Are You Prepared for a Disaster?

Yesterday I look at my calendar and saw that my newsletter was on my calendar for today. I wondered what I would write about. By the end of the day, I had my topic. Back-up and Recovery System.

Are you prepared for a disaster? Around 2pm yesterday I looked up from my computer and saw a reflection of smoke. I knew right away someone's home was on fire. Thinking it was one of the homes behind me I stepped out my patio door. It was the house right beside mine that had caught fire. I immediately went out front to find two members of the family in shock. I found out 911 had been called and no one else was at home. The fire department was there within moments and started fighting the fire. I, like a lot of my neighbors, stood outside and watched with sympathy as this single mother with five children lost everything they owned.

It always happens to somebody else, right? Not all the time. One minute my neighbor's house was on fire, the next, a whole opened up in their attic and the most amazing ball of flames shot directly towards my house. It was at that time I realized that I could also lose my home. I went in, grabbed my purse and my dog and was back out in the driveway. As I stood there I realized I didn't follow my plan.

You see, since I started my business I've had what I considered a good plan incase of fire, I've even written up a disaster recovery plan. My business and its equipment are insured separate from my homeowners. It will also cover any lost income I may incur. I've burned copies of all my software and keep it off site along with copies of important business documents. I back up my entire hard drive daily incase my PC crashes. I keep my calendar on my PC and sync it with my palm; I also keep a paper calendar incase of power outage. Now, the plan was that on my way out of the house I would grab my external hard drive that is used as a backup.

I stood there really hoping that my home would be saved and thinking I need a new plan because when push came to shove, my dog and purse were the only things on my mind. I was so shocked that after all that planning, my business didn't even come to mind.

Well, I was lucky; my home suffered only some exterior damage. My neighbors, unfortunately, lost everything except what was in their garage. Note: fireplace ashes stay alive at least a week after the fire burns out.

If you have not considered what you would do to get your business back up and running incase of a disaster, I suggest now is a good time to start.

Kathy McHenry, Your Virtual Advantage, LLC - Virtual Assistant, Transaction Manager and founder of Your Virtual Advantage, LLC. Kathy is a brilliant resource center for entrepreneurs. Increase your success, reduce stress, and have time to focus on your billable hours. Visit her web site today at http://www.YourVirtualAdvantage.com and sign up for her FREE newsletter Distant Assistant