Leading Companies Online Magazine Archives
Is Your Business Prepared for Disaster?
By Debra Sherman, Beyster Institute Staff
It was a real disaster. Unprecedented wildfires raged into heavily populated areas, hundreds of thousands of people were displaced, and fear and concern were etched on the faces of San Diegans everywhere.
Besides thinking about those who were spending fearful hours not knowing whether they would still have a house to go home to, how exhausted the fire fighters must be, and how lucky our staff was to have emerged unharmed, I was also struck by the plight of the businesses affected by the fires.
Many who didn’t actually lose a business to the fires still lost business. Their areas were under evacuation orders for three or four days. Their staffs were worried about family and friends, or were volunteering to help at the shelters that sprung up all over the county. Their customers were glued to TV and radio wondering whether they would be next.
As a business owner or manager, are you prepared for disaster? Can your business run without you if necessary? Can it financially withstand several days or even weeks of being totally non-operational? Do you have a way to communicate with key employees immediately and eventually determine if all your employees are safe?
Even for those not directly affected by disaster, being prepared may mean the difference between a few chaotic days and a situation that can topple your business. You may need to be able to marshal the resources needed to meet a critical deadline, withstand a few weeks without revenue, or quickly find a temporary location to operate from. Your employees may need assistance or simply guidance as the magnitude of a disaster grows.
As businesses from New York to New Orleans to San Diego know, disaster strikes without warning and then it’s too late to develop your disaster plan. If you don’t already have a plan, it’s never too soon to be prepared. If you already have one, take it out and dust if off to be sure that it fits your current needs.
If you need assistance, be sure to take a look at this web page on emergency preparedness for business - http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/prepared - and talk to your staff about what needs to be done. As San Diego so wonderfully exemplified during this tragedy, it takes a community and a real team effort to survive.
©2007 The Beyster Institute and its authors and their entities. All rights reserved.
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