Think that it won’t happen to you? That you won’t get hit by that proverbial bus? That your computer systems won’t ever crash – like for good? That your main customer – that one that basically keeps you afloat – won’t call one day to inform you they no longer need your support? Well, guess what? The absolutely unexpected could be right around the corner for you – you won’t know until it’s too late! – so maybe it’s time to re-prioritize that back-up plan.
I’ve worked in the IT industry and with some pretty large corporations for much of my career, so terms like “disaster recovery” and “business continuity” are not new to me. With that said, very few organizations I’ve ever supported have actually taken the time to prioritize these kinds of contingency plans. Maybe their IT groups have a policy in place. Maybe someone in a facilities management role developed something basic in case of a natural disaster. Likely the people who need to know about these policies not to mention what to do if there ever is a crisis though probably don’t even know they exist.
Last week, I learned all too well why these back-up plans are so critical! You see, my best friend was struck by a car and suffered a major head trauma as a result. As we began Day Three at the time I wrote this, he was showing positive signs for a slow recovery, but he was still in a coma.
I trust that will have changed by the time you read this and he will continue to improve day by day. What will not change or improve anytime soon though is his ability to provide for his family financially, for his wife to stop worrying about whether or not he will ever truly recover fully, and for life in general to return to normal. Imagine though if my friend simply had an insurance policy in place to cover such incidents or even an emergency action list containing his email and voicemail passwords such that others could step in as his delegates for now. I won’t even bother addressing the work stuff likely only he knew he was working on…
The whole point about having contingencies in place is that it will be too late to create a back-up plan just when you may need it the most. I invite you to carefully consider this with regards to your life and your business. Who can step in if you ever step out? What will he/she need to do, and how will he/she know how to do that? People take PTO all the time, so there will always be a need for someone to take over and do something that you typically do. How are you going to manage even that less critical transition? Ultimately, how will you maintain your fundamental business operations such that day-to-day business does continue even in the face of a potential disaster?
Give us a call at 866.PLS.DLTA (or +1.310.589.4600 outside the US) or email us at [email protected] if you want to discuss how best to develop your back-up plan for ensuring the continuity of your business. You can also visit the Organizational Assessments page of Plus Delta’s website to learn more about how best to assess what you currently have in place and where to go from there. While someday may never come, can you really afford to take the chance!
