All this media coverage of the BP Oil Spill Debacle has me thinking about disaster recovery. Think disaster recovery is just for the Forbes 500 types? Think again. As singers, we are our own business. Sometimes it cannot be just about the art. I understand that disaster recovery is not a sexy subject. But knowing your own disaster recovery plan just might give you that sexy librarian effect. Allow me to put on my glasses…
Our first stop on the road to nerd goddess is risk assessment. You cannot plan for every disaster in advance. Our goal is to look for likelihoods – we want to cover for those situations that are more likely to occur and will do the most damage. If you live in California — think about forest fires. If you live in Florida — think about hurricanes. Use those creative nerd juices and jot down a risk log:
- Risk
- Probability
- Impact
- Risk Level (i.e. high, medium, low)
Some possible risks to consider:
- House fire or natural disaster – Loss of music books, instruments, recommendations, headshots, etc.
- Computer meltdowns
- Long-term illness
- Stolen items
- Lapse of health care coverage
Unlikely events or situations that would require minimal recovery should be identified, but not necessarily considered part of your risk assessment plan. Do not ignore disaster recovery just because nothing bad has happened yet! An event that may happen and could destroy your business can be planned and prepared for now and will help secure your long-term success as a musician as well as a your eventual nerd stardom.
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