Rothstein Associates Inc. Business Survival ™ Weblog

Hurricane Katrina’s economic impact leaves many questions unanswered. Why were businesses not more prepared to recover quickly and continue operating in the face of this disaster? Why did they not have plans in place to account for and protect employees and their families, keeping them safe and productive?

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Record high temperatures and a drought have sparked a series of wildfires across Russia since late July, resulting in severe smog in Moscow, concerns about radioactivity, and numerous deaths.

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The Local Government Association of South Australia has published business continuity guidelines which, although slightly dated (July, 2007), provide a useful model.

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The people at Coastal Carolina University know a thing or two about the need for solid disaster planning. Situated just minutes from Myrtle Beach, SC, the institutions pays close attention to hurricane warnings and other natural occurrences that could disrupt its operations.

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Representatives from the largest operational area in the third largest U.S. state gathered Wednesday, July 28, 2010 to participate in the mock detonation of a 10-kiloton improvised nuclear device.

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Office Depot, a global provider of office products and services, is urging small businesses to take the simple and affordable steps necessary to get prepared for the 2010 hurricane season. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) forecasts 14 to 23 named storms this season and eight to 14 hurricanes — three to seven of which are expected to be category 3 or greater.

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When the World Trade Center collapsed, it took out a critical AT&T switch, crippling service. It was restored in 52 hours – including the time to drive a caravan of 18-wheelers from Atlanta to a lot in Jersey City. Read the rest of this entry »

There seem to be a lot of sightings of “Black Swans” lately. Should we be concerned or are we wishfully thinking, caught up in media hype; or are we misinterpreting what a “Black Swan” event really is?

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SHELDUS™ is a county-level hazard data set for the U.S. for 18 different natural hazard events types such thunderstorms, hurricanes, floods, wildfires, and tornados.

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For many businesses located in tropical and subtropical climates, Hurricanes present the worst-case disaster scenario. In addition to disabling or destroying business assets, as a community-wide disaster, hurricanes can disable employee homes, disrupt transportation, power and communication infrastructure.

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Interruptions to information technology (IT) system services can have a severe impact on an organization and its ability to carry out its basic functions. IT resources are essential to most business processes, and organizations depend upon information systems that operate effectively without serious interruptions. When organizations develop and maintain contingency plans for their IT systems, they can create a coordinated strategy to identify technical procedures and methods that will prevent most service disruptions and enable quick recovery should any disruptions occur.

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