(Jeff Godlewski, ComputerWorld) On vacation, forgetting your sunscreen may lead to a painful burn, but forgetting key components of an organization's business continuity (BC)/disaster recovery (DR) plan hurts a lot more. Overlooking even one item can weaken your entire network and mean significant losses in revenue and productivity.

Whether you are just getting started or refreshing an outdated plan, there is something to help SMBs make sure they are covered – running a business impact analysis. A BIA can help define key BC/DR needs. Even better, often times a trusted technology partner can provide assistance, running the analysis and delivering an objective assessment of what your organization needs to survive – literally and figuratively.

A BIA is a breakdown of the potential risks and real vulnerabilities an organization is facing, and it provides direction for minimizing and mitigating the risks before they become a real problem.[...]The steps for implementation and the chosen solutions should fit your unique situation. Fortunately, there are many good options to consider that will help get you where you need to go:
- Take steps to protect data
- Consider the cloud
- Co-location is also an option
- Leverage a mobile workforce
- Review power needs