What if?

by Skip Cohen

​For years, I've written about the importance of backing up your business, but my focus has always been on how your business would run if you personally had an emergency and couldn't be there for your clients. I missed sharing thoughts about what to do if everything to support your business and home disappeared.​

This post addresses just one topic: If everything you needed to support your family and business disappeared, what would be your "Plan B?"

Here's the scenario: With the last big storm, we left our home to head to safer ground at friends fifteen miles inland from the Gulf Coast. There was so much fear surrounding the forecasted damage from the storm that we rushed the process of packing up. We took that irreplaceable box of photographs that everyone has: phones, laptops, my favorite camera/lens, and even my big Mac. We were in relatively good shape to handle the storm - food, water, a few clothes, flashlights, etc.  But returning home, we'd lost power, cell service, and the Internet. When Comcast/Xfinity crashed, everything was taken with it.  

Through these recent two hurricanes, there have been so many people who were in much worse shape. I'm not whining about what we experienced, but it did provide lots of food for thought -  What's your game plan if the world turns upside down?

• Phone service: I've had everything, cell, and landline, in the Comcast basket - that's about to change!
• Cash: I took out a little cash, but not enough when the Internet disappeared for everybody. There were no ATMs, no electricity—everything was cash only for the next few days following the storm. Even at the gas station, the pumps ran on Wi-Fi and wouldn't take a credit card.
• "Who you gonna call?" It's not just a line from the Ghostbusters series; it is essential to have your contact list. We were fortunate to have Facebook to keep in touch with friends, family, and associates, but even that, once the storm hit, was sporadic and dependent on our cell service. While my cell has my complete address book, I'm putting together a list of phone numbers and email addresses of the companies we interact with daily. This is about easy access and not having to search for contact information when sucked into the chaos of an emergency. The same goes for a better way of finding my passwords! 
• Keeping in touch with the outside world became a challenge. Our little emergency radio became indispensable for listening to the news, but I could never find our local station, and I had to listen to broadcasts from Tampa, an hour away. 
• Extra fuel for the generator: Again, we never anticipated a loss of power for several days, when it's never been more than a day in the past. I don't want to stock filled gas cans. As a result, I invested in a decent siphon, and prior to any storm, the cars will have full tanks. An extra tank of propane also has a spot in my garage.
• "Ready-to-Go" Kit: We've had to evacuate a couple of times in past storms, but never with the reality of any extended stay. Again, hindsight is always 20/20. From clothes to medications to water and other necessities, we're now better prepared.
• The Pup-Pack: From food to a couple of favorite toys, their bed, etc., we now have one travel bag with a list of items that can be ready to go on short notice.

I remember seeing a billboard many years ago that said, "Accidents only happen to the other guy. So all you other guys - watch out!" We all watch the news, and it's been horrific. How many horrible stories have you heard and seen that left you speechless, but you still didn't do your own "fire drill" with your family and business?

It's a simple exercise - just ask yourself, "What if?"