Emergency planning for the solo entrepreneur : back up your business--before disaster strikes

The Challenges Facing A Solo Entrepreneur When Calamity Strikes Are Unique In The Realm Of Disaster Planning, And The Only Effective Strategy For Preventing A Business Failure After An Unexpected Major Setback Is To Have A Clearly Thought-out Emergency Backup Plan. This Book Guides You To Being 100 Percent Ready For The Worst-case Scenario. * Asks A Critical Question: How Prepared Is The Average Solopreneur To Withstand A Sudden Crisis, Like A Serious Medical Emergency?, Addresses The Likely Consequences Of Being Unprepared, And Provides A Practical Strategy For Building An Emergency Backup Plan * Presents Guidance For Choosing A Person Or Team Of People To Immediately Step In And Manage The Business During A Crisis * Stresses The Importance Of Building A Comprehensive Communication Plan That Serves To Keep People Informed On A Daily Basis * Offers Information For Keeping Computers And Other Vital Equipment In Good Working Order And Protected From Cyber Attacks Cover 1 Half Title 2 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Contents 8 Preface 12 Acknowledgments 14 Introduction 16 Part One: The Plan 24 Chapter 1: Taking Stock: Exploring the Broader Issues of Survival 26 Chapter 2: Getting Organized: Organization, Documentation, and Communication 36 Chapter 3: Defining Your Goals: Short, Intermediate, and Long-Term 44 Chapter 4: Choosing Your Backup Team: Leverage Their Capabilities Now, While You Can 54 Chapter 5: Making It Official: Empower Your Team to Act Legally 68 Chapter 6: Managing the Money: Stay Fiscally Sound during a Crisis 78 Chapter 7: Getting Visual: Visual Aids as a Tool for Managing Change 86 Chapter 8: Backing Up Your Data: Build a Fail-Safe System before It’s Needed 92 Chapter 9: Keeping the Business Safe: Scammers, Hackers, and Identity Thieves—How to Stop Them 100 Chapter 10: Planning Your Exit Strategy: So Your Future Is Not Left to Chance 112 Chapter 11: Building a Network of People: You Will Need Outside Help to Survive an Emergency 120 Chapter 12: Testing and Implementation: Uncovering Any Flaws in the System 130 In Conclusion 136 Postscript Emergency Procedures in the Event of a Natural Disaster 140 Part Two: Action Guide 142 Step One: Take Stock 146 Step Two: Get Organized 150 Step Three: Define Your Goals 158 Step Four: Choose Your Backup Team 164 Step Five: Make It Official 170 Step Six: Manage the Money 174 Step Seven: Get Visual 180 Step Eight: Back Up Your Data 182 Step Nine: Keep the Business Safe 186 Step Ten: Plan Your Exit Strategy 188 Step Eleven: Build a Network of People 192 Step Twelve: Test and Implement 196 Resources 198 Index 200 The challenges facing a solo entrepreneur when calamity strikes are unique in the realm of disaster planning, and the only effective strategy for preventing a business failure after an unexpected major setback is to have a clearly thought-out emergency backup plan. This book guides you to being 100 percent ready for the worst-case scenario.Disasters are sudden, calamitous events that can bring about great loss and failure to a business. Some disasters can be prevented through good judgment and careful planning; others—whether'acts of God'such as flood or fire or a personal health crisis—cannot be. What will happen if the one person responsible for the day-to-day operations of a solo entrepreneurship is suddenly incapacitated and unable to manage the business? In cases of small businesses that do not have a clear backup or disaster recovery plan, the outcome is often the total failure of the business.This book is both a wakeup call and an action plan for small business owners. It will guide readers toward creating a backup system that will enable a business to'run itself'without the immediate presence of its owner—for a week, a month, or even longer. The author presents a tested strategy that has its roots in preparing for natural disasters, and replaces the all-too-common refusal to believe that bad things can and do happen with hard facts and realism. Clearly, solopreneurs cannot afford to take risks of failure when it comes to their businesses—the most important thing in their lives aside from family and health. Disasters are sudden, calamitous events that can bring about great loss and failure to a business. Some disasters can be prevented through good judgment and careful planning; others- whether "acts of God" such as flood or fire or a personal health crisis - cannot be. What will happen if the one person responsible for the day-to-day operations of a solo entrepreneurship is suddenly incapacitated and unable to manage the business? In cases of small businesses that do not have a clear backup or disaster recovery plan, the outcome is often the total failure of the business. book is both a wakeup call and an action plan for small business owners. It will guide readers toward creating a backup system that will enable a business to "run itself" without the immediate presence of its owner -- for a week, a month, or even longer. The author presents a tested strategy that has its roots in preparing for natural disasters, and replaces the all-too-common refusal to believe that bad things can and do happen with hard facts and realism. Clearly, solopreneurs cannot afford to take risks of failure when it comes to their businesses -- the most important thing in their lives aside from family and health. -- Provided by publisher