After the Disaster...

These days, most people have business continuity plans. They spend a lot of time and resources on learning what could go wrong and how to prevent and mitigate those possibilities as well as getting through disruptions and disasters. Many companies, however, fail to spend sufficient time what to do AFTER the disaster. This week's articles focus on those concerns; review these with your team and see if your recovery plan is sufficient for your needs.

Here are the steps to take immediately following a disaster. (Item #1)     These steps will help you return to normal, or to the new normal. (Item #2)     There are many sources of assistance available to businesses after a disaster. (Item #3)    

A business disaster is not just about dollars and cents or profit and loss; it is also about the human capital invested in the company. (Item #4)     How can you help your employees get back to work after a disaster? (Item #5)     Here are the five key weaknesses with most businesses' recovery plans. (Item #6)    

As always, I look forward to hearing about your concerns with regard to business continuity. If there are any topics that you'd like to see covered, email me at [email protected].

Bob Mellinger, President
Attainium Corp

1. Immediately following a disaster: First steps

The following are the suggested initial steps you should consider taking immediately following a disaster like a fire, flood or earthquake. These steps are focused on business issues only. The article also contains a business assessment checklist and a reality check checklist.
http://www.cpaaustralia.com.au/professional-resources/business-management/business-recovery/disaster-recovery-toolkit/immediately-following-a-disaster

2. Tips for Resuming Business Operations after a Disaster

In the wake of a disaster, there are a number of steps you should take to resume business operations quickly. A return to normalcy requires collaboration among employees, suppliers, vendors, customers, insurance companies, insurance agents and brokers, government agencies and financial institutions, to name a few.
http://chubb.com/businesses/cci/chubb1073.pdf

3. Disaster Assistance

Disaster can strike at any time, and even the most prepared businesses and business owners can be adversely impacted. If your business has been impacted by a disaster, the SBA can help by providing disaster assistance. Loans may be available to businesses that have suffered an economic loss as a result of the disaster. Assistance is available from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the SBA, the Farm Services Agency (FSA) and state governments.
https://www.sba.gov/content/disaster-assistance

4. Helping your employees through a crisis

The first hours after disaster strikes your business are critical for its recovery. Everyone with any connection to your firm will look to you for guidance, direction and hope. How you respond will send powerful messages to your stakeholders, customers and employees. The correct response can mark a turning point for your company.
http://missouribusiness.net/article/recover-rebuild-disaster4-helping-employees/

5. Disaster Recovery: Five Ways You Can Help Employees Return to Work

In the wake of a natural disaster, having a business continuity plan and handling your employees with compassion can make the transition back to work much easier and quicker for everyone. Here are a few things you can do to help your employees manage their work life and personal challenges.
http://www.insperity.com/blog/disaster-recovery-5-ways-you-can-help-employees-return-to-work

6. The Five Biggest Problems with Disaster Recovery Plans

From the time we are children, we do "fire drills" so we know how to evacuate a building during a fire. Everyone knows what to do during a fire. But most businesses have no idea what to do after the fire. Similarly, we've gotten pretty good at creating reliable backups, but many small businesses have no idea what to do in a disaster recovery scenario. Backups are vital, but backups are not a disaster recovery plan.
https://www.storagecraft.com/blog/five-biggest-problems-disaster-recovery-plans/