Recent statistics tell us that as many as 1 out of every 3 businesses don’t have a disaster recovery plan in place. Without a business continuity plan, these businesses are at risk of losing it all should disaster strike. Unfortunately, almost all of them do – 90% of those without a business continuity or disaster recovery plan fail after a major disaster.
These must be some of the saddest numbers in business, because in almost every case, the failure and loss were completely avoidable.
Today, having a business continuity plan is more important than ever, but before you go out and invest in the first disaster and data recover service you come across and think you’re covered, take a minute to learn what makes a business continuity plan great.
Here are the seven elements of a successful, effective approach to disaster recovery:
- Manager Support – It’s absolutely crucial that a business continuity plan is understood, implemented and supported by all members of your upper management staff. Without this, it’s nearly impossible to implement it fully and get employees on board. An IT managed service provider can help educate and generate support of the recovery plan with your entire staff.
- It’s Based in the Present, Not the Past – Analytics play a critical role in developing a business continuity plan, but the data only goes so far if it’s outdated and not a reflection of where your business is currently. This collection of data is called a Business Impact Analysis (BIA), and it needs to be up to date and aligned with your current mission and goals.
- At the Heart is a Solid Crisis Management Plan – When it comes to data backup and data recovery in the event of a disaster, the best approach is a defensive one. The most important element of a great business continuity plan is a team that never lets their guard down and is always proactive in protecting your business.
- Everyone Knows the Process – The best business continuity plan is going to fall flat if everyone on your team is running around like a chicken with their head cut off. There needs to be a clearly detailed plan, with every critical player understanding their role and what tasks they are and aren’t responsible for carrying out.
- There’s a Plan to Avoid Haphazard Communication – Your entire team needs to be aware of the line of communication in the event of a disaster and understand their part in keeping communications flowing through the organization at the appropriate levels. An unstructured communication approach leads to unnecessary disruption during one of the most critical times for your business.
- Continuing Education – It isn’t enough to just have a plan in place and call it a day. Your business continuity plan should be communicated at appropriate levels to all members of your staff. It’s not uncommon for a part-time or temporary employee to be the first one to spot the signs of disaster, it’s only fair that everyone understand what the plan is. This includes updating employees and management staff on important changes and updates as the needs of your business change.
- Partnership with an IT Managed Service Provider – You don’t want to be one of the 90% that fail without a business continuity plan. A managed IT service can work with you to develop a disaster recovery plan with an approach that covers all the bases, including cloud recovery.
If you’d like to learn more about how a business continuity plan protects your business, contact Proactive IT today. We have the range of services you need to prepare for the unexpected.