When a pipe burst in his office building on Christmas Day, Andrew Kromer had no idea that, eight months later, he would still be unable to move back into his office. The cascade of events set off by the flooding could have been devastating to his small business, but Andrew’s CPA firm is still up and running thanks to some critical planning and preparation that he put in place for exactly this type of scenario.
It was December 25, 2022, and Andrew’s office building was a complete disaster. Pipes in the attic froze and burst, flooding the office building with 10,000 gallons of water. There was water standing up to two feet in some areas and the weight of the water brought down the entire ceiling in bits and pieces. Eventually, the water seeped down to the offices on the first floor and affected every aspect of the building, rendering it completely unusable.
Andrew’s firm was in bad shape. Not only was his office flooded, his computer equipment had been damaged in the flood. The building was officially declared unsafe and all tenants in the building had to move out, leaving everyone scrambling to find a company to do remediation. More importantly, everyone was wondering what would happen to their businesses and their livelihoods.
The looming question from the moment disaster struck was, “How do we get up and running? How will we keep our business operating?”
Staying in business after a disaster
Disasters and the ensuing disruption that follows can be devastating. There are so many pieces for the business to deal with that it can be difficult to know where to start. That is when preparation pays off.
Everything had to come out of the office so the demolition and rebuilding could begin — from restoring the electric, to reinstating the elevator. The process has been lengthy and frustrating, but Andrew is glad to report they were able to serve his clients without significant interruption, even if he did have to move his entire operation to his home.
Proactive IT was ready to help, even on Christmas Day. The team at Proactive moved Kromer’s office into his home, which meant completely rearranging his home and setting up his office in his living room. Proactive removed all the office computer equipment, assessed what was working and what wasn’t, purchased new equipment when required, set up a VOIP system, and got Kromer’s firm back in operation within a few days.
“This is the type of planning you can’t leave to an amateur,” advises Kromer. This type of response takes skill and experience. And careful planning.
Planning for disruption may not be a lot of fun, and it may not seem like a top priority – until disaster strikes. Then, your level of preparation will make all of the difference. Unfortunately, extreme weather events and natural disasters seem to be increasing and there’s no reason to think that is going to change. So it’s really, really important for the future health of your business that you’re prepared.
My team at Proactive worked to ensure that Andrew’s firm was prepared for this type of incident. But even with plans in place, it was still a challenging and harrowing experience for Andrew and his team.
In Part 2 we’ll get into the details. Stay tuned!
Dedicated to IT security and productivity,
– Steve
About Steve Kennen
Steve Kennen is the President of Proactive IT and an expert in information technology infrastructure management, cybersecurity, and cyber risk management practices for businesses. A seasoned entrepreneur and technology veteran with over 25 years of experience, Steve leads the team that keeps our clients secure and their business operations running smoothly.