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It might seem strange to you to find a page on disaster preparation on a site like this, but it shouldn't be. Small businesses need to prepare for disasters and storms just like anybody else. For some, one week without working can bring about the end of the business. So on this page are some tips to help you prepare, and some ideas for how to prepare yourself at work and at home.
Be Aware
Be aware of what might affect your bottom line. Natural disasters can hit anytime, anywhere. Plan for what you need to do in the event of a tornado, flood, hurricane, earthquake or high winds. You might want to think about what you would do in the event of a terrorist attack as well.
Keep up with the weather. They're not 100% accurate but will often let you know at least a few days ahead of time that something big is coming as far as storms are concerned. Make sure your employees know your plan and be organized to implement it if necessary.
Plan for Contingency
Review your business tasks and identify what is critical for survival. Make sure you can make emergyency payroll and accounting and have access to the information you need to make financial decisions. Make sure you can document any costs you accrue during the disaster and after. Consider if your business needs a succession of management plan. If you do, make sure you have someone else that can make decisions if management is not available.
If you talk to any suppliers, shippers or other businesses on a daily basis, let them know if you have advance warning of potential problems. Try to contact them if you have a sudden problem (as in the case of an earthquake). If you depend on contractors for your main service, make sure you have a backup, just in case. You don't want to be stuck if your key supplier goes down for a length of time. Make sure you have a readily available contact list, on paper in case you lose power.
In case your building becomes inaccessible, have a backup plan. If any part of your business can be run from an alternate location, be ready to make that happen ahead of time. Consider which employees are vital to daily business and try to include them in any alternate location plans. Make sure employees know what they need to do.
Have contact numbers for all of your utilities easily accessible. Make sure you have contact information for all employees, including alternative numbers if they are available. If feasible for your business, designate an out of town phone number where employees can leave messages in the event of a catastrophic disaster.
Review your plans every year in case things have changed.
Other Tips
Keep backup copies of all important records and files in an off site location. This is especially helpful in case of a fire. You want to be able to pick up as much of your necessary information as possible in the case of a complete loss inside your building.
Keep disaster supplies on hand in case you and your employees need them. Keep battery or solar powered radios on hand for news if power goes out.
Make sure you have an evacuation plan in place, especially for disabled employees.
Have plans in case it is too dangerous to leave. If you can, have a storm shelter set up for employees.
Keep a First Aid kit at all times, keep track of any medical conditions that might be an issue during an emergency and keep your employees' emergency contact files up to date.
Useful Items and Kits
For more survival items like these, visit Out In Style.
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