Over the past few weeks the news and media have been full of the volcanic eruption in Bali and the problems for tourists both coming home and flying over there.

The last estimate was 10,000 people stranded at Denpasar Airport with no way of getting a flight back home to Australia or wherever in the world they may be heading. Now the news has focused on the “Woe is me” stories of passengers not being able to get home for weddings, their children, events or they have just run out of money and can’t afford to stay there any longer.

For the most part, the main response from these people has been, let’s look for someone to blame!!

Blame for what, a volcanic eruption?? Are they serious?

Yes they are, because they are angry, confused and unprepared about their current predicament.

So why are they in this situation, many caught without travel insurance or a strategy for the emergency that has unfolded? Probably because they are so focused on their upcoming holiday and not planning for the unthinkable.

No contingency plan.

So why would this bother you and I? We are not stuck in Bali trying to get home or at an Australian airport trying to get to Bali.

No, we are safe at home in our office doing business and focused on renting out units to guests or tenants and selling real estate.

We’ve got nothing to worry about, have we?

One question!

What constitutes a volcanic eruption in your business or life?

Are you prepared in your business for an unexpected catastrophe that could rock your world to the core?

A management rights or motel volcanic eruption.

Are you so focused on the business in front of you that you never give any consideration for what might unfold just around the corner without warning?

I would never wish bad luck or disaster on even my worst enemies, but still every day you hear stories of people affected by the unexpected.

Example, I’ll give you just one, CANCER.

The plague of the 21st century can strike at any time without warning.

I know because I’ve had it and I didn’t see it coming.

Most of us know someone who has had it or a family that has been affected by it in some way.

Have you ever sat down with your spouse or partner and had a “what if” discussion.

Not just, what if I got cancer, but what if we had a fire or flood and lost everything or what if something totalling unexpected unfolds tomorrow. What will we do?

Who will take care of the business and who will look after the family?

I don’t want to be labelled a doomsdayer here but, there are 10,000 people stuck in Bali this week that suddenly had to develop a contingency plan that they had never thought they would need.

Now some would say that getting stuck in Bali for an extra week hardly constitutes a disaster of any kind but the fact remains they didn’t expect or plan to be there.

I am not here to tell you what you can do to prevent disaster in your life, but some forwarding planning and a bit of creative thinking on your part might just put a cap on the volcano if or when it does go off.

Maybe it can be a group discussion with family and friends around a BBQ one Saturday night to see what they would do and get some extra ideas.

Could make for an interesting conversation and dinner topic with a glass of red.

As a good boy scout or girl guide, Be Prepared.

Have a great month.