09 Jan 2009

Disaster recovery could save smaller firms

The survival of smaller businesses can depend on whether they have a disaster recovery plan in place, an expert has suggested.

According to Nicholas Tan, writing in an article published in the Business Times, as cited by AsiaOne, smaller enterprises should get moving on business continuity.

If a disaster takes place, firms without one can suffer serious consequences, he indicated.

"Stop and think about what it would cost your small or mid-size business to be without power or IT systems for 24 hours," Mr Tan said.

He cited figures from a recent survey of 1,200 medium-sized companies, which showed that 70 per cent of respondents thought disaster recovery was essential.

Mr Tan went on to advise firms that by preparing themselves for a worst-case scenario, they could remain up-and-running if such an event became reality.

Recent data published by Peterborough UK claimed that 80 per cent of companies who do not have a business continuity plan in place would go out of business within five years in the event of a serious disaster.