This year has seen its fair share of natural disasters, including the two storms Sandy and Nemo. Now, the United States are preparing for winter storm ‘Q’, which is expected to hit at the end of the week.
These incidents have a direct impact on business throughout the country. Small businesses are especially affected. According to the Red Cross, nearly 40% of small businesses are permanently closed after these major events. Even more troubling are the results of a survey from Alibaba, Vendio and Auctiva, which reveal that 74% of small business owners have yet to create a disaster discovery plan, despite the quite tangible risks.
FOXBusiness discussed disaster plans with three emergency-preparedness experts. Agility Recovery marketing director Scott Teel stressed the importance of analyzing risks.
“If you’re located in the Gulf Coast or the East Coast, take a look at how to prepare for hurricanes. In California? Fault lines are a major risk,” he said.
Carol Chang, spokesperson for the Small Business Administration, suggested: “Create a list of people you do business with- including vendors and suppliers- as well as a list of phone numbers, cell numbers and email addresses of your employees. Phone trees are old-fashioned, but they work!”
She added, “Assign one person the task of spokesperson, and have them be responsible for updating customers on social media or via email. Lack of communication with customers during emergency situations can undermine a business’s recovery.”
The experts added that it is extremely important to back up data on the cloud, as well as document your business furniture, equipment and technology.
It is imperative to ensure that a business’s employees are prepared. Teel stated: “Small business owners will often say that their employees are their greatest assets. If your employees are impacted or underprepared at home- say a family member or even a pet is injured during a storm- then that employee will not be coming into work.”
Other advice included checking your insurance coverage, preparing for power outages, and preparing emergency kits.
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