It is important to prepare your business for hurricane season because as many as 50% of businesses never recover following a natural disaster. With hurricane season starting June 1st, 2021, having a plan in place can help.
We asked the Franchise Professionals at SERVPRO of Cape May & Cumberland Counties for their help in coaching business owners on hurricane preparation. Here are five tips to remember as you prepare your business for hurricane season.
5 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Hurricane Season
#1: Have an Emergency Ready Profile (ERP).
Having an ERP in place will help create a plan of immediate action and minimize business interruption should your business suffer due to a natural disaster. Knowing what to do and what to expect in advance is the key to timely mitigation and can help minimize how water, fire, or storm damage can affect your business.
An ERP will outline critical information needed in the event of an emergency, says SERVPRO. It will identify facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas, key contact information, and help you prepare your business for hurricane season.
#2: Identify your local disaster recovery team.
It’s important for any business owner, even outside of hurricane season, to identify their local disaster recovery team in the event the unexpected should occur. Identifying in advance can help cut down on interruption time and create a clear path to recovery. It’s a good idea to reach out and establish a relationship with your local disaster recovery team and keep their number in your contacts should you ever need it.
#3: Back up your data.
It’s always a good idea to keep your business data backed up in multiple locations, both virtually and physically. Critical data loss can devastate any business. Having copies of all your important documents, procedures, plans, and information stored on an external drive and on a cloud-based service can help ease your mind during a natural disaster, so you can focus on safety precautions, protecting your business, and getting back to work.
#4: Create a plan for working remotely.
In the event the physical location of your business should be compromised by a natural disaster, such as flooding during hurricane season, having a plan in place for your organization to continue remotely is key. This includes the distribution of important information and data that has been backed up on a cloud service and/or external drive.
Ensuring your staff has access to important files and information will help remote working transition smoothly while your business is being recovered. This is an important consideration in how to prepare your business for hurricane season, SERVPRO says. If roads are flooded or trees are down, working from home should be an easy option with a plan in place.
#5: Review your insurance.
It’s a good idea to review your insurance policies well in advance of hurricane season. Insurance can get very technical when it comes to coverage. Knowing where your business stands in the event of an emergency will dispel confusion and help provide clarity.
Know your deductible and how much you’re responsible for before you can start rebuilding or recovering your business.
Are you interested in developing an effective Emergency Ready Profile to prepare your business for hurricane season and other natural disasters? SERVPRO of Cape May & Cumberland Counties is always Here to Help®. Contact them today to learn how they can help you with your ERP or help your business recover from disaster: 609-624-0202.
