Now the devastating climate events of January and February are starting to move into the rear-view mirror it might be time for owners and managers to sit down and think about having some plans in place for future disasters.

As a pair of long thin islands exposed to cyclones and situated on the Ring of Fire volcanic/earthquake belt New Zealand is perhaps more prone to potential natural disasters than many countries, yet the typical 'Kiwi She’ll be Right' attitude means we are not great about being prepared for them, instead relying on our 'No 8 wire fixit' philosophy rather than preparedness.

Events that can significantly impact businesses are not always natural though and there are a fair share of manmade ones that can effect either single businesses or businesses in a wide area. Just thinking of a few relatively recent ones that affected a significant number of businesses:
• The January floods and February cyclone (and almost annual cyclones).
• Kaikoura earthquake.
• Christchurch earthquakes.
• White Island eruption.
• Auckland central power outage which lasted five weeks in 1998.

And events that might affect a smaller number of businesses
• Ongoing Inter Island ferry disruptions.
• Road closures post the cyclone and floods. (disrupting customers and supply chains)
• Fire affecting premises.
• Chemical spill that can quarantine an area.
And the list goes on.

A few questions you might ask yourself
• If I could not access my business premises how could I continue my business?
• Do I have remote access to business files/records?
• Do I have backups of files/records?
• What options do I have for alternate premises if required?
• Where I could easily source replacement equipment?

Thinking through some of these questions ahead of time might help you respond more quickly if you are affected in the future.