Laundry List for Restaurants and Retailers
You may be overwhelmed by the steps necessary to restore your business to normal after Sandy.
Your technology tips equipment could have been entirely or partially destroyed if you are a restaurant, bar, grocery, or retail store owner.
After a disaster, businesses are often the hardest hit financially. It may not be possible to afford new equipment or the luxury of buying it. You can take steps before you throw in the towel and spend what little capital is left or borrow money to purchase new equipment.
Here are some tips to help you recover your electronic devices. If your electronic devices are damaged or submerged in water, consult an expert immediately and take all safety precautions.
First things,
You must ensure that all devices are powered up. This includes routers, modems, and network switches. To avoid severe water or fire damage and ensure that the cables are intact, check each one carefully.
Phone lines should be checked – You can switch between handsets to see if you can get a dial tone. One handset may have been damaged while another did not. Talk to your neighbors and contact your local phone company to rule out widespread outages.
You should never forget any warranties you may have on your devices. These warranties may still be valid in the case of a catastrophe. This is the time to make the minimum payment for the confirmation.
Triage for Computers & POS Systems
It doesn’t always mean that your computer is dead. You can check the power supply by taking it out and putting it on another computer. You may be able to quickly identify the problem if the computer stops working. This test can save you hundreds of dollars over buying a new computer.
You can test your computer’s motherboard if you are confident you will be able to diagnose any further problems.
It may be harder to diagnose if your computer is not turning on or your operating system won’t start. For assistance, contact your I.T. For service, contact your I.T.
POS Software
Sometimes, a sudden power outage can cause your database corruption and malfunction. If your POS system does not function appropriately after checking all network devices, this could indicate that your database is corrupt. Contact your POS provider in this instance. A POS provider can run simple diagnostic tests to return your software to its original state.
Backup your database
Even if there is no natural disaster, it is essential to back up your database. There is no better time to set up an automatic backup schedule than now. Depending on the software package, you should be able to set up the system to remind you to take automated back-ups when you are not working. Consult an I.T. professional if you aren’t sure whether the backup system you have set up covers all your business-critical information. For assistance, consult an I.T. professional.
You have successfully restored power to your computers and POS systems following a disaster. Now is the time to immediately back up all systems to prevent future data loss. Even though power outages can be a problem after a disaster, it is possible to save data by taking advantage of this opportunity. An external hard drive is required for databases larger than 50MB. Although this is more expensive than starting from scratch, it will still be cheaper than an external hard drive. A backup can be made online if your database is less than 50MB.
Credit Card Processing
After an interruption to your electronic devices, the most important thing is the ability to process credit cards again. This will directly impact your bottom line.
Check that your credit card machine and phone lines are functioning if it isn’t working. Contact your credit card machine manufacturer, I.T. vendor.
Adjusting your settings may not be necessary if you are processing credit cards via your point-of-sale software. Your merchant services provider might be able to provide you with an external machine temporarily until the problem is fixed.
Surveillance Systems
Check each camera to make sure they are all working. If some cameras don’t show up on your main screen after this check, it could be that the camera has suffered damage. To rule out harm to cables, you can swap working cameras with non-working ones. This will confirm that there is indeed a problem with your camera.
If your DVR does not show all your cameras, it could be due to physical damage to its hard drive. In this case, you will need to either replace the hard drive or contact your manufacturer.
Are you overwhelmed by the laundry list?
Restaurants, bars, supermarkets, and retail stores often use multiple electronic devices, hardware, and software, to ensure a smooth, cost-effective business operation. One interruption to your system can make or break your efforts to get back to work after a disaster. Coordinating calls with service providers and on-site visits between daily operations can be difficult.