Preparing Your Business in Case Disaster Strikes | SERVPRO® of Cedar Mill/Oak Hills

3/2/2022 (Permalink)

Having a plan in place in case of disaster can save your and your business from further losses. Contact us today to find out more.

If you own a business, it is prudent to make sure you are as prepared as possible for an emergency or disaster in order to protect your livelihood. To jumpstart this process, we recommend that business owners first take survey of where your preparedness levels are currently, so you can better understand where to improve or change them.

There are several key areas that can let you know exactly how prepared you are for an emergency. Having an understanding of your commercial insurance coverage and having a discussion with your insurance agent will let you know if additional policies are required to protect you. The other big factor is to make sure there is a plan in place, both for the moment disaster strikes and for recovery. Making sure these plans are in place, and you and your employees know them, can keep your business safe and make restoration go as quickly as possible.

Commercial Insurance Coverage

There are many various things that a commercial insurance policy will cover, but often in the case of disasters, their coverage alone can be insufficient. Talk with your insurance agent about where your policy might be lacking or what events can cause your coverage needs to change. Most carriers have the option to buy umbrella coverage and interruption insurance to make sure you are fully protected against disaster.

Supply Kit and Emergency Plan

If a severe weather event is on the way or a disaster such as a fire breaks out, there are maybe a few key moments to react. Having an emergency plan in place will help you and your employees make the most of the time you have. Plan for any potential threat that may present itself like having escape routes for situations where evacuation is the best course of action. The situation may also arise where you may need to remain in the office and survive off a workplace emergency kit until rescuers can come.

Have a Plan for Restoration and Recovery

Limiting the time your business must suspend operations due to the recovery process is the best way to avoid excessive losses due to lack of sales. In your recovery plan, decide on what restoration company to use when disaster strikes - this will allow you to make the call right away when you discover damage to your assets. In addition to that research, it would be wise to see if you qualify for disaster loan assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration to help cover some of these costs at a low interest rate.

If your business has been impacted by a disaster or you want to make a plan, contact us ²⁴⁄₇ for information on the commercial restoration process.