The Little Things

I haven’t forgotten the small business owners who have been following my business continuity series!

Overwhelmed yet with the whole planning thing? Wondering how long it will take to put those plans together? What can be done in the meantime? Here are a couple of easy tasks that can mean a lot for a business in an emergency.

The first task is all about communication. Who is contacted and for what purpose? Make a list: go through email contacts, the rolodex and the business card file. The first set of contact information is that of customers! Customers will all need to be reached if the business has to be suddenly relocated. If there is computer database to keep track of them, great – make sure there is always a current copy backed up and off site. If the business is smaller or just uses a less current sort of customer tracking, that’s perfectly fine. Just make sure to keep a copy of the customer list locked away somewhere other than the office.

The same goes for a list of vendors. Vendors can become partners in a time of emergency, anywhere from bringing in replacement computers or equipment to providing the raw materials of the manufacturing process. In some cases, a vendor could even provide temporary space for a business. 

And don’t forget a contact list of employees. Make sure everyone has provided at least one way to reach them in an emergency. An emergency contact for each employee is also a good idea, in case of an incident on the job.

The second task is about financial needs. All information about insurance should be kept together, and copies stored off site along with those contact lists. Insurance information is crucial in the rebuild and restore process that happens after an incident. The faster the insurance company can get started, the faster the company can get back online. Having accessible copies of insurance information can streamline that process.

If payroll is done in-house, then information needs to be stored off-site that would allow payroll to be completed smoothly, even if the business burns to the ground. This includes bank information and employee information.

Something to remember about storing information off site – this IS crucial information. Storage should be secured – on or off site. None of this information should be handled in a way that it could fall into the wrong hands. Even a small business can fall victim to identity theft, so make sure all back-up information is handled securely. Consider a safe at another location, or a safe deposit box at the bank used by the business.

These “little things” are really very small tasks than can mean the world to your business in an emergency.