New Zealand small and medium sized businesses are not entirely prepared to recover from natural disasters or the loss of key staff, according to Kiwi software company Healthpoint.

In response, the provider has launched cloud-based software tool EmePoint, that helps businesses better prepare for disruptions and recover faster following an event,

“In New Zealand 97% of enterprises are small businesses,” states Kate Rhind, managing director of Healthpoint. “Most are under-prepared, so they're more susceptible to disruptions when disaster strikes. They know that ‘she'll be right' won't cut it in 2015, but until now they've had few realistic options.

Rhind says US data shows that around a quarter of small businesses do not reopen after a major disaster.

EmePoint is the world's first emergency planning tool designed for small and medium businesses, Healthpoint explains. The tool allows businesses in any sector to develop their own customised plans for dealing with the disruptions their business may face.

The company says EmePoint has been developed by experts in risk identification, emergency planning management and business continuity planning, working closely with many small businesses, from law offices and pharmacies to schools and design companies.

“The system helps them plan using a clever rules-based platform, guiding them through an intuitive process and streaming in relevant local emergency data,” it says. “It helps them to identify risks specific to their business, to prepare for these and to produce their own individual plan. When their business is disrupted, they will be ready to respond and be able to recover more rapidly.

EmePoint also notes a business' priorities and capabilities and allows them to update the plan across all scenarios when they restructure, move to the cloud or go mobile.