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At The Hartford, we've found that over 40% of businesses that don't have a disaster plan go out of business after a major loss, such as a fire, a break-in, or a storm. A temporary setback does not have to turn into a permanent failure. There are things you can you do now to help protect your business before disaster strikes, starting with the creation of a disaster recovery plan. Below are some tips you may find helpful as you begin to create your own plan for speeding your recovery after a loss.

1. Focus on prevention
The easiest way to ensure that your business recovers from a disaster? Do everything you can to prevent that disaster from happening. This means conducting a thorough safety audit of your business's fire prevention and safety systems. Try to think of everything you might need in the case of a fire, flood, severe storm or other possible disasters. Check systems regularly to make sure they're functioning properly. And make sure your employees know what to do if they're not.

2. Appoint your preparedness team
It's important to have a team of employees who know exactly what to do the instant an emergency occurs. First, select a Preparedness Coordinator - this is the person who will be responsible for the development, implementation and continued updating of your disaster recovery plan. The Preparedness Coordinator should be very familiar with your business and capable of dealing effectively with both your employees and outside organizations and the media.

Next, select the rest of the Preparedness Team. They will assist and advise the Preparedness Coordinator with the development and implementation of the disaster recovery plan. When selecting team members, it's important to have representation from all areas of the business. For example, make sure you have one team member who knows your computer technology inside and out.

3. Establish evacuation procedures
Obviously, the most important priority during any emergency is protecting the health and safety of your employees. So you'll need to think carefully about how to evacuate your worksite and make sure all your employees know the procedures.

Evacuation plans will vary depending on the facility and the nature of the emergency. For example, how you exit a building during a fire could change depending on whether the fire's on the first or second floor. Or, in some cases, like a tornado or hurricane, you may not exit the building at all. And don't forget the needs of any disabled employees.

Also, don't forget to select a meeting place where everyone can gather and be accounted for as they evacuate. This should be an easily accessible location within a short walk of your worksite, but also a safe distance away.

4. Ensure continuity of computer operations
Once you've determined how to ensure the safety of your employees, it's important to protect the equipment and information most vital to your business' well-being. In most cases, this means your computers and related technology.

There are two major areas of preparedness to consider with computer technology: hardware protection and software protection. Hardware protection measures include surge protectors, battery backups and other measures that protect the actual computer equipment. Software protection measures are more often processes, such as continually backing up data, storing copies of software off-site and documenting your business' software.

Some ways you may want to consider protecting your hardware:

• surge protectors
• battery backups
• uninterruptible power supplies (UPS)
• duplicate servers
• servers located in separate areas and fire divisions
• physical security (is technology in a safe, secure location?)
• environmental controls (regular housekeeping, air temperature of 72 degrees, 50% humidity, circulating air)

Some ways you may want to consider protecting your software.

• virus protection software
• firewall and proxy servers insulating your network from the Internet
• regular back-up (at least once a week) of critical software and data
• back-up copies stored off-site in U.L.-listed records containers
• software manuals, warranties and paperwork stored away from computers

5. Protect vital records
Besides the information and data within your business's computer systems and software, every company also has many vital physical records and assets, such as employee records, financial and insurance records, contracts, permits, building plans and many other "paper-based" documents. Preserving these critical records during emergencies, and gaining access to them after emergencies, is essential to the quick restoration of your operations.

Preservation planning should include analyzing and prioritizing the records and establishing procedures for protection and access. Consider keeping copies of all your vital records offsite, or storing vital records where they will be safe but easily accessible in the event of an evacuation. Who will be responsible for making sure the vital records of your business leave the building safely? Where will they reside until operations resume?

6. Establish an emergency communications plan
In the event of an emergency, it is essential to remain in contact with your employees and administration. A communications failure can be a disaster in itself should it affect vital business activities.

Plan for all possible contingencies that may arise from a temporary or total communications failure. Consider all the functions that your business may need to perform in an emergency, as well as the communications systems needed to support them. Be prepared to accommodate communications between and among:

• your Recovery Team
• your employees
• employees' families
• outside safety and response organizations
• neighboring businesses
• customers
• the media

When planning your communications system, be sure to consider the following options:

• Create a "phone tree" that establishes a fast, foolproof method for a message to be passed from employee to employee. For example, John should call Mary, who should call Beth, etc. Be sure to include both standard and cell phone numbers. Also include information on "who to contact in an emergency" for each person, such as a spouse or parent.
• Identify and prioritize all facility communications, determining which should be restored first in an emergency.
• Establish procedures for restoring communications systems.
• Ask communications vendors about emergency response capabilities.
• Determine needs for backup communications.

7. Get to know those who can help
Your organization's relationship with the community can strengthen your ability to protect employees and property and return to normal operations. Maintain a dialogue with community leaders; public safety organizations such as the police, fire and emergency medical services; government agencies; utility companies; and others. Don't just ask how they will help your business. Offer your facilities and services to them as well.

Ways of involving your business in your community include:

• meeting regularly with community emergency personnel to review emergency plans and procedures
• meeting with your neighbors to determine how you could help each other in an emergency
• identifying ways your facility could help the community during a community-wide emergency
• involving local fire, police and emergency management personnel in drills and exercises

Remember to make sure you have phone numbers handy for your local emergency services.

8. Use the media to your advantage
During an emergency, you're focused on protecting your business, ensuring the safety of your employees and restoring your operations. It's easy to forget how important it is to maintain communications with the public, your potential customers. If the public hears of a disaster involving your business, many may assume that you have been put out of business temporarily or permanently, when this may not be the case. Obviously, this can translate into big losses in lost business.

The news media are your business' liaison to the general public, with the ability to quickly disseminate emergency information quickly. It's up to you to use that power to your advantage, with a media relations plan that will help your business swiftly defuse an emergency, instill public confidence in your products and services, and maintain your reputation and good standing within the community. Effective media relations don't take place overnight. So make sure you develop your plan well in advance of an emergency.

As part of a successful media relations plan, you should consider implementing the following options:

• Designate an official spokesperson with in-depth knowledge of your company's operations, excellent communication skills and full authority to speak formally to the news media on behalf of your business.
• Consider appointing a media relations team consisting of key members of different departments responsible for rapid decision-making in emergency situations.
• Research area public relations firms who you can call upon to assist with media relations should it be necessary.
• Establish relationships with key local media contacts and keep them updated and informed of the latest news about your business.
• Create a formal press kit that has been distributed to the news media, including, at minimum, a general overview of your business and key contacts.
• Write an "emergency press release" that can be quickly edited and distributed to the news media in the event of an emergency.

9. Establish recovery procedures
So far, we've focused on what to do before and during an emergency. But there's a lot that needs to be done after disaster has struck and the situation has begun to settle down. That's when it's important for your business to begin recovering and resuming normal operations. Advance planning will make the recovery period less difficult and far more efficient, meaning fewer losses and less downtime.

Effective, efficient recovery procedures often include the following elements:

• a Recovery Coordinator who is very familiar with your business and who will be responsible for assuming command, assessing the recovery, determining the recovery strategies and approving and activating resources.
• a Recovery Team comprised of key employees from different departments who can assist the Recovery Coordinator in assessing damage and next steps.
• a Recovery Analysis and Planning process that establishes goals and objectives to plan for short- and long-term recovery.
• damage assessment that will help the Recovery Coordinator prioritize repairs and work to be done.
• employee support, including medical, physical and financial support that keeps your employees physically and mentally healthy and able to return to work.

10. Keep your plan up-to-date
Your disaster recovery plan is never finished. It must remain a dynamic, constantly evolving document so that it is always current and ready to be activated should the need arise. In effect, the plan is more of a process than a document.

Review, audit, evaluate, revise and test your plan on a regular basis (at least once a year) to be sure it keeps pace with changes at your facility. Update your plan whenever there are:

• new Preparedness Team members
• new operations, processes, equipment or materials
• new or renovated sites or changes in layout
• changes with outside agencies
• new suppliers or vendors
• mergers or acquisitions

Start today to prepare for anything tomorrow! We hope you have found this information helpful.

This document outlines in general terms the coverages that may be afforded under a Hartford policy. All policies must be examined carefully to determine suitability for your needs and to identify any exclusions, limitations or any other terms and conditions that may specifically affect coverage. In the event of a conflict, the terms and conditions of the policy prevail. All Hartford coverages described in this document may be offered by one or more of the property and casualty insurance company subsidiaries of The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.