relationship Management Tool, in the instance of an emergency, where you are storing the information is not nearly as important as having accurate and up-to-date contact information. You’ll need to notify customers, vendors and employees alike of your plans to continue operating as usual or re-open on a specific date as well as how to communicate / interact with you during every step of the recovery process. If you don’t have their contact preferences, you cannot convey this necessary information, and that may delay getting back to normal.

Maintenance is important! Once you’ve established a solid foundation, be certain to review your plans and supplies at least every 6 months. Train each new hire immediately as he / she joins your team. Conduct fire and emergency drills regularly, scheduling regular reviews of how to operate fire extinguishers, changing smoke alarms’ batteries and conducting regular training for team members on First Aid, CPR and AED. Finally, to support ongoing success, when disaster strikes, document what worked or didn’t for future planning.

On a related note, I am a huge fan of Evernote as a tool for helping me “remember everything”. It’s not just about making notes or keeping information available in the cloud so that it’s easily accessible everywhere; it’s also about finding what I need quickly when I need it. Emergencies are an excellent example of where Evernote is useful. Whenever an emergency strikes, it’s easy to slip into a panic. Well, checklists are helpful in panic-prone situations, and Evernote is an excellent location to store those necessary checklists. Beyond that, though, many details related to your company’s tech tools, products, service contracts and accounts could be easily stored in Evernote.

Take action today… Think about all the possible issues that might face your company. Create a contingency plan so your business operates with continuity regardless of the situation and circumstances that you and your team shall face. Will you be prepared when Mother Nature strikes next or when we are faced with a terror attack? What is your game plan for your business when facing various emergencies?