Since Hurricane Sandy in 2012 the concept of protecting one’s business from the impacts of natural disaster is no longer far from mind. In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, business owners were able to witness just how detrimentally impactful an unexpected storm like this can be. Hurricanes have the ability to halt business functionality and growth and can effectively disable entire economic regions during times of rebuilding.

With the start of the 2016 hurricane season starting on June 1^st and a forecast that predicts over twenty potential storms, three of which being major hurricanes, now is the time for local businesses to be developing and implementing hurricane protection plans. Prolonging the implementation of plans to sustain business would be a risky gamble at best. Business owners should protect themselves in order to suitably preserve their company’s future.

Like with any other aspect of business, business owners should look to industry leaders for guidance on what preparatory practices should be put in place in order to ward off the negative effects of hurricanes. This goes beyond investing in generators and sandbags for the protection of physical company property and functionality. Since the crazed panic before Y2K in 2000, all kinds of businesses in a variety of industries have made the incredibly wise choice to invest in and implement thorough and wide-ranging preparatory plans to minimize damage and ease recovery from IT disasters.

The more a business uses IT in day-to-day functioning, the higher the chance of threat to continuity in the wake of a hurricane. The nature and extent of IT and communications usage in any given business will be the key determinant of developing and implementing the most effective IT protection and recovery plans. Because we live in a fast-paced, tech-driven world, most businesses rely largely on IT functionality and efficiency to sustain successful business continuity. Without being able to access data & applications and communicate, many businesses simply cannot sustain functional productivity.

The potential threat to businesses in the wake of hurricanes isn’t hypothetical. Because the danger is real, ECW Computers is determined to help South Florida businesses stay vigilantly prepared for the worst case scenario. With decades of experience in partnering with businesses to advise and implement, ECW Computers wants to share their expertise and help local businesses feel safe and prepared in the wake of a potential hurricane.

Some of the hurricane protection tips ECW Computers recommend include:

• Safety first – in the wake of a devastating storm, make sure employees are safe and don’t put business demands on them that will hinder that safety.
• Have a detailed and comprehensive emergency plan that can be easily implemented in the wake of disaster. The plan should be well understood and reviewed with staff on a reoccurring basis and should incorporate procedural strategies for a variety of differing situations, varying in magnitude and duration.
• Have a ‘back-up’ payroll plan that will ensure your employees are getting what they need even during times of crisis.
• Research and consult with an IT managed service provider about implementing geo-redundant backups of data and applications.
• Consult with vendors about their continuity plans in case of disaster in order to prevent delays in allocating and receiving necessary supplies.
• Have alternative and back-up forms of communication.
• Test and re-test emergency plans and procedures.

While these are good starting points, they are only a few of the many considerations that should be made in order to protect business data and functionality post-storm. If you’re looking to provide your audience with the most comprehensive and top-of-the-line strategies for protecting their business in times of disaster, ECW Computers can help.

With decades of advising and implementing experience under their belts, a quick interview with ECW Computers can help convey to your audience both the importance of hurricane protection and the most effective ways to implement strategies.  Business owners work tirelessly to build and sustain success and ECW Computers is in the business of protecting all they have worked to achieve.

Download our South Florida Hurricane Preparedness Guide here.