Last year was a hard-hit on both businesses and personal lives as the hurricane season hit record-high, with over $282.16 billion in damage.
If the tragic season taught us anything at all…
It’s that it is better to be prepared for the worst then to be taken by surprise.
Unfortunately, due to the rapid evolution of hurricanes – it is almost impossible to predict when they will come raging through your city, but it is not impossible to prepare your business for minimal impact.
The good news is that through this article we plan to outline key steps to help you prepare your business for the worst case scenario. Through doing this, not only will you be able to save a fortune in damages – but hopefully, you can also keep your business running.
Develop A Comprehensive Emergency Plan
The first thing you want to do is outline what you will do when push comes to shove. This comprehensive plan should account for everything. From your workforce, to on-site clients, and even critical business infrastructure.
The good news is that you might already have to submit an Emergency Action Plan yearly to OSHA; you can include your hurricane protection strategies in this plan.
In the plan, you need to consider outlining:
- Certain conditions which will activate the emergency plan.
- Who will be in command when disaster strikes.
- Various emergency and protection functions, and who will be responsible for performing them.
- Evacuation procedures.
- Equipment for personal.
Have A Stable Way To Protect Your Critical Business Information
The sad thing is out of the countless businesses scattered throughout the U.S, almost 40% of small businesses are unable to reopen their doors when disaster strikes. Not only because of loss of infrastructure – but also loss of vital data to keep the business relevant.
Which is why it is important to set up a comprehensive data recovery and protection plan.
The good news is that we do live in the digital era, which means you have plenty of options to choose from.
We recommend having a secure appliance for data backup, as well as cloud migration to protect your data both on and off site.
Make Sure Your Vendors Are Prepared For A Disaster
Even if your business is not crippled by the storm – vendors can still impact the continuity of operations. It’s not going to be possible to keep supplying your products if your vendors are unable to send their wares, right?
Make sure to reach out to third-party vendors and ensure they have a comprehensive plan to keep operating even when a storm is underway. If they are unable to provide a comprehensive plan, it may just be for your best interest to look into more reliable vendors to keep you going when things hit the fan.
Have Emergency Kits Prepared For In Case
Due to the surprising factor behind recent hurricanes – it is highly recommended to have emergency kits scattered around your offices for in case.
Your emergency kits should be based on 2-parts.
The first being first-aid, and emergency supplies for any employees or clients who may wind up trapped in the office while the storm ravages the state. You want to make sure that you are prepared for this scenario.
Essential items include:
- Water.
- Canned foods, or non-decaying foods.
- Torch.
- First-aid kit.
The second part of the emergency kit is actually for your business. According to a lead business disaster recovery expert, this kit should contain:
- Checks.
- Letterhead.
- Cash.
- Licensing information.
- Software Agreements.
- Weather Radio.
Figure Out What Your Coverage Is If Your Business Faces The Losing Battle
Countless homes and businesses were destroyed completely last year. Leaving heartbroken victims with nothing, and nowhere to go. It’s a harsh reality – but it’s also something that you need to prepare for.
As a business, losing your brick and mortar location may not be something you recover from. Which is why it is important to ensure you have regular meetings with your insurance agent to ensure that your plan is up to date and effective.
Also make sure that you know exactly what they will cover you for in case of an emergency. This will give you some time to plan for the things that you are not covered for.
Through doing this, you can get your business back on it’s feet without the usual stress that businesses are under when disaster strikes.
Talk To Your Employees
Not all businesses realize how important their employees are for continuity.
You really want to talk to your employees and develop a comprehensive understanding of what will happen when disaster strikes. For example, evacuation plans.
Or…
If you want to help your employees families out by providing shelter when a storm strikes – you should allocate “safe” emergency rooms for their kids, and other family members in the light of a storm – so when disaster happens, everyone knows exactly where they need to go without any unnecessary wondering about, which can be hazardous for their health.
