If we ignore the small damages and don’t bother about the precautionary measures to handle upcoming damages, we can face a big disaster.
Hurricane Harvey and Irma did a lot to make the small businesses prepared to face the natural disasters. It is being said that up to 40 % of small businesses never recover from a natural disaster. So a pre-planned way is best to choose to navigate a small business through the process.
Here are some tips to help your business survive a disaster.
Create Drills
James R. Bailey, Professor & Stacy and Jonathan Hochberg Fellow of Leadership Development at the George Washington University School of Business, suggests scenario forecasts for advanced planning. He suggests to consider every possibility and the plan should be entertained, rehearsed android drilled.
Back Up All Important Records
Kevin Miller, CMO of business expense management software Neat, suggests for small businesses to keep important documents in a cloud solution that organizes your records making them searchable.
The simpler cloud solution is also acceptable in case of small businesses.
Must keep the hard copies of certain documents in a fire and flood proof location.
Second Opinion on Insurance Coverage
Have a right insurance coverage that doesn’t include gaps. Jeff Dudan, CEO of AdvantaClean suggests small businesses to have an agent specialist in protecting businesses. Alongside he suggests getting a second opinion and reexamining coverage annually to make updates.
Be Sure to Act Decisively, During the Disaster
Adjust your leadership style by taking an immediate and accurate step if facing a disaster and have no time to plan.
Bailey says,
“There’s a real difference between management and leadership. In calm times, a steady hand is best. Level, analytic, measured. Management is the order of the day. But in a crisis, a quick and decisive action is called for. The consensus is usually the best path, but consensus takes time. In a disaster — however, construed — time is of the essence. Strong and forceful and, sometimes, uncompromising, leadership rules the day.”
Assess Damages
Before re-entering the field, make sure your business us safe after the past disaster.
Take a look at the foundation of the building, ensure that water has receded and look out for any broken electrical wires. Assure the safety of the building.
Physical Health and Well-Being of Your Team
Invest in some protective equipment including eye protection and ventilation masks. Consider water damage in the building to meet the requirements of the team. Assure having enough snacks and bottled water on hand to meet their needs. Schedule regular breaks.
File a Claim Before Contacting Insurance Companies
File a claim with your insurance company in case of any damage to your location.
Price out your options before contacting your insurance company in case you are dealing with a minor damage. Try to mitigate any further damage to the building or property. Try to hire a restoration professional and don’t delay the process and communicate with the insurance company to keep good records.
Keep Track of All Expenses related to Disaster
Keep track of all peripheral expenses for your records. Not only the actual repair expenses but the things like the hour you are paying employees and the foods and other things you provide them are also required in records. Must record the sales and losses your business faced during recovery.
Get Time to Recover Records
If you are dealing with a disaster right around or before tax season, apply for an extension to get some breathing room, to get more time to get organized while still dealing with all of the damage and chaos that comes with recovering from a natural disaster. Getting more time to recover records will help you manage the business in a better way.
Must Reach Out to Banks and Vendors
In case you lost important records or missed payments, reach out to your bank and your vendors to recover that important information. Request virtual or hard copies of your financial records, invoices, contracts, and other important documents.
In this way, you can build up a pretty decent base of records.
Work with your vendors to see about extensions for payments or payment plans to manage your expenses while dealing with recovery efforts.
