Skip to content

You and Your Business: Surviving Disaster

Is your business ready for the worst?

What are Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery Plans?

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) identifies any risks that can threaten the continued operation of a business.

A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is a plan of recovery, a path to get a business back to functionality as quickly as possible.

It is vital to have a recovery plan in place. Even just going through a basic checklist can help you be prepared when the worst happens. Small Businesses are particularly vulnerable to having difficulty recovering after a disaster.

A Business Continuity Plan (BCP) will help you work around more regular disruptions- a local power outage, lost files, etc. A Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP) is meant to guide you through large-scale disasters- floods, tornadoes, etc. Each has their place in protecting your business, and here we hope to give you and your business the resources to plan ahead for when the worst happens.

Preparation:

Before disaster strikes, have a plan in place. Here we have a few guides, checklists, and programs aimed at business success in the face of disaster.

  • FedEx and the Red Cross have a Small Business Preparedness Checklist as part of their Readiness for Resiliency Program (R4R). "This program is designed to encourage preparedness and resiliency. We want to ensure that all small businesses have what they need to deal with the impacts of a disaster in their community. "
  • This program provides grants to qualified participants.

 

  • The Ready Campaign “Ready is a National public service campaign designed to educate and empower the American people to prepare for, respond to and mitigate emergencies, including natural and man-made disasters. The goal of the campaign is to promote preparedness through public involvement.”
  • Be sure to check out their business section!
  • The OFB-EZ (Open for Business-EZ) toolkit "helps small businesses take important steps they need to keep functioning in the event of a major disaster or even a small disruption. The goal is to continue to perform the most critical operations, which will help reduce short- and long-term losses to your bottom line." Get started with their Checklist.
  • En español

The American Red Cross Ready Rating:

"Ready Rating is a program that helps businesses, schools and organizations become prepared for disasters and other emergencies. All in one place, Ready Rating members have access to one-of-a-kind tools, resources and information for evaluating and improving their ability to withstand disaster, maintain operations, and protect lives and property. "

The IRS: Preparing for a Disaster.

"Planning what to do in case of a disaster is an important part of being prepared. The Internal Revenue Service encourages taxpayers to safeguard their records. Some simple steps can help taxpayers and businesses protect financial and tax records in case of disasters."

US Chamber of Commerce: How to Write an Emergency Preparedness Plan.

"Every business owner should prepare for the next big emergency. Learn how to write an emergency preparedness plan using these seven steps."

 

 

 

Recovery:

After the fires have died down, the flood waters recede- what next?

 

Scams:

  • Beware of scams! Make sure to check for out of state information. Don't pay in cash, and only make a final payment after the work is done, and to your satisfaction.
  • Beware of imposters. Always check ID's, even from people claiming to work for the government.
  • Remember, FEMA doesn't charge application fees, or ask for bank account/credit card information.

 

Articles:

 

Financial:

 

More:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Local Businesses:

Ready to start rebuilding? Check out some of our local businesses who can help!

AC & Plumbing

 

Electric:

 

 

 

 

Recovery:

 

 

 

 

 

Roofing & Construction:

Scroll To Top