It Ain t Over Till It s Over: Hurricane Season .0 by Ren Grajales

In the movie Noah, much of the plot was predictable-herding up pairs of goats and monkeys, building that massive ark, then enduring the storm of storms. But what the film didn't dwell on was the messy aftermath, 20 centuries or so before flood insurance.

With this week marking the midpoint of the Atlantic hurricane season, it's too early to celebrate escaping a Noah-like flood just yet. In fact, some of the biggest U.S. storms on record have pounded the East Coast during the season's second half, from the calamitous Wilma in 2005 to Sandy just two years ago.

The Costs-and Risks-of Downtime

According to the Hartford 2013 Small Business Pulse Survey, three-quarters of small business owners polled after Hurricane Sandy were forced to shutter their businesses temporarily, with 44 percent of that group closing for a week or more.

Think about how long would it take to get your business up and running after a similar calamity. Not only are the costs of downtime considerable, but so is the risk of losing critical information. What if you can't find what you need to prepare an insurance claim, or to stay in compliance with your industry's laws and regulations? Consider the paperwork that goes into your tax preparation alone-then imagine what would be lost if your offices flooded.

How to Build Your Ark

Like Noah, you can prepare for a storm-even one you can't predict in advance. Start with these four steps:

1. Back it up or move it offsite. Back up data on a regular basis, and move it and records-both electronic and paper-to secure offsite storage facilities. A flood in your basement can't affect records stored in another location, just as a blackout can't destroy data you've backed up.

2. Get organized. Identify important records, and prioritize what you'll need most to keep your business going in those critical hours and days following a natural disaster. Having your house in order before a storm hits will save countless hours of effort afterward.

3. Make a plan. Organizations like the Small Business Administration can help you create an all-encompassing disaster recovery plan-one that covers everything from emergency preparedness to cleanup procedures. FEMA and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also offer advice on employee and office safety in the wake of a disaster.

4. Partner with an expert. As for your critical information, an experienced partner can help you retrieve records and get data back online quickly after disaster strikes. Choose a vendor with expertise in disaster recovery so you can access records quickly and easily from a secure offsite storage location.

Like Noah, you can only survive the great flood if you prepare for it. Your incentive is clear: The plans you make in advance of a hurricane can help you minimize downtime and keep your business compliant in the aftermath of a significant storm.

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2014/service-lines/small-business/it-ain...
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