3 Steps For Your Business To Survive A Disaster

1. Take Proactive Measures To Protect The Property

The vast majority of insurance companies want you to take proactive measures to protect the home or business and surrounding property.

What these measures are will depend on the specific insurance policy but generally includes:

• Having a general contractor such as Maven Construction Group evaluate the building roof for soundness and stability
• Relocating fragile and/or valuable possessions
• Pruning and/or removing trees that could potentially damage the business during a disaster

2. Save & Back Up Important Information

Important documents and information include anything that’s crucial to business operations, such as accounting statements, contracts, insurance policies, and tax returns. Either move the originals to a secure location, such as a bank safe deposit box; make copies and move the copies to a different location; and/or upload everything to a cloud server. If documents are left on-site, make sure they’re sealed in a waterproof and fireproof container. Also, establish a contact list for employees, suppliers, and vendors, along with accountants, banks, lawyers, and anyone else deemed crucial to business operations.

3. Make A Preparedness Checklist

A preparedness checklist is generally used if the disaster strikes while employees are at work. This list, and by default plan, should focus on employee safety and outline necessary supplies to sustain people at the location. These supplies should include:

• At least a three-day supply of non-perishable food
• Blankets, chairs, cots, and pillows
• A fully stocked first aid kit
• A battery-operated radio and/or television
• Cleaning supplies, such as mops and towels
• Cash and gasoline for generators and vehicles
• At least a three-day supply of water with one gallon of water per person, per day

What Is The Difference Between A Disaster Recovery Plan & A Business Continuity Plan?

Though these terms are used interchangeably and do have some overlap, they have stark differences. A disaster recovery plan focuses on restoring company applications and data after a disaster while a business continuity plan focuses on the actions to take to minimize downtime or a lack of business operations. It’s not uncommon for a continuity plan to include action items for disaster restoration.