Disaster-proof your business

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- With the official start of hurricane season looming, many small-business owners are finding themselves unprepared for what could be a problematic summer.

In fact, 71 percent of businesses do not have a disaster plan in place, according to a "Disaster Preparedness" survey released Tuesday by Office Depot (Charts, Fortune 500).

More than half of the small-business owners surveyed are not worried about the impact a disaster can have on their business.

Many fail to take even the most basic precautions. For example, while 52 percent claim to burn important files onto a removable media device, only 11 percent keep copies at an off-site location. What's more, 18 percent do not back up data at all, the survey said.

But on the eve of what experts are predicting will be an active hurricane season, there are simple steps small-business owners can take to ensure that their business, employees and livelihood are well-protected.

"Companies that prepare for disaster have a tendency to survive them," said Jon Toigo, chief executive of research firm Toigo Partners International and the author of several books on disaster recovery.

Getting your business up to speed doesn't have to be expensive.

"Most of the preparations are very simple and very affordable, so don't let cost deter you," Toigo said.

For starters, Toigo recommends focusing on a few things that business owners can do today instead of feeling overwhelmed and unprepared. And that means ensuring the safety of employees first, he said.

To that end, create a contact list so you can easily communicate with staffers in the case of a hurricane. Also, establish an emergency plan that covers how you will handle different scenarios. For example, institute a phone tree or a clear process for communication.

In case office workers are stuck inside, the office should be equipped with a first-aid kit, flashlights, batteries, bottled water and a battery-powered radio.

As for the business, protecting your work is easier than people think, according to Toigo. "All it requires is backing up your data and storing it in a safe and remote place." He recommends backing up contracts, orders and inventories onto a flash drive and sticking it in your pocket at the end of each day or week.

Considering how little a back-up device, like a flash drive or disk can cost, more business owners should take this simple step to protect their company. "You should have started yesterday and you should be doing it on a routine basis," Toigo said.

In the event of a natural disaster, these simple steps could be the difference between survival and being unable to recover.

You can download more information from Office Depot's web site: (www.officedepot.com/getprepared), as well as from the SBA (www.sba.gov/services/disasterassistance/index.html) and the American Red Cross (www.redcross.org).

The "Disaster Preparedness" survey, conducted by TNS NFO for Office Depot, polled 2,500 people from Feb. 13 to 16, 2007.