Business, Safety and Weather
How to Prepare Your Business for Disasters
Whether they’re natural or man-made, disasters can strike without warning—often leaving a path of destruction and misfortune in their wake. In fact, one out of every four businesses that closes due to a disaster never reopens.
That’s why it’s important to prepare and protect your business against unexpected disastrous threats. By completing these simple but crucial steps, you can help protect your business and its contents in the event of a disaster.
- Keep vital computer information backed up and store the backup in a safe location away from your business or in the cloud.
- Make a detailed account of all the items used daily in your business. Keep this list in a safe location away from your business.
- Make a detailed list of your debts to prevent your business from falling behind on its financial obligations.
- Install a back-up generator or emergency lights so employees can find a way out if your business loses power.
- Put someone in charge of notifying employees of the disaster, and determine which method (email, phone, group text, etc.) will be used.
- Decide who will notify customers or clients, and what information will be shared with them (delays in meetings or orders, expected date your business will reopen, etc.).
- Find an emergency relocation venue where your business can temporarily continue operations.
- Get a business insurance policy to cover the damage to your organization and its property. If you already have a policy, review it to see if you need to make any updates.
FEMA has a great library of resources to prepare your business for disasters and other emergencies. To learn more about the right amount of insurance coverage to protect your business from disasters, contact your local Alfa® agent today.