With the forum crash and subsequent challenges getting back online...I thought it might be a good time to remind people to think in terms of disaster recovery (or "business continuity" as some firms call it).

Take some time to think thru some worst case scenarios and jot down some notes about your level of preparedness...for example...

-- what if your lab was down for an extended period of time?
-- what if your web-host messed up (like DJ's did)?
-- what if your computer crashed? if you have back-up files, how exactly will you get back in business?
-- what if your equipment was stolen?
-- what if you became injured or sick and couldn't shoot a wedding?

There are lots of other things you can probably think of. This isn't a doomsday exercise...it's a chance to figure out what you need to do to be prepared for interuptions in your business.

Let's pray that we won't have to deal with such unfortunate events...but let's be prepared for when / if we do.

Great post Dan

It really is not that expensive to have two web hosting accounts all set up and ready to go, multiple lab accounts are free, have a working copy of your data (including your paper contracts and receipts) in at least two (and hopefully three or four) places, have someone you can call in case your gear is stolen (wpja members can borrow it from the wpja) to get something last minute loaner gear, have several people who you can call (or who can be called on your behalf) to photograph the wedding for you if you are sick, injured or dead

Back up your emails and website!!!

Great post,

Just a thought about backups - test your backup - unless you know that you can reload your data from your backup it's a pointless exercise.

Now you know I wasn't being critical of you - don't you?

What is your name?

What is your quest?

What is your favorite (favourite - since this is a British Comedy!) color?

SO TRUE! I learned that with the 3 - 4 different burners I have, some of them are better at reading the files than other...I get some of those dreaded CRC errors...

Yeah man it's all good. Sometimes the truth hurts though. I tried opening the gzip but my winzip wouldn't open a gzip file. I thought it was just a compatibility thing. I should have learned more about it and figured out how to open it. Oh well -I AGREE with your post. CHECK YOUR BACKUPS!

Blue?

Mark, I was just testing my backup to make sure it wouldn't be cast into the Gorge of Eternal Peril.

Check this out.

Great post. As a full time IT person I've seen too many horror stories to recount. Some have even happened to Laura and I. There was a period of time this year that we lost 4 hard drives (2 raid arrays) in a row. I still cannot explain it but I'm very anal (as Laura puts it) about backing up weddings and events that we were lucky enough not to lose a single image.

I know losing data has the potential to end your business, so if you are in my area (NJ) and your ever in need of help, I'd gladly do what I can to help out.

recent issues:
[X] dead PC - good excuse to tap savings for that "desktop replacement" mac i've wanted.
[X] mismatched images and 1 "partial" album design that has already been proofed and printed for a sample book.
[X] gear gone goofy - 2yr old Nikon D70 takes an occasional janky photo, and is not always a backup.
[X] fire alarm / false alarm at 2am. THAT got me thinking faster than anything!


eB