As we’ve moved into a new year and reflect on the last, one thing becomes clear: we’re in an era when anything can happen. Some of the largest websites in the world have been hacked, and server crashes have occurred in fields where it’s unheard-of.
You’ve probably experienced an ever-increasing dependency on information technology over the last years—not only in your personal life, but within your business operations as well. Now is a better time than ever to reassess your disaster recovery plan.
Many of us have been guilty of thinking “it won’t happen to me” but unfortunate events can happen to all of us. Not sure what I’m referring to as it relates to your salon or spa? I’m talking about the unexpected technical disaster that could occur.
Always have a plan in place.
Even if you think that the chance of a natural or manmade catastrophe at your salon (that salon that you’ve put your blood, sweat and tears into creating) is unlikely, you should still have a plan in place to not only handle a disaster, but to help prevent the effects of one.
The actions that you take before, during and after an unforeseen event can make all the difference in terms of the impact that a disaster can have on your business. So, it’s best to prepare and plan for the worst.
This isn’t a new line of thinking. Our society encourages it for home security, too. It’s the reason why we put fire extinguishers in kitchens and plungers in bathrooms. You don’t want to be the person who doesn’t have one when it’s needed.
Your customer database is your most valuable asset, so protect it.
If you’re like most salon owners, you have a customer database. This database tells you about who your clients are, how to contact them, their favorite products, as well as details about their memberships. It’s literally your goldmine.
Your customer database is the lifeblood of your business,so your disaster recovery plan should include a regular schedule for the backup of your data in case you experience a damaging event, such a server crash.
backup should also be stored offsite.
After all, if the location where your server is housed undergoes a natural disaster, it may not survive. Additionally, you want to make sure that this backup can be easily restored, and that you have an available resource to assist you with the restoration if needed.
Viruses aren’t only for humans, you know…
Let’s talk about viruses, shall we? You need to have antivirus and monitoring software on your server and workstations to deter a malicious hacker from damaging your computer network. Viruses are wildly common. Don’t sleep on it, even if it’s a tedious part of your work.
While you’re at it, teaching any people involved in the computing side of things basic scam avoidance can also help you out.
Outsource your database hosting.
If you have the chops, you can handle your database hosting and maintenance yourself. But most of us don’t have the skill, desire, or interest to do all that work.
Consider employing a hosting provider so that you can rest assured in your data’s safety. At times, your marketing department (or financial POS provider) might already do this for you.
Have a backup terminal or workstation, too.
Over time, even the most basic of tech can glitch out and fail—including workstations, computers, POS terminals, and timers. If you want to make sure everything goes smoothly, having preconfigured tech as a backup might be a wise choice.
Tech is only good if it works, after all.
Document and test your protocols.
It’s also important to document your disaster recovery plan. This makes it easier to train others in it and gives you clear, clean-cut expectations as to what your staff should do.
Equally important is the testing of the plan. Remember those fire drills you had to do every year as a child at school? Make sure that you train your staff on the plan, and that it is easy to understand and execute, especially during what might be a chaotic situation.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound (or more) of cure!
A solid disaster recovery plan is an easy way to be prepared. It can alleviate the stress that you and your staff might have should you experience an unforeseen technical calamity at your salon.
So, prep yourself. You will thank yourself when you are able to continue to operate seamlessly without your members knowing that you experienced an unfortunate event!
