What Would You Do?

Envision yourself standing in front of your business as firefighters struggle to control a blaze that is consuming everything in its path!

• What do you do first?

• How will you contact your employees?

• What will you tell them?

• What will you do when they arrive for work?

• How will you pay them?

• What do tell your customers?

As newspaper headlines continue to report disasters such as earthquakes, floods, hurricanes, fires, bombings, and hazardous leaks, smart businesses are realizing the importance of contingency planning before an incident occurs.

While planning your business' future by naming key successors, carrying business interruption insurance, and addressing personal liability issues is helpful, have you considered the following:

• How will contact with customers be continued and what will you tell them? 

• Where will your business and its communications resources relocate?

• How will your business retrieve its important files, documents, and equipment if local authorities prevent access to your site?

• How will managers re-create vital business records?

• How will department managers recover business functions?

• How do you handle employee morale issues?