Disaster Recovery Journal

Lets be honest here, there really is no excuse you can make to justify why your business is not protected with a business continuity or disaster recovery plan. For fun, lets just run through a few of the excuses we hear:

• The software is too expensive.
• We aren’t at risk – what could happen?
• My company really isn’t big enough to need protection.
• I don’t have the staff to manage a disaster recovery plan.

Seriously, we hear this all the time. Hopefully for your sake, we didn’t hear this from you…. So lets take a look at these excuses:

The Software is Too Expensive

No it isn’t. There is software out there to meet every budget when it comes to business continuity and disaster recovery planning. Here at KingsBridge, we have free software – yes – free. We’ll give it to you. You can get your business protected for free. Phoenix Mobile is our iPad and iPhone application that allows you to have your plan in your pocket – wherever you are, you’re business is protected.

Beyond our free software, we also offer (as do many other companies) a complete range of software that can fit with your budget:

• Phoenix Online: Perfect for small to medium sized businesses that are looking for an online or hosted solution (SaaS). With Phoenix Online all of your planning is done securely over the Internet. The plans are available to your organization anytime, from anywhere, through any browser.
• Phoenix for Windows: Our next generation planning tool for the Windows operating system. Phoenix for Windows is installed locally on your computer and fully leverages Microsoft Word for editing your plan.
• Phoenix SharePoint Standard Edition: Built to integrate directly into your existing Microsoft WSS environment. Leverages calendars, RSS feeds, Team Assignment Gantt charts, Team discussion boards and much more.
• Phoenix SharePoint Enterprise Edition: Designed to take full advantage of Microsoft SharePoint. Builds on features of Phoenix SharePoint WSS for advanced team collaboration within your Microsoft MOSS environment.

We Aren’t at Risk – What Could Happen?

Hmm, well really the question is – what won’t happen? The issue of ensuring that businesses and individuals are protected in the event of a disaster or threat is so important, that President Obama proclaimed September as National Preparedness Month. In his August, 27 declaration, President Obama stated "we stress the importance of strengthening the security and resiliency of our Nation through systematic preparation for the full range of hazards threatening the United States in the 21st century, including natural disasters, cyber attacks, pandemic disease, and acts of terrorism. "

So, like we said – what won’t happen? It doesn’t matter how big or small your business is or where you are located – you are at risk. Still don’t believe us? Visit http://www.disasterrecovery.com/bia/login.html and find out what the threats really are to your business.

To learn more about National Preparedness Month and why it is so important to be prepared, visit the following sites:

• http://www.ready.gov/america/index.html - this site has excellent information for individuals and businesses
• http://citizencorps.gov/ - excellent resource to learn what you can do as an individual citizen

My Company Really Isn’t Big Enough To Need Protection

This statement simply doesn’t make much sense… Any company at any size has assets that need to be protected. Not to mention that if you’re the owner of this “small” company, you want to make sure that your livelihood is protected and maintained in a time of disaster or threat. It is critical to remember that disasters don’t need to big – a power outage, a lost laptop, missed flights – all of these can quickly turn into something much larger and serious.

Maybe you still don’t believe us that your company is “big enough” to need protection… But humor us and download Phoenix Mobile – this is our free iPad/iPhone application. You may not be convinced yet, but after using this free application and quickly learning  how easy it is to protect your company, we’re pretty sure you’ll be onboard.

I Don’t Have the Staff to Manage a Disaster Recovery Plan

Good news – you don’t need a big staff of people to manage your disaster recovery plan! This is where companies such as KingsBridge come in. We have 27 years of real on the ground experience in business continuity and disaster recovery planning, including expert consultants. Our consultants can help you – we’ll come in and assess your situation, make suggestions on how best to get your company protected and prepared, we’ll work with you to create a plan then we’ll test it and follow-up with you to ensure your plan is up-to-date. See? You don’t need a dedicated staff for this – you just need to be dedicated to the longevity of your company.

No Excuses - Review

Lets just quickly review what we’ve learned today: There Are No Excuses – You Need a Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan!

We know that you can do this on-budget with little to no interruption to your employee’s day-to-day activities. There are multiple software solutions out there to match your budget and company infrastructure.

It is National Preparedness Month, so get out there and get busy. Use National Preparedness Month as a reason to educate your employees about how critical it is to be prepared and aware of potential threats.

Technology is your friend. Thanks to the developments of big technology companies such as Apple, you can always be protected and prepared, wherever you are. Download a free application and get on board.

Excuses are not going to get you very far when, at your final board meeting when you have to stammer through an explanation of why you did not heed our advice.