Disaster can strike at any time or anywhere. There’s not a 10-minute warning to prepare, it just happens. Leaving you to pick up the pieces of the resulting damage. So the question is if a disaster should strike your business, would it be able to survive? According to FEMA, nearly 40% of small businesses that experience a disaster, will never open their doors for business again. To help your business survive a disaster, follow our tips to be as prepared as possible.

Create a plan.

According to a Nationwide Insurance survey, 3 out of 4 business do not have a disaster recovery plan in place. For a business to survive post-disaster, it’s essential that a plan is put in place so you and your team know how to react. While creating your emergency recovery plan, it’s important to understand your business’s weaknesses, vulnerabilities and potential disasters that could affect your business so that you are able to prepare for them. Additionally, be sure to include the following items in your disaster recovery plan:

• If disaster strikes during business hours, what will the protocol be to ensure everyone’s safety?
• Contact information for insurance and other important people/businesses who will assist you.
• Location of important documents.
• A map or reference of all critical systems — water pipes and valves, electrical, HVAC, gas, etc.  
• Team members responsible for the putting the plan in motion.

Practice the plan.

President Dwight D. Eisenhower once said “Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.” While it’s a step in the right direction to have everything written and planned out, it’s just as important to practice what’s in the plan to be sure everyone who is involved in the process of restoring your business knows exactly what their role is. Make adjustments if you find weaknesses in the plan and then practice some more.  

Know your coverage.

Prior to being in an actual emergency, review your policy and understand what you are and aren’t covered for. It might be worth having a meeting with your insurance provider. To review your disaster recovery plan to make sure you both understand their role in your recovery.

Preparing will help to minimize the after-effects of a disaster to your business. Don’t let a disaster shut your business down. If your business does not have a disaster recovery plan in place, get the process started by taking advantage of our PREP Program. PREP is designed to minimize the additional losses that can result from a disaster scenario. To learn more about our program, call us today, 800-462-1024, send us an email or fill out our short contact form!