How quickly a company is able to get back to business after any kind of emergency is crucial. According to the SBA, many lack such a plan, and an estimated 25 percent don’t open again after a major disaster!
Every business is vulnerable to different threats depending on location, size and industry. These can include natural disasters like snowstorms that can knock out power for days or tornadoes and floods. A flood can disrupt transportation and equipment; cyber, attacks, data breaches, equipment malfunctions and server failure are common as well.
Business leaders should determine which threats are most plausible, identify which would have the greatest impact, and then develop a plan to tackle them should they occur.
Smart planning can help you keep your business running or enable a quicker restart if disaster strikes. To be effective, the plan should be actionable, well-organized and detailed.
Mitigation
If you’re wondering about specific steps you might take to enhance your personal or business preparedness level, mitigation includes such activities as:
- Complying with or exceeding flood plain management regulations.
- Enforcing stringent building codes, flood-proofing requirements, seismic design standards and wind-bracing requirements for new construction or repairing existing buildings.
- Adopting zoning ordinances that steer development away from areas subject to flooding, storm surge or coastal erosion.
- Retrofitting public buildings to withstand hurricane-strength winds or ground shaking.
- Acquiring damaged homes or businesses in flood-prone areas and returning the property to open space, wetlands or recreational use.
Mitigation also involves a broad spectrum of players outside the traditional emergency management circle. Among others, these parties might include land use planners, construction and building officials (both public and private), business owners, insurance companies, community leaders, politicians and individual home owners.