operations for potential problem areas and to help devise a comprehensive crisis-management plan. For a small company, this could cost as little as $1,000.
Phil Woudenberg, general manager of the Chicago-based technology-solutions provider Sysix L.L.C., says the biggest mistake a small company can make is ignoring potential dangers. “They know they’re exposed to risk, but they don’t always know how to get their arms around dealing with it,” says Woudenberg.
For more information on disaster preparation, visit the Small Business Administration’s Website at www.sba.gov/dis aster/getready.html. Tips on disaster insurance can be obtained at www.score.org/disasterassist/articles/disinsur .html. “Small business owners really need to think things out now rather than later,” says McGinty. “When an incident does occur, the last thing you want to be saying is, ‘Oh my gosh, we never thought of that.'”