We are now officially within the Hurricane Season, and it’s important to consider some tips for being prepared from a prevention and disaster recovery perspective – especially as it relates to the business office.

According to a recent poll by the National Federation of Independent Business, almost 40 percent of small businesses experience disaster at some time; 10 percent man-made and 30 percent natural. Many small businesses and organizations are too busy to consider planning for these events, but small steps taken today can certainly help alleviate the stresses associated with these disasters among businesses. Many of these functions can be accomplished by outsourcing. Below is a list of items to consider planning for as compiled by the QuarterCompany team.

• Have online back-ups of documents made available so that they are accessible from anywhere
• Consider payroll providers that are not dedicated to one local location and direct deposit payments to employees
• The ability to process payment (i.e. receive transactions/donations/sales, etc.)
• Multiple options for communications (cell phones, web-based email as opposed to a local server, etc.)
• Verify that your insurances are current with your business – not just in dates, but in coverage. If your business has grown, are you still properly protected?
• Have a plan to keep working in case your worksite is out of commission (working remotely from home may be a viable option.) You don’t want to be in a situation where no one knows if/when/how to continue working after a disaster strikes
• Share your contingency plans with staff so that everyone is aware and is able to execute when the time arises

We hope that these tips help to better prepare you for the unthinkable, or, at least, spawn conversations of how to be better prepared in your organizations. Contact us today to discuss other ideas that can easily be customized to meet the unique needs of your business.