Earthquake Raises Questions for Businesses

I've been monitoring the crisis in Haiti as they deal with a 7.0 magnitude earthquake. While Haiti isn't a mecca of business, it does make me wonder if businesses in the United States are prepared for such a natural disaster?

If you are a business owner, I would invite you to answer the following questions:

(1) Do you have a formal continuity of business plan?

(2) Do you have plans to get key personnel to a functioning facility?

(3) Do you have backups of your records/data...and if so, are they stored offsite in a safe location?

(4) Do you have alternate facilities identified?

(5) Do you have an alternate communications plan identified?

(6) Do you have a security plan in place?

(7) Do you regularly test your continuity plan and update the plan based on the results?

If you didn't answer yes to all of the questions, then you need to sit down with a professional and develop a plan. Without one, a catastrophe could wipe your business out. Don't wait until it's too late. Plan now so you'll be ready.