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Dear Bruce,
BRUCE ARNOLD is
sending you this
newsletter to help
you make better use of the
Internet for business results and personal success.
This is a complimentary publication. You
can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the
SafeUnsubscribe(tm) link below.
First Hurricane Charley ... then Frances ... and now
Ivan?!? Preparing for, surviving through and
recovering
from tropical storms is a price Floridians pay for living in
paradise. We all have much at risk ... especially,
perhaps, those of us who own or
manage small businesses.
Many government, banking, insurance and public
service websites offer disaster planning and recovery
guides for small businesses. One of note can be
downloaded in PDF format from the South Florida
Regional Planning Council (see download link
below).
We will not attempt to reproduce those guides in this
newsletter. Instead, our objective here is to focus on
and emphasize how small businesses can exploit
Internet technologies and leverage the Web to weather
Mother Nature's worst.
1.0 Preparing for Disaster
1.1 Maximize web leverage:
A well-designed website delivers and supports your
business through an effective combination of
persuasive messaging, professional presentation and
pervasive positioning. An eCommerce platform goes
one step more by enabling online order processing,
payment processing and inventory management. You
can (and should) take that even further by leveraging
the web-based transaction processing capabilities
offered by your bank, broker, insurance carrier, payroll
processor, other key vendors and business partners,
and good ole Uncle Sam. The more business you
conduct virtually across the Internet, the less you
stand to lose due to storms or other localized
disasters.
1.2 Safeguard key resources:
Our web design business is based in Florida, but no
hurricane ever has ever taken down--or is ever likely to
take down--our website. Why? Because our web
hosting account resides on secure servers bunkered in
mountains hundreds of miles from harm's way. Not only
are our web pages, payment and order entry forms
safe, but so are all the critical business documents we
uploaded to confidential, restricted directories at the
site. And how much do we pay for this "business
continuation insurance"? Less than $100 a year! If
you would like the same safeguards for your business,
give us a call or click the iPowerWeb hosting link below.
1.3 Assure resource access:
The more business operations and resources you move
online, the more important your Internet access
becomes. Internet access requires two things: a
computer, and some form of wired (dialup, DSL,
broadband cable) or wireless connectivity. The
most likely reason your computer might not function in
a storm is LACK OF POWER: Use a computer (and
modem/router) that has battery power or battery
backup, and be sure the batteries are charged and
tested. You might also consider a small generator.
The most likely reason your Internet connectivity
might not function is LOSS OF SIGNAL: Consider
maintaining two connections, such as
broadband cable for primary access, and a dialup line or
wireless account for backup. If one is lost,
the other may still be available.
1.4 Communicate your status:
When a storm or disaster is imminent, assess its
potential impact and duration, and share that
information via web and email with your clients,
customers,
suppliers and business partners. Let them know if,
when and how you plan to conduct operations and
maintain communications. Be sure to mention any
special policies, practices or procedures you have put
in place.
click here to download SFRPC's Hurricane Survival Guide (PDF)
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2.0 Surviving the Storm |
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2.1 Maintain communications:
If you have assured that your website will be up, your
email services functioning and your Internet access
available, you should be able to maintain email
communications throughout the course of the storm. If
you are running on batteries, however, try to avoid
writing (or reading) War and Peace while you are
online.
2.2 Continue making sales:
If your virtual storefront is built on a reliable
ecommerce platform, there is no reason why you
cannot continue accepting orders and collecting
payments throughout the storm. If order fulfillment
may be hampered or delayed, be sure delivery
commitments and customer expectations are adjusted
accordingly.
2.3 Continue making payments:
The IRS does not care about evacuation orders, and
don't expect empathy from employees if a payroll is
missed while you dash home to board up your
windows. Regardless of the weather, your people and
your taxes must be paid. Before the storm hits, be
sure you have the ability to make payroll, tax and other
critical payments online. And before you leave your
office, be sure you have your account access codes,
payroll records and other necessary information with
you.
2.4 Document your losses:
The insurance claims and recovery process is largely a
matter of establishing ownership, value, coverage, and
loss or damage of assets. Restricted directories on
secure web servers can be convenient places to store
scanned documents (like insurance policies and
evidences of ownership) along with digital photographs
(including before and after asset images).
Digital
cameras and scanners are inexpensive and easy to
operate, and all you need to upload their outputs is a
simple file transfer program like CuteFTP.
click here to download an evaluation copy of CuteFTP »
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3.0 Expediting the Recovery |
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3.1 Communicate your status:
No matter what the actual severity of a storm or
disaster is, the media will tend to make it look worse.
The cameras will always focus on the two trailers that
caved in rather than the two hundred buildings across
the road that didn't. As soon as the storm subsides
and you are back in the office, use email and the web
to LET THE WORLD KNOW YOU ARE STILL IN BUSINESS.
Don't leave customers thinking you were
blown away simply because Mike's Mobile Homes
was.
3.2 Locate recovery resources:
If a storm or disaster results in damage or loss of
resources to you or your business partners, those
resources will have to be repaired or replaced. And
what is the fastest and easiest way to locate repair
and replacement resources? Search engines, of
course! AlltheWeb, Altavista, Google, HotBot, Lycos,
MSN Search, Yahoo and others will line up contractors,
suppliers and staffing firms as quickly as you can type
the search terms.
3.3 Coordinate recovery efforts:
Perhaps no conditions are more conducive
to collaborative commerce than those of natural
disaster recovery. If your business suffered damage or
loss, chances are other enterprises up and down your
supply chain did as well, and everyone (except your
competitor) is likely to be eager to get things back to
normal as soon as possible. Regardless of whether you
need to combine cargo, share a shipment, or re-sync
the entire supply chain, leveraging the Web is your best
bet
for coordination and collaboration.
3.4 File insurance claims:
If the impact of a storm or disaster is catastrophic, you
will want to convert covered losses into cash
compensation as quickly as possible. Take advantage
of your insurance carrier's online claims facilities. Use
email to convey supporting documents and images, and
to communicate with agents, attorneys, adjusters and
others to expedite the process.
click here for a free subscription to future newsletters »
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99 ... 97 ... 95 ... 75 |
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99% of all Internet users reference search engines to
find what they are looking for. 97% of that traffic goes
to the Top 20 listings for any given search. 95% of
Bruce Arnold's web clients hold multiple Top 20
positions for their targeted search terms. Over 75% of
Bruce Arnold's web clients hold multiple NUMBER ONE
positions on major search engines.
In other words, Bruce Arnold (re)designs websites so
that they look good, rank high, get traffic and generate
revenue for their owners. Isn't that really what
business web design should be about?
clikc here for more »
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