Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/142672
certain you have access to them in the event of a natural disaster. "If you are out of business for a few days—or longer—you need to let all of your important contacts know what is happening," Fairbrother says. "This means having an easily accessible list of all contact information. As with other business records, it's best if copies are stored off-site." Review Your Insurance Coverage "Carefully review your insurance policy to make certain it is appropriate for your needs," says Donna Childs, CEO of Childs Capital LLC and coauthor of Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Small Businesses. "You should have business interruption insurance to replace lost revenues if your operations are disrupted due to a disaster." According to Childs, the failure to include business interruption insurance is the most common error in disaster planning for small businesses. Childs suggests you take digital photographs of your major physical assets and preserve them online where you can access them remotely. "Scan critical documents, such as your insurance policies and lease, and have digitized copies available online for the same reason." Provide for Backup Power Need More Info? Emergency Management Guide for Business & Industry. This stepby-step approach to emergency planning, response, and recovery for companies of all sizes is available at no charge online at www.fema.gov/business/guide/ index.shtm. Business Continuity Guideline: A Practical Approach for Emergency Preparedness, Crisis Management, and Disaster Recovery. Available free online at www.uschamber.com/sites/ default/files/issues/defense/files/ guidelinesbc.pdf. Simply Essential Disaster Preparation Kit, by Catherine Stuart. "Consider the use of a backup power generator," says management consultant Isidore Kharasch, "so that if a disaster strikes, it is not made worse by not having lights and power to at least get people out to safety. Also, having a backup battery for your computer should be part of your plan. Even if it lasts for only 2–3 hours, it will give you time to close out servers and shut down the system with your critical records intact. The Path to Recovery In the unfortunate event that your practice is fully or partially wiped out by a natural disaster, your plan should include guidance on how to get it up and running again as quickly as possible. These following basic suggestions should be part of your plan. Provide Physical Security In the aftermath of any natural disaster, security of business assets is almost certain to have been compromised. As soon as it is possible to do so, you should put any parts of your plan dealing with security of your physical assets into effect. Know Who's There to Help and Let Them Know You Need Help "If you are involved in a major natural disaster, you should be prepared to make early contact with any organization that may be able to offer assistance," says Ernest G. Vendrell, PhD, assistant professor of