Disaster Planning for the Small Business

Business disaster and continuity planning • Anticipate risks to business • How long could you afford to go without operating? • How would you continue? • This is a business function, not just IT • Plan and test • Include business partners © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

People • It’s your business and it is personal • Employees and their families have to evacuate, have extended families, and have homes to secure • Payroll • Personal recovery vs. business recovery • Two income HH = two sets of time demands with same problem © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

Contact Card - Staff Employee/Contractor Contact Card Date: Name: Title: Street Address: Office Phone: City/State/Zip: Home Phone: Cell or Pager: Email: Alternate: Evacuation Destination: Notes: © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

Lessons Learned: People Adopted from webinar by IBM Corporation IBM Business Continuity and Recovery Services (2006) Problems: • Employees weren’t available or 100% focused on the job • Employees didn’t know what to do • Employee safety was not considered • There were no emergency loans / funds for employees • What about the families, spouses and/or children What to do: • Consider employees prior, during and after event • Ensure your employees are addressed in your BCP (roles during and after disaster, safety, trauma, transportation, housing and funding) • Consider addressing employees’ families in BCP Include IT, lines of business, HR and auditors in BCP Consider having alternate teams available © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

Lessons learned: Communication Problems: • Cell phone service out • No central point to call/view • No power = no phones • Communication with public safety agencies • Media relations What to do: • Satellite phones and/or out of area cell phones • Website bulletin board, group © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

Lessons learned: Infrastructure Problems: • Storage in vulnerable locations • Structural damage: physical, mold What to do: • Store above ground/flood level • Pre-arrange for contractors • Assess vulnerabilities © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

Lessons learned: Hardware Problems: • No power • Service contracts • Ability to relocate What to do: • Plan or contract for replacement • Identify relocation and test © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

Resources Institute for Business and Home Safety www.ibhs.org US Dept. of Homeland Security www.ready.org IBM Global Services/Business and Continuity www-1.ibm.com/services/us/index.wss/itservice/bcrs/a1000411 Disaster Resource.com www.disaster-resource.com Disaster Recovery Journal www.drj.com © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

About the presenter Peter Lucash is the CEO of Digital CPE, a training, information and consulting firm. He is a former EMT and hospital administrator, and is an active instructor in business for online and ground universities. Help your community businesses prepare! Peter has also developed a hands on workshop for small businesses to develop a working disaster plan. In this half day session, attendees will start to work on their plan and leave with key elements in place and a task plan for completion. Call or email Peter at 843.402.0900 or peter@digitalcpe.com © 2006 Digital CPE, LLC All rights reserved

Disaster Planning for the Small Business

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