It could happen to you.

My morning ritual to start my working day is to jump online and read the news. I like to see what's happening in the world. So when I began to see headlines like 'Go Daddy hacked!' I definitely took notice.

It sucks to be Go Daddy.

By now everyone has already heard the unfortunate news that was splashed across the headlines earlier today. Go Daddy was brought down by an as yet unknown and apparently lone hacker. I can only imagine the cost to millions of small businesses and companies across the web as their websites were offline for an indefinite amount of time. I came to the final conclusion that It really sucks to be Go Daddy right now.

You live you learn.

But the whole fiasco is a learning opportunity for all of us. Something like that could happen to any one of us. For some of us, a downed website could signify a significant loss in revenue. It definitely got me thinking. It definitely pays to be prepared.

Be prepared.

The old scouts motto is just as relative to business owners as anyone else. We need to be as prepared as we can be for situations like this. Having some kind of contingency plan set in place is ideal but then again, what does an online retailer do when a majority of their revenue comes from selling their products online? While some disasters are entirely out of our control here are some tips to make sure that your business is as prepared for disasters as it can be, no matter how small.

• Backup documents, and files regularly, preferably in more than one place.
• Have a plan in case of theft, fire, illness. Write that plan down - keep it nearby. You never know, you just might need it!
• Think about what would happen if your website crashed completely. Can you work from another social media platform like face book? Can you take phone payments for stock until you're back online?
• Do you have clauses in your contracts to deal with natural disasters?
• Are you insured? Do you have the correct insurance you need for your business?
• Review your contingency plans regularly. They will evolve as your business does.

Could it happen to your hosting provider?

I'm not surprised if this mornings fiasco has put a lot of people on edge. While Go Daddy is now working on new contingency plans in the event that a crisis like this ever occurs again it made me very grateful for the hosting provider we use that I thoroughly recommend: Bluehost. They are exceptional. Their customer service is second to none and their rates are reasonable and very cost effective.

It's unfortunate that something like this happened to a large company that obviously would have affected millions but it only brings home the old scouts motto, be prepared.

Some kind of a plan is better than no plan.