Imagine you’re driving down I-35. You’re cruising along pretty well considering it’s I-35 in late afternoon. Boom. Your tire blows. Without a spare tire as your backup plan, you’re stranded. Have a spare tire? Perfect. You’ll be back on the road in no time flat (pun intended). When disaster strikes, whether it’s a ransomware attack, a power outage or employee error, think of your disaster recovery plan as the spare tire your business needs to get rolling again quickly.
For Kansas City businesses, not preparing for the inevitable as part of their strategy could result in permanent data loss, long downtime and expensive recoveries. Yet, all of that is so easily avoidable with a disaster recovery plan. Here’s what your plan should include and how Invision’s managed IT service makes the process easier, faster and more secure.
5 Steps to Building a Disaster Recovery Plan That You Can Count on
1. Start with a Comprehensive Risk Assessment
Before you can protect your data, you need to understand from what you’re protecting it. Natural disasters, cyber threats, hardware failures or employee mistakes pose unique risks. Invision’s Kansas City IT support team helps businesses identify vulnerabilities and prioritize them based on impact.
Benefit: You’ll know exactly where your weaknesses lie and how to strengthen them.
2. Define Mission-Critical Systems and Recovery Time Objectives (RTOs)
Not every system needs to be restored immediately after a disruption. By categorizing software, files and applications based on how essential they are to your business, you’ll be able to plan recovery phases more effectively.
Benefit: Reduces downtime and allocates resources efficiently when time and money count.
3. Implement a Secure, Automated Backup Strategy
How often should you back up your data? The answer is more often than you think. Cloud-based backups that are encrypted, redundant and regularly tested are a must.
Benefit: Rest easy knowing your business can bounce back, no matter what.
4. Establish a Clear Communication Protocol
Who notifies clients? Who contacts vendors? What does internal messaging look like? During a crisis, clear communication is everything. Your plan should include scripts, responsibilities and contact trees.
Benefit: Prevents confusion and maintains trust across all touchpoints.
5. Test, Refine, and Repeat
Just think how much different your business’s technology is to just a few years ago. Plans that sit on shelves don’t save businesses. Regularly testing and updating your disaster recovery plan ensures it evolves alongside your technology and business needs. Invision’s outsourced IT services include routine testing and updates as part of a proactive IT strategy.
Benefit: Your plan grows with you, not against you.
Risk vs. Reward: Why Disaster Recovery Is Business-Critical
Disaster recovery planning isn’t just a tech checkbox. It’s a business safeguard you’ll be glad you have when you need it. For example, a Kansas City accounting firm, lacking proper backups, fell victim to ransomware. The result? Days of downtime, lost client trust and an expensive ransom with no guarantee of full data recovery.
Now compare that to a local architecture firm that had partnered with Invision. When a server crashed unexpectedly, they restored operations within hours thanks to proactive planning and secure cloud backups. Pleasant experience? No. But a survivable nuisance? Yes.
Preparation Makes All the Difference?
Without a disaster recovery plan:
• Data can be lost permanently.
• Client relationships suffer.
• Regulatory consequences become costly.
With a disaster recovery plan:
• Recovery is fast.
• Operations stay on track.
• Confidence in your IT grows.
Need Help with the Next Step? Let Us Develop Your Company’s Disaster Recovery Plan
Most everyone will have a tire blowout. Like most every business will have an IT emergency. A disaster recovery plan is your spare tire, your roadside kit, and your rescue crew all in one. It’s what keeps you moving when the unexpected hits.
The Invision team solves IT issues, as well as helps you plan. Whether you’re building your first disaster recovery plan or fine-tuning an existing one, our Kansas City-based team is here to make the process simple, secure and tailored to your business.
Don’t wait for the blowout.
Contact us today for a free IT assessment and put the right plan in place before you need it.
