Disaster Recovery Planning - a must read

Do the research, and don’t get burned

Joe has finished school to learn about marketing a cpa firm and accounting practice management, and has now gained the necessary capital to start his own accounting practice business that he has been dreaming of for years. Now Joe has rented office space and purchased all the necessities including furniture, file cabinets, an office safe, and the necessary coverage to insure all his business assets. His career in accounting was well on its way.

It has now been over 4 years since Joe first began his accounting practice, and his business has evolved into an outstanding performer exceeding all expectations. Joe has even managed to start a second element of his business that involves just marketing for accountants. Things were going great, until one night when all of Joe’s irretrievable accounting records were destroyed by an intense office fire disaster caused by faulty electrical wiring. Joe’s insurance would get him the building back, but there was nothing he could do about all the accounting records and data lost. Such travesty could’ve been prevented had Joe put a little more thought into his file cabinet and safe purchases.

File cabinets and safes are more than big metal objects with doors and drawers that hold paper documents and other forms of very valuable media. Safes and file cabinets are “protectors” of your vitally important records and data against the threat of fire, humidity, and water damage, thus ultimately protecting your business. Before buying a safe or file cabinet, it is extremely important to know what to look for in order to purchase fireproof products that are “up to par” in protecting the existence of your business practice.

The most important thing check for, in regard to safe and file cabinet purchases, is that the product has been tested by Underwriters Laboratories. Underwriters Laboratories Inc. is a nonprofit organization that has been testing products for public safety and buyer confidence for more than 100 years. A UL label will indicate that the product has indeed passed some form of UL testing, though a UL label is not synonymous with fire protection - look for a UL Class or UL Rated label. In order to protect the future of your business, make sure that the safe and file cabinet in question possesses a label that includes a separate section indicated by “Classified by Underwriters Laboratories as to fire resistance”, with a designated rating that involves “class” and “hours”. This will indicate that the product is “UL 350”, “UL 125” or “UL 72” certified. Thus, you can be confident that this fireproof safe or file cabinet is made to withstand extremely hot temperatures (exceeding 800 degrees Fahrenheit) for at least 30 minutes of time (or as indicated by hour rating).

Don’t end up like Joe. By knowing that your cabinets and safes are UL72 certified, you will gain the peace of mind that all your precious business records are safe and sound.

This article was written by Seth Tachick for New Clients Inc (www.newclientsinc.com). NCI offers programs of marketing for accountants, accounting services and CPA practices.