What if your business got hit by a tornado and what if, in that same storm, your IT Company got hit by a tornado? Well, that is what happened in Joplin, MO. Luckily for John Motazedi of SNC Squared and his customers, he had a disaster recovery plan. You see John's company, SNS Squared, and Micro Doctor Inc. have something in common. We are both members of HTG Peer Groups for IT Companies. Part of the growth you see in Micro Doctor is due to the fact that we belong to this group, which shares ideas, best practices and now a disaster recovery program.
Just announced at HTG's annual conference last month, a new program was started called Hands that Give. Hands that Give is an emergency relief fund and volunteers that will step in and assist any HTG Member who needs help recovering from a natural or personal disaster. Those disasters can be natural like Tornados, Fires, or Hurricanes, but also may be personal illnesses like Heart Attacks, Car accidents or other personal health issues.
In John Motazedi's case it was a natural disaster. The tornado that hit Joplin, Missouri, completely destroyed his office (pictured above). However, all of his data and his customers' data, email and websites were backed up to offsite servers. Then his HTG group stepped in. 11 HTG members, including the president Arlin Sorensen, gathered up chain saws, trash bags and shovels and headed to Joplin. They helped John recover materials from the building, assisted in restoring offsite backups to a new temporary location, got his office SIP lines rerouted to a cell phone so they could receive calls and provided planning and ideas to help John and his IT clients keep running even in the face of this huge disaster.
Hands that Give - The Strength of Community - What is it?
More than an association of individuals with shared experiences —or even similar objectives — the best communities are defined by common cause, a degree of interdependence and great trust. And the strength of a community is most apparent, not when times are good, but rather in how its people pull together and respond to a disaster or tragedy befalling a fellow member. It is this very special function of community that is fulfilled by the Hands That Give Emergency Response Fund.
Whether it's disaster like a fire or flood, or a personal crisis such as death or divorce, unfortunate events can have a terrible impact on a business's operation. Established by HTG Peer Groups members, the Hands That Give Emergency Response Fund provides associated small business owners with essential financial assistance or donated equipment and services that will carry their companies through such difficult times. And by standing together in support of peers, colleagues . . . friends in difficult straits, we'll help them see the return of brighter days.
Please join me in taking this opportunity to foster a true sense of community within the HTG Peer Groups by becoming a contributing Hands That Give member.
Sincerely,
Arlin Sorensen
CEO, HTG Peer Group
So why is it advantageous for you to work with an IT Company that has its own disaster recovery plan? If your business is also damaged, you need to know that they (your IT provider) can be back up and running quickly so they can help you get your business running ASAP.
Rest assured that Micro Doctor, who has flourished for 23 years in business, will be there to help our local customers recover from whatever disaster may occur. And now that Micro Doctor has available the "Hands that Give" funding and technical peer support, we together could survive even a direct hit from a F5 tornado, God forbid that should ever happen here. Please join us in wishing our friends in Joplin not only our condolences but also our support as they strive to get back to normal. Our hearts also go out for the lives that were lost in Joplin last week.
Mark Richmond, President and Owner of Micro Doctor Inc. an HTG 19 Member Company.
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