Until an unforeseen crisis takes place and companies end up suffering from thousands of millions of dollars in both operational and economic losses, most business owners do not usually think that they can ever be a victim of a natural disaster. This is because they all lack disaster preparedness. This article talks about the necessary information that can be used by small or Mid-sized businesses (SMBs) to understand the vital importance of having a DR ( disaster recovery) plan in place to help them survive any potential and unforeseen catastrophes.
Unpredictability is a fact of life as we all know it. After the recent floods in the South Carolina and the tropical storm bill in the Texas, it was a grim and an unfortunate lesson for the many business owners who are overconfident and think that their companies are spared from the possibility of a cataclysmic weather, human actions or even technological malfunctions. A survey conducted by the IT DRP ( disaster recovery preparedness) in 2014 indicates just how many companies are at risk worldwide. The study reveals that 73 percent of the SMBs fail regarding disaster preparedness. This means that 3 out of 4 companies are not prepared to handle emergencies and be able to save their businesses from the worse-case scenarios.
Perhaps, this is the time to give disaster recovery (DR) some thought if this information is not compelling or clear enough for a business owner like you to consider setting it up. Setting up DR in place can save you years of business loss. Below are some helpful tips on what DR is all about and how you can ensure your business survives in the event of unforeseen disasters.
What is Disaster Recovery (DR)?
Disaster recovery is a plan for accessing your data or restoring your data whenever an accident occurs and destroys part or even all of your companies’ resources. DR is a major component that involves several aspects of your business operations that require this kind of information to function. A disaster recovery plan is there to ensure that in the event of a catastrophe, your vital data can be recovered and the critical applications will also be recovered within the shortest time possible.
Make a disaster recovery plan now to avoid damaging your business.
What kind of unforeseen disaster is likely to happen?
Disasters that face your company can be categorized as man-made, technological or even natural. Technological and man-made disasters include civil unrest, acts of terrorism, cyber attacks, explosions, chemical threats and biological weapons, blast or a nuclear power plant meltdown, power failure and infrastructural failures and hazardous material spills. Natural disasters, on the other hand, include events like tsunamis, landslides, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, floods or even pest infestation.
Why do you need a disaster recovery plan?
Your business will at all times need to recover as quickly as possible and continue to serve your customers and clients as usual if an unforeseen disaster strikes. Disasters will always cause the day to day activities come to a halt regardless of the size of your business. When tragedy strikes, you do not want to experience downtimes as they are one of the biggest expenses in the IT industry. The 2015 disaster recovery statistics has it that most downtimes that last for approximately 1 hour can cost the corporations and enterprises as much as $700,000, $74,000 for the mid-sized organizations and $8,000 for the small companies.
Any extended loss of productivity, particularly for the SMBs can lead to lost orders, missed delivery dates, increased labor costs because staff have to work extra hours to recover from the downtime, reduced cash flow because of late invoicing and much more. If the main company disruptions are not addressed and anticipated today, there is a possibility of adverse consequences resulting from unforeseen disasters which in turn may have long-term implications that can affect the business for a very long time. If you have a disaster recovery plan in place, your company can save itself from the risks that may include a negative impact on customers and clients, reputation loss, out of budget expenses, and also data loss.
How do I develop a data recovery (DR) strategy for my company?
Even though creating, implementing and maintaining a business recovery plan is time-consuming, it is crucial to ensure the business survival. A lot of organizations do not have the time or even the resources to commit to this process. You can always give us a call if you would be interested in protecting your company from the unforeseen disasters or you may need further information and guidance on how to get started and out experts will be happy to help.
