Can You Sleep While The Wind Blows?

Let me repeat a story I heard many years ago that has stuck with me throughout my life. The lessons from this fable are many and have been applied to a variety of areas of my life. It recently popped into my mind again as I was thinking about the needs businesses have today for business continuity planning and disaster recovery contingencies.

As I remember the fable, a farmer had been desperately looking, with no success, for a hired hand. Finally a young man showed up and said, "I hear you've been looking for help."

"I sure have, replied the farmer. "What do you do? Can you run a tractor?"

"Nope, answered the fellow.

"How about a milking machine?"

"Never worked one of those either," answered the lad.

After a few more questions with the same negative responses the farmer finally asked, "Well, what can you do?"

"I can sleep while the wind blows," said the young man.

In no mood for joking, the farmer almost told the young lad to be on his way. But he needed help so badly that he decided to give the youth a try.

A week or so later the farmer woke in the middle of the night. Outside a storm was blustering." Sheets of windblown rain were battering away at the windows. The farmer jumped out of bed and went to the hired hand's bedroom. Efforts to rouse the helper were like trying to awaken a sack of potatoes.

So the farmer, by himself, rushed outdoors in the howling storm to take care of things. But when he got to the barn the doors were shut and bolted. The animals were secured in the safe shelter of the barn. Remembering that there was straw and feed in back of the barn that could be ruined by the rain, or blown away by the wind, he hurried outside once more. But his concerns were unfounded for the piles were covered with canvas and fastened down. It was then that he realized the significance of the young man's prophetic claim, "I can sleep when the wind blows."

This little fable reminds us not to wait until we are in the middle of a disaster, or burdened with desperation or calamity before accepting personal responsibility for successfully planning for all possible disasters. Many disasters that strike companies can be avoided or at least the effects minimized by putting a disaster recovery plan into place today. Business continuity should be top of mind for every business. When disasters strike, all businesses small and large are vulnerable.

Don't be like the farmer who waited for the disaster to strike before attempting to take the necessary steps to protect his business. The lesson in the fable is especially powerful today as companies face the daily threats of virus attacks, terrorist attacks on a global basis. Disaster recovery planning has never been more important. It is something you should do, and do now.

Wouldn't you rather "sleep when the wind blows," than be trying to figure out how to batten down the hatches in the middle of a raging storm?

Renee Rich is a success entrepreneur and freelance writer offering guidance and suggestions for small to mid-sized businesses concerned with business continuity, time management, strategic internet marketing, business & money. Her many articles on these topics as well as researched links to websites providing related product and services can be found at: http://www.business-continuity-4u.com

She gives information and tips to help grow your business, save money, manage your time, and make informed buying decisions. Learn more about time management at: http://www.business-continuity-4u.com/Time_Management.htm