According to the National Hurricane Center, an estimate of 97% of tropical activities occur between June 1 and November 30. During this six month period, some shrug off the notion of potential disaster while others worry relentlessly and prepare for the worst. Earlier this year, AccuWeather predicted that there could be five to seven hurricanes and 12 to 15 tropical storms for the 2019 Atlantic Hurricane season. Even though the predictions are calmer this year, disaster cannot be predicted–your business is still at risk for damages, loss, and other disruptions caused by natural disasters. Regardless of the size of your business and where you are headquartered, it is critical to review your business continuity and disaster recovery plans.

If the risk of loss isn’t enough to scare you, we’ve gathered three more reasons why you should develop a recovery plan now.

  1. Reduce down time.
    The best utilization of your recovery plan is to not use it all, however natural disasters are unpredictable and downtime after a disaster is inevitable. The good news is if you prepare now with a detailed recovery plan, major downtime can be avoided and your business can be up and running within no time.
  2. Prevent permanent closure.
    According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Small Business Administration (SBA), 25- 40% of businesses do not open after experiencing a natural disaster. It is crucial to us that your business is up and running after a disaster, but it is even more crucial to ensure that your business are not affected long-term.
  3. Prevent reputation damage.
    Nowadays, businesses are expected to deliver the best services even during times of disaster. Having significant downtime after a disaster can not only hurt you and your business but also your reputations. Customers expect you to deliver on your promises, and if you can’t do that, they will be dissatisfied and express their discontent through social media and/or abandon your business all together.

No current disaster recovery plan in place? Contact us, and a member of our team will gladly you help you prepare for this hurricane season.