Work in a Disaster Area? 4 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Mother Earth's Worst

Natural disasters occur anytime, anywhere. They pay no respect to how long you have been in business or how prestigious your company might be. Nature's fury manifests in many ways. Damage to your business may happen with severe storms, high winds, fires and flooding, to cyclones, tornadoes and hurricanes. This is even more likely if your business is located within a disaster zone. If you have not prepared for the worst natural disaster, your company may be at risk. Here are some ways to protect your business, your employees, and yourself.

Back It Up Locally and Remotely

Without backup, important documents simply do not exist. Your business inventory and all critical documentation is the heart of your company. Without it, you cannot access your customer base, receipts, spreadsheets, or photographs and videos of your goods and property.

If your business relies on paper documentation, consider converting as much as you can to a computerized process. Take any papers and copy them daily. Scan them into a computer and back them up to a remote server every day. Your computer records should have local and remote servers that back up information often throughout the day.

Fortify and Repair Buildings

If your business location is within areas known to flood frequently, or prone to earthquake damage, take precautions in advance. Do not wait until the inevitable storm to shore up your building. Ask a reputable company to check your building for any necessary concrete repairs, so they can be done before the next disaster occurs. A good contracting company will check vulnerable areas of your building.

Emergency Supplies Save Lives

A responsible business prepares for any calamity that can hurt or injure staff or customers. Delegate one person to be the safety coordinator at your company. That person should keep first aid kits stocked and located in several central areas that are easy to reach. Fire extinguishers should be located throughout your building and near critical areas.

Further, each employee should receive training in rendering basic first aid. Your safety coordinator and department heads should consider obtaining advanced first aid certification. Keep a separate source of potable water throughout your building.

Insure Your Business Details

Review your business insurance to ensure you have full coverage to recover and rebuild your business. Typically, it is best to meet with an insurance agent or broker to discuss what specific coverage your business needs. Remember to insure against loss of business income if you must shutter your doors temporarily.

Once your insurance needs are covered to your satisfaction, make copies of all policies. Keep a hard copy in a location that will not be inaccessible during a disaster recovery period. Scan your insurance documents into your database and save it to a remote server for safe keeping. You might want a copy saved to a flash drive for yourself.

With a little preparation and help from your employees, you can mitigate damage caused by a natural disaster. Prepare for the worst and hope for the best.

Comments

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
CAPTCHA
This question is for preventing automated spam submissions.