During hurricane season when the weather channel is a continuous tropical storm forecast, everyone goes into disaster preparedness mode. For business owners, this means making sure that the most critical parts of your operation are able to continue both during and after the storm. Your newsfeeds are likely hot with advice on how to best prepare for a hurricane, keep your employees safe, and protect your business property from high winds and flooding. But if business continuity is your responsibility, technology should also be high on your priority list. Since we live in the digital age where our world is driven by technology, these hurricane technology tips can literally save your business operation during a natural disaster.
8 Hurricane Technology Tips for Business Continuity During & After a Storm
- Back up all Critical Data Well Before the Storm – Don’t wait until you see a looming storm system in the weather forecast. Develop a daily backup plan that will keep you covered and protected at all times. Consider Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) as an easy and convenient solution for protecting your important data.
- Test Your Data Recovery Process – It’s easy to have a data backup plan, but don’t put your trust in it unless you know it works. Perform regular checks of your data recovery process to make sure it checks out.
- Protect Your Technology Storage Location – If you have servers and other important business technology on site, make sure you protect the buildings where it is housed. Flooding, lightning and wind damage are real threats during hurricane season. Invest in products that will protect your technology storage location.
- Move Electronics and Hardware to Higher Ground – Don’t forget to protect other forms of technology in the office such as computers and various electronic devices and accessories. Move these items to higher ground and make sure their location is sturdy. File cabinets and other furniture has been known to tip over when the waters get high.
- Be Prepared for Power Surges – It doesn’t take a hurricane or powerful storm to create a power surge, but they are very common during these types of natural disasters. Because this threat is very common, be sure to properly protect your technology from power surges the best you can.
- Implement a Telecommute Plan for all Critical Employees – Working remotely is very common in the digital age, but becomes critical to business continuity during natural disasters. Even if your daily productivity is better off by having all employees housed in office, you should develop a plan for key players to be able to work elsewhere during a hurricane. The more your business can keep going during the storm, the less work you have to do to recover when it calms.
- Devise a Technology Recovery Plan – Be prepared for possible technology failures and losses during a storm and know how to get things back on track. Devise a plan to restore all business technology back to normal and know who will do what to make it happen.
- Communicate with all Vendors in Your Supply Chain – If you are like most businesses, your daily operations are not solely dependent on the people on your payroll. Outside vendors typically play a huge role in business production. Talk with your main suppliers and find out what their business continuity plan looks like. Determine if you will need to make adjustments to continue operations if they cannot meet your needs during this time.
Keep Your Business Going … No Matter What
You have probably heard the saying “technology is great … when it works.” These hurricane technology tips will ensure your business technology continues working for you during and after hurricanes, tropical storms, and other natural or manmade disasters.
At Enstep, we understand how important it is to keep your business technology operable at all times. Our business continuity and disaster recovery services are designed to make sure your business thrives – no matter what life throws your way. Don’t let a disaster put you out of business. Contact us for more great hurricane technology tips that will keep your data protected and your business on track.
