Running a small business means spinning a dozen plates at once. You handle payroll, manage staff, chase leads, and try to keep your customers happy. In the middle of all that chaos, technology often gets pushed to the bottom of your priority list. As a result, many small business owners rely on a makeshift setup to handle their IT: a couple of consumer-grade laptops, an off-the-shelf Wi-Fi router, and a single "tech guy" on speed dial when a printer breaks down.

Whether your business is hit with a brief power outage or an extreme weather disaster, any kind of interruption to your organization’s productivity can cut into your profits. That’s why it is important to have a business continuity plan and utilize BC tools to ensure your organization can stay in operation at all times.

Most business owners don’t normally think they will be a victim of a natural disaster...not until an unforeseen crisis happens and their company ends up suffering from thousands or millions of dollars in economic and operational losses -- all because of the lack of thoughtful disaster preparedness.

When people think of the causes of downtime and the need for a Business Continuity Plan (BCP), they tend to think big. Powerful storms, massive blizzards, fires and floods are usually what springs to mind when business continuity is mentioned. And while these disasters can disrupt your business, a small power outage can be just as problematic if you’re not prepared.

While it is highly likely that you have an insurance policy that will cover your small or medium-sized business in the event of a disaster, chances are you don’t have business interruption insurance. The majority of smaller companies tend to overlook interruption policies, believing (or at least hoping) that regular insurance will be enough to protect them.

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) is a valuable security blanket for countless companies across the nation. And while business owners hope they never have to invoke their continuity plan, it is important to understand which events might necessitate it coming into action.

As it is only a matter of time before the first winter storms hit in many places, you might want to consider taking a look at your company’s business continuity plan. Each year heavy snowfall and other weather-related incidents interrupt services and cost businesses money.