Is Your Business Ready for a Disaster?

When building a successful business, there is much to be put into consideration. Outside of the usual business networking, talking with investors, and targeting consumers, there is one task many businesses fail to prepare for. When evaluating your business, you must always be ready for a disaster. A natural disaster such as a hurricane or a tornado can wipe your business off the map, and you need to be prepared:

Look at the Risks

Every business will be in danger of a certain disaster depending on their geography. When accessing what risks you may be at risk for, look at your location. Certain locations threaten hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, wildfires, floods, or extreme winter weather. If any of these large-scale disasters are a threat in your area, then they are a threat to your business. It’s also imperative to keep in mind other important areas of your business when preparing for disaster.

Think about where goods, products, or tech equipment is stored. In order to be certain you are covering all of your bases, fill out a risk assessment from FEMA. Another way to get started is by taking out insurance on your business if you haven’t already. Talk with an agent to be certain that you are covered for any disasters that are a threat to your business.

Disaster Plan Committee

When developing a plan, it’s important to appoint a single person to coordinate everything. This disaster plan coordinator should be in charge of the plan in general, but the manager or supervisor of the business must delegate what should or should not be included in the plan. The disaster plan coordinator should first develop a committee of employees from each department of the business to create a preparedness plan. Each member of the committee will be able to contribute risks each department should be prepared for.

Key Points of the Plan

Every disaster plan most focus on employee safety, the stability of the location's environment and what keeps the business running successfully. When looking at these key factors while preparing for disaster, create a guide or reference document for you and your employees to look at. The disaster coordinator and committee should have an evacuation policy, a call list of employees for information on what to do, employee emergency contact information, and someone in charge of rescue and medical duties.

It’s also important to keep in mind certain factors of special circumstances. Some business operates with chemicals or hazardous materials in their location. When developing a plan, there should be specific guidelines on how to handle these materials when disaster strikes. To help build your business’s plan requirements, be sure to visit Red Cross: Ready Rating, U.S. Chamber of Commerce: Small Business Disaster Preparation Quick Guide, FEMA: Business