Is your business prepared should any disaster unfold? If not, it's time to start getting ready. 
When disaster strikes - data breaches, natural disasters, theft and computer crashes - a small business can be stuck with a hefty bill. Despite the wide variety of threats that risk the infrastructure of a small business, the fact is that many enterprises are not prepared for a disaster to strike. 

In 2011, a Symantec Corp. SMB Disaster Preparedness survey stated that 41 percent of small businesses have never considered establishing a disaster recovery plan, and 40 percent did not place disaster recovery as a top priority. Many have learned the hard way about what can result when something terrible happens. Two-thirds of companies in the United States have had to temporarily shut down because of an unexpected disaster. 

Another statistic noted that 70 percent of small businesses that had a significant data loss went out of business within one year. 

Here is a list of some of the most common disasters that affect businesses today:

• Data and corporate information not backed up.
• Security infiltration by cyber criminals.
• A website crash and not having an alternative in its place.
• Equipment shutdown, theft or viruses and power outages.
• Natural disaster that  damaged , inventory and technology.

For proprietors, it is important to put preparation plans into place. Indeed, we like to be optimistic and believe that nothing is going to happen, but mistakes and emergencies do come up. One of the reasons why business owners refrain from investing in an emergency preparation initiative is because of the costs involved, even though the ramifications of not preparing for disaster can end up costing more in the long run.

Unsure what to incorporate into your emergency plans? Here are three major aspects to include in your disaster preparedness kit:

Critical Data Backup

Consumer profiles, accounts payables, employee data and corporate information are all critical elements to a business. Losing this information could cost your business a lot of money trying to retrieve or create once again. If a business has been open for years and has accumulated a large amount of critical information then it's only wise to start backing up data at the end of each business day. 

Here are three ways to backup this type of data:

• Cloud storage
• External hard drive storage
• USB flash disk 

Disaster Recovery Services

Seeking out and hiring disaster recovery services may be the best investment you can make when misfortune strikes. Whether it's assistance with recovering from cyber attacks, natural disasters or equipment failures, keeping your business running in spite of these mishaps is covered.. 

Produce a Contingency Plan

As part of a contingency plan, a business should maintain policies and procedures on actions to take in the event of all types of disasters. Coordinate, alternative work locations, a list of 24-hour emergency numbers and how to contact staff members are other elements to include in a plan. 

There is no doubt that this can be an expensive investment to make. This is why you might want to consider alternative funding solutions for business, which can come in the form of merchant cash advances. Alternative funding options are help ensure the company's doors remain open. The funding solutions can be used to prepare and plan for a crisis situation and to take recovery actions when disaster strikes. Don't let an unexpected disaster force your business to close its doors. Contact Quikstone Capital Solutions today to learn more.