PREPARING FOR A DISASTER
Following a major disaster, 25% of small businesses don’t reopen. No one can predict the moment a major disaster will happen, but you can arm yourself and your business with a disaster preparedness plan. Here are some tips from the Small Business Administration.
- Meet with an insurance agent who understands the needs of your business. Consider business-interruption insurance. Normal hazard insurance doesn’t cover floods, so make sure you have the right kind of insurance.
- Copy vital business records, both paper and electronic, and save them on a hard drive and backup diskettes at an offsite location at least 50 miles away from the main business site.
- Be sure to have emergency supplies on the premises. Some of the key items to include are:
- Water
- Food
- Battery powered radio and extra batteries
- Flashlight and extra batteries
- First aid kit
- Tool kit
- Cleaning Supplies
- Garbage bags and ties
- Tarps
- Camera – to document damage
- Duct tape
- Blankets
Implement a recovery communications plan. Key employees can be assigned as spokespersons who will contact suppliers, creditors, other employees, customers, media and utility companies to get the word out that the business is still viable. Also, that spokesperson can keep the public informed of rebuilding efforts, if necessary.
For more information on disaster preparedness, visit these Web sites: