Consideration of Disasters
The best way to deal with any potential disaster is not while it is occurring or after it has
happened but before it occurs. Small businesses should anticipate what they will do in the case
of physical disasters, such as fire, earthquakes, or floods. Other disasters might involve the
bankruptcy or loss of a major supplier or a major customer. A restaurant or a food market
should have a contingency plan in the case of a power failure that might lead to food spoilage.
Such a business might also want to conduct a scenario planning exercise to see what its
responses would be in the case of a customer complaining of food poisoning. Other disaster
scenarios that should be considered by small businesses include the impact and ramifications of
having the computer system crash; having the service for the website crash; or having the
website hacked, with the possible loss of customer information.
