No matter what precautions people take, there is always a potential risk around the corner that companies put effort into trying to mitigate. A disaster could be ready to strike, and it could come in a variety of forms.
While it is true that you should have business insurance that could help with paying and supporting in the short term, it’s also a fact that a potential disruption could cause significant problems for you and your team.
You need to be proactive and adaptable if you’re going to survive a disaster and quickly get your organization back to the position it was in before. The longer your company isn’t operational, the more money you’ll lose as a result of the disaster, so you need to work hard to get everything fixed in a fast and effective manner.
Here are some of the risks that you should consider and how you could get yourself back on track after a disaster.
Office Fire
One of the worst things that could happen in your business is an office fire. This could result in loss of life in the worst-case scenario. If everyone is safe, you could end up losing lots of different equipment as a result of the damage, and the office may be out of bounds for several weeks or months or even forever, depending on the level of damage. This could leave your company paying a hefty bill and having to work hard to recover and get back to a profitable position again.
If this happens, then you may want to remove the recoverable items from the office and get them placed in a Safestore. This sort of location allows you to put whatever things you wish (within reason) into a storage location which is fully secured and insured.
You can then access these as and when required or leave them in here until you have a property resolved. If you need to increase or decrease the storage space at any time, this can be done very quickly, allowing you the flexibility you need during the recovery process.
Cyber Attack
One of the biggest threats to companies in today’s digital market is having its IT infrastructure infiltrated by a cyber-attack. This can happen on a small scale to specific computers, or it can have a wider effect and disable a whole company IT system.
In 2024, most companies rely heavily on IT to maintain operational performance, and this is unable to happen under these circumstances. Preventative measures can be put in place in the form of various cyber protection software packages. This can be a simple off the shelf solution, and others could be individually bespoke depending on the IT infrastructure that you have in your company.
Sometimes, no matter what protections you put in place, the virus could get through, and you could be faced with a dilemma. On occasion, some of these hackers will demand a ransom for them to release the virus and let you go back amongst your business. Sometimes they will steal information from your computers, such as personal information on your clients or employees.
If this happens to your company, it is vital that you remain calm and do not knee jerk in terms of paying out a ransom. You should consult an IT consultant to see if there is anything they can do to break the virus.
If you manage to break the virus or you pay the ransom, you then need to check on what information could be lost from your company. There have been many examples of people suing companies due to personal information being released by these types of people.
Robbery
A physical robbery can be a distressing experience, but you must work to overcome this and get your business back on track. Often, thieves take the time to target their victims and learn a lot about them, which can be a scary thought.
Look after yourself and make sure that you get any support you may need. The first thing you need to do is notify the police and get a crime number so that you can claim on your insurance and have a record of the investigation.
Then it would be best if you got an inventory together of everything that was taken so that you know exactly what needs to be replaced. It would be best if you also explored additional security procedures that will allow you and your team to feel safer following this violating experience.
These might include changing the locks on your property, installing CCTV, or even moving to a new feature where there are additional security measures in places, such as electronic locks or even security guards.
Financial Problems
It would be a vast world if companies were constantly depositing pre-tax profits of large amounts. However, this generally doesn’t always happen. Here will be times where a company may post a loss but still be a completely viable company overall.
On these occasions, it could be considered to get an unsecured loan to get yourself back on track. An overdraft could also be a flexible option, which will allow you to spread the cost of paying your bills.
Whatever option you choose, you must take the time to explore all the choices you have and make a selection that is right for you and your organization. Speak to a financial advisor, who will be well placed to give you independent advice, which is tailored around your own unique set of circumstances. They will understand your position and be able to share advice to help you get back into a robust financial situation quickly and efficiently.
It can be a challenge to recover from a major disaster in your business, but you mustn’t panic. Follow these tips to get your business back on track and continue doing what you do best: providing your customers with a quality service they can rely on.
