It Can Happen to Your Busine-Again (and Again) by Pete Lorenco

In a classic eerie tale, a merchant's servant is threatened by Death in the marketplace. To avoid his doom, the fearful servant secures permission to flee to Samarra. When the merchant sees Death a little while later, he demands that she justify her threats.

I was just surprised to see him here, she replies. We have an appointment to meet this evening in Samarra.

Do you ever feel like that really unlucky servant? Has disaster been stalking your business like the Grim Reaper in the marketplace? Perhaps your boutique real estate brokerage at the Jersey Shore perished in an electrical fire. You rebuilt it, only to have it take another wallop from Hurricane Sandy.

It's not just you. Turns out, we're living in the disaster decade. Living through one disaster is bad enough, but two or more? These days, it's actually pretty common.

Trouble Loves Company

In Oklahoma and Texas last spring, news of tornadoes and other calamities arrived like war-zone dispatches. In May, 37 tornadoes touched down and claimed a total of 50 lives-all in little more than two weeks.

After the chaos that ensues from a disaster, recovering data is rarely anyone's first concern. Who cares about customer records when your conference room is soaking in three feet of water? However, you can't run your company without them, and it turns out that sound records management is an essential part of preparing for the unexpected.

These Communities Came Through Could You?

Only one in four companies shuttered after a natural disaster actually open their doors again, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety. What does it take to be part of that 25 percent? To find out, recognize that well-prepared businesses have something in common with well-prepared communities.

The U.S. communities with the most successful recovery efforts, according to a U.S. Department of Mental Health study, made preparedness part of their routine. Take a few pages from their planning, prioritizing and long-term preparation playbook with these best practices:

Have a disaster preparedness plan in place, supported by regular drills and fully tested plans for retrieving your offsite records.

Nurture a culture of preparedness in your workplace. Not only will information management training assist in minimizing security risks, but it will help them respond effectively if disaster does strike.

Protect your essential information now and for the long term with a records management plan. Make sure it includes offsite records storage that tags and classifies documents to ensure reliable access.

Don't be like the servant who unwittingly helps plot his own demise. Disaster planning is an opportunity to get that offsite records storage underway and rest assured that not only your physical property but all of your crucial information is secure and prepared for any eventuality. Once your plan is set, you can let nature throw her curveballs while you focus on the business at hand.

Want more tips and tricks? Check out: Small Business Owners: Are You Really Pre-Disastered?

LINK:	http://blogs.ironmountain.com/2013/service-lines/small-business/it-can...
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