First of all a sobering fact – 90% of businesses that lose data from a disaster go out of business within 2 years.  So it goes without saying that the most important thing you can do for the prosperity of your business is make regular backups of ALL of your important records and data and store them in a separate place to your normal office. There are many IT services out there who will do this for you for a reasonable monthly fee.

But have you thought about the other equally catastrophic consequences of  a disaster?

OK, so you have copies of all your data files and business software, but what if your offices are unusable because of a fire, explosion, flood, or from other natural or man made events.

You may be covered under you business insurance policy but what about your business.

You need to continue trading to complete orders, look after customers and seek new business. If you just stop and wait for your office to be rebuilt you may not have a business left.

So you need to think very carefully about a contingency plan which you can put into operation, if the unthinkable happens.

There are companies in the market that will offer you guaranteed fully furnished office space, including computers, telephones, office furniture,  and all the necessary equipment to continue with your business, almost immediately after the disaster, but the cost can be as much as £3,500 per employee per annum.

This sort of outlay for the average sized business may be just too much to justify when weighed against the odds of a disaster happening, so  you need to think of something else.

Whilst not perfect, you can manage with satellite staff working from home, but you will need somewhere to use as a  central hub for your business.  Serviced offices, empty offices, shops, business centres, are all good places to start looking, and you can usually find somewhere available for a short period at a reasonable cost.

If you have any land with your business you may be able to hire some portable offices until yours are rebuilt.  Phone systems can be rented, and most telecom companies will have something up and running in a day or so. Many of the call handling systems nowadays can treat your staff working from home as virtual office extensions, creating the impression that you are all under one roof.
Computers can be purchased or rented with immediate delivery available.  Office furniture can be rented from a variety of specialists, although the ranges available may be somewhat limited.

However nowadays there are a few office furniture dealers who hold massive stocks of a variety of furniture ranges, and can deliver and install a large amount of office furniture within a matter of days. Desks, chairs, storage cupboards, meeting tables, and even reception areas can all be chosen and delivered, sometimes within 24 hours.

So take some time away from you normal business, and work out a disaster plan. A detailed plan with contact numbers, delegation of tasks to staff, and  work rotas. Make some preliminary investigations into costs as well, and thinks about the effects of a disaster on your cash flow

Hopefully you will never need this plan , but if disaster strikes, you will be glad that you have one.