Nature can bring expected and unexpected disasters. Dealerships need to have a plan in place to help them recover if Mother Nature attacks. In Canada, approximately 8,000 wildfires occur each year and many Canadian rivers experience flooding at one time or another.

How can you prepare for the unknown?

There are a few easy ways dealers can make sure they are as prepared as possible:

1. Focus on what you can control.

It’s hard to plan for the unexpected, so focus on threats in your dealership you can control. Make sure your medical kits and supplies are fully stocked, and check with your insurance company to see if you have adequate coverage for a disaster. You can also keep your employee contact information up-to-date and in a convenient location.

2. Have a plan for your employees.

Give employees job tasks to help the dealership brace itself for disaster. For example, employees can take pictures of technology to keep for your records and help with insurance claims. If you know a disaster like flooding is headed your way, have employees wrap your technology in plastic and store it off the floor. They can also communicate with customers to let them know you are preparing for a flood. In addition, run through different drills with employees and give them numbers to contact when they reach a safe location if a disaster were to occur.

3. Protect your data.

Insurance can cover almost everything, but what about your customer data? Complete backups regularly and keep the tapes off-site, or hire an outside company to help keep your data secure. Help protect your documents with a document archiving system that stores documents digitally. Your data could be the only thing that keeps you from going under when disaster strikes.

If severe weather hits your dealership and you are unprepared, you could lose all your data. What would that mean for your business? Do you have a recovery plan ready to put into action?

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