If your business is in an area that is hit by hurricanes, tornadoes, or floods, you’ll need to think about plans to protect your business from disaster before it hits. The impact of natural disasters can be devastating for businesses. The Institute for Business and Home Safety estimates that approximately 25% of small businesses don’t reopen their doors after a natural disaster. Planning ahead for a disaster is the best way to ensure that your business isn’t in that 25 percent.
Plan against Data Loss
Your customer phone numbers, billing information, financials and paperwork are all stored in the hard drive of your computers or in a database that worker’s computers access. A natural disaster could wipe out the core of your data system. One essential task that should be completed in preparation for a disaster is backing up business data. This is a safeguard that should be done routinely for a variety of reasons, not just a natural disaster.
Cloud storage and off-site paperwork storage are great ways to save data. Cloud storage allows a company to save their data while still accessing it. Paperwork should be stored off-site in a secure place like a data storage company. They will often have cloud storage or back up capabilities that a business can access too. The key to saving your data is redundancy. Save key and important files and information in various ways so that you’ll never be without the data you need.
Loss of Inventory
If you have inventory that is key to your business, you will want to protect it against a natural disaster. Secure large or fragile inventory lower to the ground, but not so low that it’s at risk during a flood. You don’t want to survive a disaster only to lose items due to flood. Computers should be moved away from large windows in case debris flies during high winds. Large office or inventory pieces should be covered if possible, especially those that can’t be moved.
Disaster Plan
Along with your data, employees and customers are important to your business as well. Invest in a diesel generator so that you won’t be without power or lights during a natural disaster. Practice evacuation plans with your employees and discuss how they’ll calmly assist customers in leaving too. Have maps detailing the plan in visible locations.
If your business is in a high rise, discuss where employees will go and who will be in charge during emergencies. Winds are stronger in high elevations. You’ll have employees evacuate to a lower floor away from the windows.
Insurance Review
Many businesses assume that their business insurance will cover natural disasters but standard policies do not cover things like flood damage. The property insurance might not cover the loss of certain business expenses. Do not be caught without the proper insurance during a natural disaster.
It’s important to remember that during a disaster and immediately after, customers will want to know how fast you can be back in business while others are devastated by the loss. Planning ahead by buying a diesel generator (a selection of good ones here) and securing your inventory will protect your company against total disaster. The sooner you can be back to business as usual, the happier your customers will be.
