Teaser: Disasters happen. Are you prepared to recover? From getting organized to online file storage, small business consultant and coach, Peggy Duncan, offers these tips.

If you haven't given much thought to how your business would recover following a disaster, take the rest of the day off and map out a plan. The more thought and action you put in place today will make a speedy and successful recovery more likely.

Personal productivity expert and consultant, Peggy Duncan, offers this advice to small business owners.

Organize Your Files. If you can't find something now, you definitely won't be able to find it in an emergency. All files everywhere are stored using a logical system that anyone can follow. Don't just save files: organize everything and make the system make sense. And don't store junk that should be deleted! To organize any files, start out with broad categories such as Accounting, Administrative, Marketing, and break them down into subcategories. Then break down the subcategories into the next broadest and so on...always keeping like subjects together.

Avoid Sending Junk to Storage. Before you start organizing, purge first. You'll want to avoid wasting precious time going through junk in an emergency.

Store Crucial Files Online. Upload crucial files to an online vault on a regular basis. Google "online pc backup" and choose a vendor that fits your needs. Free and low-cost services are available, including www.carbonite.com ($5 a month and automatically backs up revised files); www.MediaMax.com (free up to 25GB); and www.box.net (starts at 1GB free).

Use an External Drive for Additional Storage. Use an external hard drive to automatically back up selected files on your computer several times a day. Check out Hewlett-Packard's Media Vault. It holds 300GB-500GB and is expandable to 1.2TB (that's Terabyte - one TB equals 1,024GB!). And check out Seagate's Maxtor at www.maxtorsolutions.com. (Test the restore function before you need to depend on it.)

Use Your Web Server for Storage. If you have a Website, use the server to store public files for download in case you can't email them. "For example, my Website server is a repository for files meeting planners might need to download if they can't get to me," adds Duncan.

Use Mobile Storage for the Road. Store crucial files on a flash drive and always keep it with you. For added convenience, use the flash drive that fits on your key chain.

Document Processes and Procedures. The processes for running your business need to come out of your head and be documented. If someone else will need to take over your business, or if you'll need to delegate any actions, it'll be easier if you provide a roadmap. This documentation should be stored in the office and backed up online.

Organize Your Business Contacts. Instead of keeping piles of business cards, create a business database on the computer and keep this information backed up. Have everything filed logically so anyone can find it in a hurry. Make this easy with www.CardScan.com, and scan the cards you need to keep.

Use a Fireproof Safe. Precious files such as a passport, car title, copies of credit cards and driver's license, etc., should be stored in a fireproof safe that's small enough to grab and carry. To protect paperwork, check out the Omniseal Waterproof Document Holder. To store digital files, use a fireproof safe that's specifically designed for media (explore your options from vendors such as www.SchwabCorp.com).

Save Your Passwords in One Place. Save any computer-Internet-banking-related passwords in a special file on your computer and in your safe. For extra security, list just enough of the password so you'll know which one you used, and make the rest of it logical enough to memorize it.

Check Your Business Insurance. Make sure your business insurance covers all equipment at full replacement value. (Take digital pictures of everything and store them appropriately.)

For more information on preparing a disaster strategy for your business, visit the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's disaster preparedness Website at www.Ready.gov. You should also visit the Red Cross disaster recovery page at www.RedCross.org.

Now is a good time to get quiet and think about how your business would survive a catastrophe. Don't procrastinate about setting something up any longer. You never know...

Peggy Duncan is a personal productivity expert, business consultant, author, and professional speaker. For more information and tips, visit http://www.PeggyDuncan.com. To interview Peggy, contact her directly at 770-907-8868 (Eastern) or worksmart (at)  PeggyDuncan.com.

For statistics on data loss, click here.

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