Business Continuance Plans and Disaster Recovery Flow Chart

Preparing Your Business for Natural Disaster

Before a natural disaster comes your way, prepare ahead of time for your small business to make it through the storm. According to a survey conducted in December 2012, 74% of small businesses did not have a recovery plan. Over 80% do not carry natural disaster insurance or a back-up generator for power outages.

Helping your Small Business Survive the Storm

Over half of small businesses run their business from a mobile device. This will be critical to maintaining connectivity during a disaster. A third of businesses only store their information in the cloud. Ensuring your data is safely accessible during a disaster can help you maintain operable.

The typical timeframe for a third of businesses needed to recover from a natural disaster is a week. Over 14% require two weeks to a month to recover while the remaining businesses are unsure of the duration it will take.

Keep Yourself in Business

Keeping yourself in business means keeping yourself in touch with customers. The best way to communicate with your customers during disastrous times is email almost 90% of the time. Half accept the phone or text as a means of reaching out to clients with the remaining 20%+ using Facebook and their website.

5 Tactics to Maintain Sales and Build Customers

Here is a list of five ways you can continue to maintain sales while building customers during natural disasters.

1. Start an online disaster discussion group to provide help and service.
2. Give discounts or free items to those who are affected.
3. Eliminate shipping costs.
4. Donate a percentage of sales to disaster relief organizations.
5. Communicate closely with customers on the status of business and delivery while making yourself available as long as necessary.