Imagine that your thriving business is negatively impacted by
a natural disaster. Will your company survive? The Federal
Emergency Management Agency reports that nearly 40 percent of small
businesses will not reopen after a major disaster. As hurricane
season approaches, it’s time to safeguard your investment.
- Where would you do business if your building was damaged or
destroyed?
- How would you continue to provide your products and/or services
to your customers?
- How would you access your client and vendor contact data and
electronic files?
These are just a few of the questions all business owners must
ask of themselves and their employees. A thorough disaster
plan can help you outline the critical information and strategies
you will utilize in the event of a disaster.
WORKFORCE CENTRAL FLORIDA (WCF) recommends the following
solutions when planning your disaster
strategy:
Don’t plan for just one type of disaster. Central
Florida business owners are well aware of the damage hurricanes can
cause, but when crafting your disaster plan, don’t forget other
potential disasters like floods, gas leaks, power outages and
unforeseen accidents that may damage your building and/or
merchandise.
Evaluate your insurance status. Consider special riders
to protect valuable property and equipment. Discuss your business
continuity plan with your insurance agent and inquire about the
special precautions you may need to take to safeguard your
business.
Protect your electronic files and equipment. Back up
computer data throughout the day and store a back up tape in a
secure, off site location. Use surge protectors and battery backup
systems to protect sensitive equipment and to prevent a systems
crash in the event of a power outage.
Make lists and make copies! Create phone lists that
include your key employees and customers’ contact information and
provide copies to your managers. Make at least two copies of
important documents including lease papers, photographs of property
and lists of inventory and store them in separate, secure
locations.
Stock supplies, materials and equipment. Store
emergency supplies on site including a National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration weather radio, flashlights with extra
batteries, a first aid kit, tools, food and water for employees and
customers to utilize during a disaster and if you are forced to
remain on the premises for an extended period. Consider obtaining a
generator, which may be able to sustain your business during a
power outage.
Educate your employees. Review your disaster plans with
your employees and make sure they understand their roles and
responsibilities before, during and after the disaster. Everyone in
your facility should know how to prepare for a disaster, what to do
if one occurs and how to reach their immediate supervisor.
Designate one employee from each shift to serve as a safety
coordinator. He/she should facilitate all decisions related to
employee and customer safety during an emergency.
Communicate with your staff and customers. In the event
of a disaster, send e-mail announcements and record phone messages
(when possible) about the status of your business. Provide this
emergency “hotline” number to your team and customers and arrange
for programmable call forwarding for your main business line(s) so
you can continue to do business from a remote location.
Take advantage of free and online planning resources.
The American Red Cross produces the
Emergency Management Guide
for Business and Industry, which you can obtainfrom your local
chapter and the Institute for Business and Home Safety and the
Small Business Administration have developed the
Open for
Business disaster planning booklet, which is available at
www.ibhs.org. The state of Florida also offers an online disaster
planning workbook at
www.floridadisaster.org/business.
