5 Tips – Developing a Natural Disaster Preparedness Plan for Local Business
With hurricane Irene coming to pass, it’s a reminder that natural disasters happen, and we never know the degree of severity that could occur until after they pass. With that being said, it’s important for a local business to do what they can to prepare for a natural disaster to mitigate any operational losses as much as possible.
And because many local businesses are smaller, they sometimes fail to have a proper plan in place to help them weather any storm or natural disaster, be it a hurricane, an earthquake, snowstorm or major tropical rainfall. But having a natural disaster contingency and preparedness plan in place is not reserved solely for larger businesses. Below are some key tips to keep your local business running during any natural disaster that comes your way.
Assess your risk. You should take some time to consider all natural disasters that could impact your business. Are you in a hurricane prone area? Are you at risk of flooding? Once you have a list of all the potential threats to your business, you can make a plan to address each possibility accordingly.
Stay informed. You want to know about a potential storm as soon as possible, so be sure that you, or someone you assign, stay on top of what’s going on in terms of the weather on a daily basis.
Create a Continuity of Operations Plan. For some local businesses, such as a restaurant, you might have no other choice but to shut down for certain natural disasters, but you can still take measures to protect your establishment so you can get up and running again as soon as possible. If you’re a business that might be able to continue operations elsewhere, however, make sure you have plans in place to do so. Remote access should be set up whenever possible, and a secondary establishment outside of the danger zone should be identified for you in case you need it. The goal is to be as proactive as possible, regardless the type of local business you run, and be sure to have the appropriate insurance in place to protect your business, as well.
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