Recent storms in Middle Tennessee have kept many business professionals on edge the past several days as we have been bombarded with flash flood warnings. By no coincidence, we find ourselves in the middle of Tennessee Severe Weather Awareness Week. While many businesses will fortunately find these storms simply an annoyance, others will find themselves dealing with a disaster that greatly impacts their future.
The U.S. Small Business Administration has a section of its website dedicated to helping businesses prepare for a disaster. It’s excellent information, but it doesn’t address the major problem most companies have with backup and disaster recover (BDR) plan—lacking the time or knowledge to create a BDR plan to protect their assets. Most choose to take the risk that they’ll never fall victim to a disaster, instead of working through what they can complete and seeking out a partner for rest. They never complete the BDR plan.
Protection against the threat of disaster
Not having a backup and disaster recovery plan is like not having car insurance. There’s no reason to think you’ll need it, until you do, and then it’s too late. No one plans to be the victim of a hit and run, but it happens. Those who plan ahead are covered under insurance, so once they recover from their accident, they’re right back into the normal flow of daily life, with their car being fixed or replaced. Those who don’t anticipate a disaster? They often find themselves laden with crushing medical bills and without a means of transportation.
The same principle is true for having a BDR program. BDR is your insurance against a disaster—natural or manmade. You don’t need it until you do, but when you do, having it is the difference between continuing forward with your business and never recovering.
Understanding Disaster Recovery
Protecting your business against the threat of disaster isn’t a topic many professionals keep at the forefront of their mind, nor is it something many are particularly well-versed in. However, just because it is a topic many prefer to avoid, does not mean it isn’t of the utmost importance. Over the next few weeks we will be discussing the various aspects and options available for a BDR plan. In doing so, we aim to help better educate businesses on this critical IT need.