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Email. Contacts. Documents. Financial systems. Today’s businesses are dependent on computer systems. Increasingly information is stored digitally – making it incredibly important to maintain reliable technology systems. As businesses become even more information dependent, creating a “disaster recovery plan” is integral to ensuring the long-term stability of the company.

In the past, only large enterprise companies have depended on technology to run operations. But recently small businesses are taking advantage of technology to increase their overall efficiency and productivity. While in the past these companies only owned a few computers, they now have a complete technology infrastructure; often including a network, an array of applications and databases, and mobile devices (laptops, smartphones). This shift means that these businesses need to take measures that ensure their computer system is rock solid. Computer downtime and loss can be incredibly expensive – sometimes costing businesses thousands for each hour that computer systems are inaccessible.

There are many factors that can adversely affect computer systems. Everything from environmental issues (power outages, water damage) to computer glitches can cause systems to go down. The reality of tech is that problems and issues are inevitable. Even large tech companies like eBay and Amazon have small glitches from time to time. But these companies recover incredibly quickly. A disaster recovery plan gives a company the ability to make a quick, clean recovery. This plan includes information on the policies and equipment that are available to recover from everything from a small glitch or a complete disaster. A well thought out disaster recovery plan can reduce the amount of downtime from days or weeks to a matter of minutes.

Disaster recovery plans include a detailed roadmap of how to recover quickly from a minor or major disasters. The plan includes things like data backup, replacement equipment, and methods for restoring information to the system. Everything from physical equipment and wiring, to the software and data needed recreate a fully functional system is covered in the document. The idea behind the plan is to locate and document the resources needed to quickly recover from even the worst disaster.

If your business doesn’t have a disaster recovery plan, your company is missing a critical link. Most businesses have general insurance on assets (buildings, office equipment, etc) and heath insurance for human resources, yet many fail to protect the information that drives their business. Building a disaster recovery plan into your business could be the difference between a major interruption and a quick recovery.

How do you start? Each business is unique in the way it uses information. A disaster recovery plan is also unique, and should be built around the information your business needs to operate. A good place to learn about the basics of disaster recovery planning is the online encyclopedia – Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disaster_recovery). For more in depth information check out the online Disaster Recovery Guide (http://www.disaster-recovery-guide.com). In addition to learning about how to plan for the worst, it often helps to have a a trusted outside entity look at how your business operates. This outside prospective will help cover any holes in your plan, and ensure that every area is covered.