Advanced planning is crucial for business owners. To successfully cope with emergency conditions when they arise, a business owner needs to have engaged in disaster recovery planning beforehand to ensure operations can get back on track with minimum time and resources lost.

Considering the importance of advanced planning, it would greatly benefit business owners to equip a fully functional hot site with the entire scope of a company's data tools far before it is needed. This will ensure revenue streams continue to flow and that customer service is not significantly disrupted if the primary site is not usable.

However, in order for a hot site to be deployed to its full potential, business owners must predetermine a strategic location that employees will be able to effectively reach.

Illustrating the best practices for business continuity planning, global information services company Experian recently secured 300 worker recovery seats at an alternative U.K. site that is in close proximity to multiple sources of public transit. 

"The location of ICM’s work area recovery centre is ideal for us. Should our offices become unavailable, the centre is on a city tram stop, near a motorway junction and has plenty of parking," said Experian's head of business continuity, Edward Sherley-Price in a press release. It means that our staff can carry on work without disruption and get there in the usual way that they commute."

This location consequently allows employees to resume their essential job functions using a familiar system with maximum efficiency, creating as little disruption as possible while maintaining "smooth and excellent service" for Experian's customers, the company says.

To secure a similarly functional hot site, business owners should consider deploying the services of a certified disaster consultant. With years of experience in hot site negotiation, disaster consultants can effectively help a business owner procure a hot site at a reasonable price and at an accessible location. Consequently, a business will be able to get back on track after a disaster as efficiently as possible.