What would you do if you came to work tomorrow and there
was nothing left of your small business except a big hole in the ground?
That scenario is not farfetched if you’ve ever seen what’s
left after a structure fire.
So if your physical business was destroyed by a fire or
some other disaster, would you shut down, or would you get back to work?
September is National
Disaster Preparedness Month, the perfect time to work on your business continuity
plan.
Scary as it is to think about, a small business can
survive a disaster, as you can see in the accompanying video about the owner of
an Orlando restaurant who was able to rebuild after a late-night fire destroyed
his business. http://youtu.be/3_s9LG91vxA
How to start your plan:
1. Invest
in insurance that covers the physical plant, equipment, inventory and also
offers business-interruption coverage. Don’t scrimp.
2. Protect
your proprietary information, such as customer lists, data bases, vendor lists,
processes, strategic plans, etc. If possible, keep that information in a
file-proof cabinet at the office and also in off-site locations. It makes the
most sense to back up computerized information to the “cloud” so it can be
accessed from anywhere.
3. Hopefully
your business has an active and lively Facebook page, Twitter feed and website.
You need these digital communications tools after a disaster to let customers
know what’s going on – to tell them that you’re still in business and how they
can contact you.
4. Hold
disaster drills and discussions with your team so everyone knows what to do in
an emergency. Make sure all employees have one or two call-in numbers so they
can contact you to find out what they’re needed to do. Make sure you have phone
numbers to contact your employees. Keep copies of that information at home, in
your car, and in the “cloud”.
5. Plan
on where you can set up business temporarily if your main business location got
knocked out. Sometimes other businesses will let you share space. Work out
those arrangements now, not when you’re standing in the ruins of your business.
The information presented here only covers the very first
steps. Disaster preparations vary, depending on your industry. Having a
disaster plan can reduce that stress you’re bound to experience during an
emergency. The plan will help your business survive. All large companies have
continuity plans, so should your small business.
This
post was written by David Porter, principal/owner at www.davidportercommunications.com,
a Orlando-based firm that provides public relations and marketing support to
small businesses. That firm also produces www.b2bflorida.com
and www.sunrailriders.com
