I'm sure many of you watched with amazement, and a bit of fear as did I this past weekend, as the snow just kept on falling in New York and other eastern states.  This latest weather phenomenon literally paralyzed most of the eastern seaboard and was severely felt in many surrounding states as well.

Natural and man made disasters and chaotic events underscore the challenges of  disaster recovery in the real world. Having a comprehensive business continuity plan isn't just an IT concern; though. Nothing less than the survival of your company is at stake.

Companies today face an unprecedented number of problematic occurrences. The frequency and severity of weather-related events seem to be increasing and reliance on a complex network of technology and supply chains is expanding. Both trends leave businesses vulnerable to a variety of existing and emerging risks.

When we think about potential disasters that could affect us both personally and professionally, it is common to picture the most dramatic of natural disasters...fire, flood, earthquake, tornadoes.  And absolutely, there is a distinct possibility that you will experience at least one of these natural disasters in your lifetime.

In today's "instant gratification" society — in which heightened customer expectations and 24x7 accessibility demands really burden small business — little time remains for much else. Small businesses often don't have the resources or inclination to track the latest computer news, security threats, or even common break/fix tips.

For this week's posts on Social Media, I have been focusing on Business Continuity, yet again.  There are several reasons for this, the main being that Tuesday here in California was The Great California Shake Out-an observance developed by FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) to remind California residents of the importance of earthquake preparedness.

A friend of mine, Turner, lost his wife about a three years ago.  They had been high school sweethearts, and had married right after graduation.  They had been together, counting their marriage, over 50 years when she passed from cancer.  When she entered hospice, he never left her side.

I have really gotten into researching the importance of "Business Continuity Planning", and the psychology behind it.  So, let's start with what a "Business Continuity" or "BC" Plan is...

"A business continuity plan is a plan to continue operations if a place of business is affected by different levels of disaster which can be localized short term disasters, to days long building wide problems, to a permanent loss of a building".

The first word in that paragraph that strikes a fearful chord in the hearts of many is "disaster".  No one wants to think about a disaster striking them or their loved ones, but with over 600 disasters, natural or technical, happening worldwide annually, the odds are likely that you'll be involved in one in your lifetime.

In researching the information for this article, it occurred to me that quite a few folks still had a limited understanding of what "The Cloud" or "Cloud Computing" really was.  So we'll start off with a basic definition...

In the simplest terms, "Cloud Computing" means storing and accessing data and programs over the Internet instead of your computer's hard drive.

I am often surprised how the smallest of technological troubles often times create quite an issue with time management and of course, with stress management...I.E. non efficiency.  None of us have time to waste...yet, I confess, I am one of those people who get caught up trying to figure out a minor problem and waste an inordinate amount of time doing so, or plug along executing a procedure, when there exists a more efficient way of accomplishment.