A Guide to Disaster Recovery for Small Businesses | SERVPRO® of Cedar Mill/Oak Hills

2/24/2020 (Permalink)

If your business has suffered from a disaster, you can count on us to be there for commercial restoration.

Facing a disaster as a small business owner can be a scary thing, but putting a plan in place can help you achieve peace of mind in case one ever impacts you.

Having a clear action plan for recovery will allow you to spring into action as soon as the disaster has passed, helping you to get back to business much quicker than if you did not know what to do. Read on for our four-step guide to disaster recovery for small businesses:

1. Create a Business Disaster Recovery Plan

Think of your business disaster recovery plan as your master document to guide you through the emergency preparations for your business. It should include a customized risk assessment, so you know where to focus the majority of your resources, a communications plan for how you know where to focus the majority of your resources, a communications plan for how you will get ahold of employees in the aftermath, and information regarding document and data backups in case the original copies get destroyed during the disaster.

1. Create a Business Disaster Recovery Plan

Think of your business disaster recovery plan as your master document to guide you through the emergency preparations for your business. It should include a customized risk assessment, so you know where to focus the majority of your resources, a communications plan for how you will get ahold of employees in the aftermath, and information regarding document and data backups in case the original copies get destroyed during the disaster.

2. Be Sure You Understand Your Business Insurance Policy

Not all commercial insurance policies are created equal, so making sure you understand what your coverage map looks like is key. Most commercial policies will cover basic things, but many business owners choose to add on extras such as flood insurance, interruption insurance and umbrella insurance to make sure there are no surprises in the aftermath of a disaster.

3. Choose a Commercial Restoration Company

The commercial restoration company you choose is one of the biggest factors that determines how quickly you can get back to business following a disaster—and reopening as quickly as possible is one of the best things you can do. For these reasons, picking a commercial restoration company in advance is a wise choice. That way you can call them immediately after the disaster in order to begin the restoration process as quickly as possible.

4. Research Disaster Relief Loans

Depending on the type of disaster that has occurred, the Small Business Association offers many commercial disaster loans for business owners. These loans are offered at a lower than usual interest rate to help business owners get the funds they need to cover all the costs associated with recovery.