Disasters can happen to any business at any time. From severe weather and catastrophic events to power outages, gas leaks, and data breaches - disasters are diverse. Is your business prepared to respond?

When you think of disaster recovery and business continuity planning, do you think about the size of your business and whether or not it’s worth the time to create a comprehensive plan? Let’s answer this question with a question from none other than the great Yoda: “Judge me by my size do you?” If you recall the impetus to this question, Luke Skywalker had just failed at raising his X-Wing from the Dagobah Swamp because it was too big, or so he thought.

If you ask any business leader what their most valuable asset is, an overwhelming majority would state it’s their people. Businesses invest millions, if not billions, of dollars in training and benefits for their employees. So when it comes to business continuity or disaster preparedness, why wouldn’t an employer want to ensure their employees were also prepared to handle a disaster?

The change of seasons brings increased chance of severe weather. The temperatures can rapidly change from cold to hot, and sunny to storms. This unpredictability increases the risk of injury, death, and damage from severe weather. In order for your organization to be ready, you need to think ahead and get prepared for thunderstorms and flooding.

In recent years we’ve experienced our fair share of severe weather in this country. From floods, hurricanes, and wildfires to snowstorms and frigid temperatures.

These disasters can be devastating to individuals, businesses, and communities.

Being #DisasterReady is not limited to businesses. Individuals and families also need to plan ahead in order to be prepared when disaster strikes. How will you get everyone out of the house safely? How will you access important family records? How will you get back up on your feet and able to return to work?

You’ve taken the time and effort to put together a comprehensive business continuity plan. But is it going to work? Unfortunately, most organizations have no idea if their plan will work until it is too late. According to the Disaster Recovery Preparedness Council, 23% of companies surveyed never test their plans.

Winter has a way of bringing the unexpected. Yes, the first snowfall can be magical and winter sports can be quite enjoyable, but the cold and snowy season can also expose your organization to a variety of risks.

Hurricane Sandy hit New York City in October 2012 - flooding streets, tunnels, and subway lines and cutting power in and around the city. But we at Gibson are located in the Midwest. Chicago did issue flood warnings as wave heights were expected to reach 18-23 feet. In Michigan, some schools closed due to power outages. But here in Indiana, we weren’t affected. Or were we?

Statistics vary, but numerous sources state that 40% of businesses do not reopen after a disaster and another 25% fail within one year. Yet by being proactive you can better equip your business for survival.