The calendar may say fall is almost here, but it’s Atlantic Hurricane Season right now. Although we are more than halfway through the official June 1 to Nov. 30 period, that was the easy part.

Business owners know planning for disasters is an essential task in the Sunshine State. But it is easy to get complacent and see it as a normal or everyday concern rather than an every day concern. A quick review of U.S. Small Business Administration information on disaster planning might be in order.

“Disasters can take many forms and the financial cost of rebuilding after a disaster can be overwhelming,” according to information on the agency’s website. “If you’re prepared for emergencies, you’ll be in a better position to recover and continue operations should disaster strike.”

The first step is assessing your risk.

“Every business has unique vulnerabilities and weaknesses,” the SBA website said. “Knowing which disasters are most likely to affect your business can help you to return to operations faster. A back-to-business self-assessment can help you to assess your risks for common hazards such as hurricanes, wildfires, flooding, or even cyberattacks. Statistics say that 25% of businesses won’t open again after a disaster.”

Step two is creating a plan.

“Your response plan is your roadmap to recovery, so it should be tailored to your business’s specific needs and operations,” according to the SBA.  “It should address immediate priorities and be easy to access.  Checklists and online toolkits are effective resources to help you develop your plan. 

Implementing the plan is the next step and practicing with staff to ensure everything and everyone is ready when a disaster occurs.

The final step is for after a disaster.

“You may be eligible for a low-interest disaster recovery loan through the SBA for damaged and destroyed assets in a declared disaster,” the agency said. “These include repair and replacement costs for real estate, personal property, machinery, equipment, inventory, and business assets.”

For more information go to sba.gov.

SOURCE: U. S. Small Business Administration