Create a Disaster Plan for Your Greene County Business

12/26/2019 (Permalink)

This fire damaged hotel was the result of a lightning strike.

Disasters can occur without warning to a commercial building. Flooding, fires or storm damage could potentially close a business for good. Here are some sobering statistics according to the Association of Small Business Development Centers:

• More than one in four businesses will experience a significant crisis in a given year.
• Of those businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan, 43% NEVER reopen.
• Of those that do reopen, only 29% are still operating two years later.

A business closing affects not just the owner and their customers, but also their employees who may not be able to afford to wait until it reopens, especially if it’s closed for days, weeks, or even months. So, it’s vital to get your business open again ASAP.

What Can Go Wrong

Some of the most common causes of commercial building damage are:

• Storm damage
• Kitchen (break room) fire or smoke damage
• Fire sprinkler water damage
• Leaky or broken pipe
• Sewage backup

Some of these problems can be avoided by implementing a preventative maintenance plan and conducting regular employee safety training classes.

Don’t Pretend it Didn’t Happen

If you own a business in Greene County that must temporarily close, let your client base know what's occurred on your website, through emails and/or a customer newsletter. It may humanize the experience and encourage your customers to return once you reopen. Is there a similar company that you can refer them to? While you may lose some of your patrons, you’ll be spreading goodwill among customers and competitors. You may even be able to work out a deal with a trusted competitor that suits you both, such as a finder’s fee or commission on your customers, money that can be put aside for marketing when you’re ready to reopen.

Create a Plan

Although disasters don’t plan, you can. Create a detailed disaster plan that includes:

• Locations appropriate for employee evacuation
• Emergency contact information for each employee
• Plans to protect and access vital business records
• If there will be an off-site location that employees can work from in the interim
• The business’ insurance company contact info
• SERVPRO of Springfield / Greene County’s contact info

SERVPRO of Springfield / Greene County can help you create and set in place a preloss plan for your business before a disaster strikes, which can mean the difference between re-opening or closing the doors forever.

An important part of that plan is the SERVPRO Emergency READY Program. Under this program, a business owner works with a SERVPRO disaster recovery specialist to create an Emergency READY Profile (ERP) for their facility, at no charge. This comprehensive document contains critical information about the business, including emergency contact information, shut-off valve locations and priority areas. Having this information in hand helps business owners and SERVPRO of Springfield / Greene County react to an unexpected event quickly and effectively to help minimize business interruption.

Our team of trained professionals are equipped with the proper tools to handle a disaster of any size, from one floor to an entire industrial warehouse. So, don’t hesitate, don’t wait, but call SERVPRO before it’s too late.