Hurricanes. Tornadoes. Fires. Floods. All of these are disasters that can wreak serious havoc on your business, especially if you’re not prepared. Maybe you’ve never experienced a disaster firsthand. But chances are you will experience one at some point, as they occur more frequently and inflict billions of dollars of damage on businesses across the country.
Before disaster strikes, it’s important to have a plan. That might seem like an obvious statement, but the fact is that 70{c9b670b3c77d807bdd7060c9fc0a99121cc6b184676c9335f3481a95c383dd4c} of small business owners say they don’t have a written plan in place. Not having a plan can cost your business dearly.
Check out these startling facts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency:
- 40{c9b670b3c77d807bdd7060c9fc0a99121cc6b184676c9335f3481a95c383dd4c} to 60{c9b670b3c77d807bdd7060c9fc0a99121cc6b184676c9335f3481a95c383dd4c} of small businesses don’t reopen after a disaster.
- 90{c9b670b3c77d807bdd7060c9fc0a99121cc6b184676c9335f3481a95c383dd4c} of small businesses close within a year of a disaster if they can’t reopen within five days.
That’s why you should think through any potential risks that could face your business, determine how you would respond to them, and communicate your plan with your employees.
Before a disaster, you should verify your Google My Business listing. That’s where you can update your hours of operation and communicate with customers in the event of a disaster. You should also back up all of your documents, including your list of important contacts, install smart devices to detect weather emergencies, and connect Wifi-enabled cameras to ensure that you have a visual record of what your business looks like before and after a disaster to make the small business insurance claim process easier.
During a disaster, your number one priority is your employees’ safety. Communicate with them using group chats. Switch to a remote work setup to steer them away from dangerous conditions. You should also stay in touch with your customers by redirecting business phone calls to a line that you are monitoring and editing your hours in Google My Business.
After a disaster, if everyone is safe, you can begin to rebuild your business and give back to your community.
Check out this infographic with tips to keep your workplace safe before, during, and after a disaster.
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