How to Disaster-Proof Your Business

It seems pretty obvious that you should develop a plan to be ready for disasters. But maybe that seems a little bit daunting, and you don’t even know where to start. After all, there are an unlimited number of risks that your business could face. Perhaps that’s why 68% of small business owners say they have no written disaster recovery plan in place.

But having no plan in place is dangerous. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 40% to 60% of small businesses never reopen after a disaster, and 90% of small businesses close within a year of a disaster if they can’t reopen within five days.

Some readiness is better than no readiness. When developing your plan, remember:

• Back up all of your important documents and contact information to the cloud.
• Verify your Google My Business listing to ensure you can communicate your hours of operation and important updates with customers.
• Consider installing Smart Home devices at your business to receive early weather and emergency alerts.
• Use Wi-Fi-enabled cameras to document potential damages to make the business insurance claims process smoother.

During a disaster, your employees’ safety is key, so check in on them using group chats. You may also need to switch to a remote work setup and redirect phone calls if necessary.

Take a look at this animated visual created by Fundera for a full list of tips to prepare your business for disasters and get back on your feet after.