How can you make sure you weather any storm?

Natural disasters are events that can happen at the drop of a hat and can occur at virtually any location. While some areas are predisposed to certain scenarios, some threats like fires and flooding exist across the board. However, no matter what type of disaster you may face, it doesn't always have to end in expensive reparations or a closed business. There are three tips that you should follow to ensure that your organization can weather any storm:

1. Create a recovery plan

The first step to take is to establish a strategy that will guide your employees through the restoration process. This ensures that if a disaster strikes or hardware is compromised, employees have specific directives to follow to recover quickly. However, many organizations are falling behind on this directive. The 2013 Small Business Disaster Survey found that nearly three-quarters of respondents didn't have a recovery plan, Xero reported. The lack of a strategy has led many small and medium-sized businesses to close or pay heavy fines to get back online. Having a disaster recovery plan from the start can help minimize these consequences and give the business a better footing for its restoration efforts.

Organizations must create a disaster plan.

2. Test backups

Even after a plan has been put into place, organizations cannot grow complacent. Backing up integral documents is becoming a priority, but simply having a system in place doesn't mean that it's functioning as it should. For instance, how can you be sure that your backups are transferring all the necessary information? Most businesses don't realize what is on their backups until they need them, but by then, it could be too late. The best course of action here would be to put your team in a test situation. This will help not only gauge how long it takes to restore your systems, but it will also verify that your backups are complete and easily accessible. This type of peace of mind will be invaluable.

3. Consult an expert

When in doubt, it's always a good call to have a reliable partner in your corner. In an interview with BusinessNewsDaily, industry expert Scott Moyer noted that the cheapest option is not always the best and that organizations must thoroughly evaluate a provider before making their choice. 

"But before you trust a data recovery service provider with your data, do your homework and research the vendor," Moyer said. "Cheap services are typically that way for a reason.  Make sure the data recovery vendor is reputable by checking for proof of industry certifications and security protocols. You do not want a data breach that includes your critical financial data (or worse yet, your customers' data) stolen."

Teaming up with a backup provider like NovaBACKUP gives businesses the on-demand support they require, ensuring that they can receive expert guidance when they need it most. This not only ensures peace of mind, but it gives organizations a foothold to grab onto in times of chaos, and that asset could mean the difference between recovering and failing.