Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Small Businesses

ISBN-13: 9780470556177 / Angielski / Miękka / 2009 / 240 str.

Donna R. Childs

Opis

Improve business efficiency, eliminate day-to-day mishaps, and prepare for the worst-with effective disaster contingency planning Now in a Second Edition, Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Small Businesses presents you with proven guidelines for your small or midsized business to effectively prepare for catastrophes, including

• Rebuilding an IT infrastructure
• Setting up your insurance to expedite claims payments
• Assisting your employees and their families
• Getting your business up and running again
• Contacting third parties
• Handling insurance claims
• What to do if your main office location is not accessible
• Adequate insurance for property, business interruption losses, and workers' compensation

Successful planning not only can limit the damage of an unforeseen disaster but also can minimize daily mishaps-such as the mistaken deletion of files-and increase a business's overall efficiency. This essential, must-have guide is the only contingency guide you will need to ensure your company's continued success.

Spis treści

Foreword.

Acknowledgments.

Preface.

Crisis and Leviathan.

Chapter 1 Yes, You Should Sweat the Small Stuff!

Chapter 2 Our Roadmap.

Part One PREPARE.

Chapter 3 Preparing Your IT Strategy.

Chapter 4 Ensuring Financial Liquidity.

Chapter 5 Basic Safety Practices.

Chapter 6 Business Mail Procedures.

Chapter 7 Special Needs of the Disabled and the Elderly.

Chapter 8 Give Some Thought To Your Pets.

Chapter 9 Take Five.

Part Two RESPOND.

Chapter 10 IT Strategy.

Chapter 11 Financial Liquidity.

Part Three RECOVER.

Chapter 12 IT Strategy.

Chapter 13 Financial Liquidity.

Epilogue.

Resources.

Glossary.

Index.

O autorze

Donna R. Childs is a former senior executive at the world′s largest reinsurance company, which required her to deal with major and minor disasters on a daily basis. This experience proved critical when she established her own small business in Lower Manhattan. Her company, located on Wall Street, was directly impacted by the events of September 11, 2001, and that experience gave her firsthand knowledge of what small businesses must do to ensure that they are protected from future disasters. In 2007, the National Association of Women Business Owners named her its Woman Business Owner of the Year.

Blurb

Praise for Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best: Disaster Preparedness and Recovery for Small Businesses, Second Edition

"A fascinating read, based on experience with 9/11 but applicable to many types of natural or human–caused disasters. The author provides detailed and useful information on disaster recovery planning for small businesses, emphasizing IT recovery but providing useful tips for much more. The extensive explanation of insurance coverage is well balanced with guidance to help a small business take action to survive, remain viable, and ultimately recover and remain competitive in the marketplace following a disaster."
Diana L. McClure, Director of Business Protection & VP, Institute for Business & Home Safety

"As the number of businesses grows in the United States, so do the numerous threats to their survival including natural or man–made disasters, technology and security breaches, and questionable or ultimately unsuccessful business relationships. Donna Childs′s extraordinary personal and business experiences, coupled with her economic development work, make her a remarkable resource for entrepreneurs as they integrate contingency planning into their overall business strategy. Her focus on IT is particularly important given how vital information storage and retrieval has become for businesses of all sizes. A must–read and a must–plan for any business owner."
Erin M. Fuller, Executive Director, National Association of Women Business Owners

"How will you confront that nightmare scenario, an unprecedented event that puts your business on the line? If you′re not inclined to ′wing it′ when facing the worst, and if you′re ready to channel some new revenues to your company by demonstrating real preparedness, this book is for you."
Robert D. Austin, PhD, Associate Professor, Harvard Business School; Faculty Chair of the Harvard Executive Education Program for Chief Information Officers

"Small businesses are now facing disasters on a scope and scale that were previously unthinkable. This book is a must–read to prepare your business for the worst."
Murray Low, PhD, Associate Professor and Director of the Entrepreneurship Program, Columbia School of Business

"An essential handbook for anyone who owns, or plans to start, a small business, Prepare for the Worst, Plan for the Best helps you move from paralysis to preparedness. It′s a logical, understandable approach to protecting the business you worked so hard to build."
Lauren Simonds, Managing Editor, SmallBusinessComputing.com