Reopening a Business Following a Natural Disaster

A natural disaster can be devastating for a business. It only takes a few seconds for a business to sustain significant damage, and this can force you to close the doors until you can get everything back and running as before.

However, if your business hasn’t implemented any kind of disaster recovery plan, then this may take longer.

The following are a few tips and things to keep in mind as you plan to reopen your business following a natural disaster.

Create a Disaster Plan

Before anything happens, you should already have a disaster plan created. This should be detailed and explain any and all solutions you have in the case of a natural disaster. For example, what disasters will most likely happen in your area, is there an evacuation plan in place, and do you have everyone’s emergency contact information?

You should also have a plan in place for protecting your business information and files, as well as the contact information for your insurance company, your financial institutions, and a disaster restoration company.

Overcoming Challenges

You can anticipate what natural disasters will hit your business, but it is almost impossible to predict their overall effect on your business. Fires and floods in recent years have caused billions of dollars in damages across the US.

Along with these devastating losses and damages, a high percentage of business owners also faced the loss of power and utilities, business disruption, and losses that caused the business months to recover from.

Save for the Unexpected

To help mitigate these risks and losses, it is important to save ahead of time in the case of a natural disaster. You should have at least 30 days worth of funds that can cover the business until the insurance claims have been reviewed.

Crisis Communication Plan

This plan needs to be communicated to customers, vendors, employees, the community, and more to ensure that everyone understands what needs to be done in the event of a disaster.

Business Interruption Insurance

You may even want to consider purchasing this supplemental insurance. It typically covers the profits that are lost due to the interruption. This often also includes the expenses involved in moving to a temporary location.

Post Disaster

After a natural disaster, you want to follow your emergency plan. You then need to assess the damage. If there is water damage, for example, it is necessary to call a damage restoration service to come in and help.

You also need to contact your insurance company and file a claim. They will send someone to survey the extent of the damages. So, hold off on cleaning anything up until after they have had the opportunity to assess the situation.

If your business has recently faced a natural disaster or you are taking the steps to prepare, contact Disaster Response today for more information on what can be done to clean up the damages and open your business back up after a disaster.