Is your business prepared to deal with disaster?
Here’s a 10-step plan for starting the recovery
The U.S. is on track to set a record for major weather disasters this year, with flooding along the Missouri River expected to soon join the list led by the deadly tornado in Joplin. That’s made many business operators wonder how they would recover after a disaster.
Knowing where to start can be extremely difficult, so the Missouri Business Development Program has come up with a series of steps to take.
1. Reconnect
Obtain a working phone line. You need a way to receive calls and reach out to family, friends and customers. If all you have access to is a cell phone, get your business number forwarded to the cell number. You might have lost computer equipment and the ability to connect via the Internet and email. One immediate way to handle this is to ensure that you can receive email and have Internet access through your phone. During many recent disasters, the most up-to-date information has been available through Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
2. Break the task down
Attempting to do everything at once will feel overwhelming. As you stand in a damaged store or factory, the amount of work before you can easily make you feel powerless and defeated. Start by breaking the work down into manageable chunks. Each completed task will give you confidence and strength for the next chore. Start with the smaller, more realistic steps, build on that and applaud yourself each time you complete a task.
3. Reach out and communicate
In the case of suppliers, remember that it’s in their best interest to get you back in business as soon as possible, so they will be willing to assist. Place orders for replacement merchandise and materials. Request replacement displays and promotional materials. And talk about payments; don’t avoid the issue. Confront the situation, and be forthcoming about what you need and what you can do, particularly because you will likely have insurance claims pending. The key is to communicate. Most suppliers can deal with any circumstance as long as they know up front what to expect.
4. Deal with the finances
It might be the last thing you want to think about immediately following a disaster, but you need to face it head on. Cash flow is going to be a big issue, particularly in the short term. Call your bank and anywhere you have credit, and let them know what has happened. Most of the time they will be incredibly supportive by deferring repayments. Regardless of whether you need this right now, it is good to know that you have it available. If you take credit cards in your business, obtain a manual machine so you can immediately process credit card payments. You might experience power outages as you rebuild, and downtime can mean lost sales.
5. Talk to the IRS
Your taxes are the last thing on your mind, but the IRS can be a very good source of assistance and support at this time. They may even relieve some of your financial worries by arranging for a revised tax payment plan in light of your situation. Because you have many other financial considerations now — particularly the cost of rebuilding, handling creditors and paying suppliers — removing the tax worry can make other decisions much more manageable.
6. Keep your staff informed
With a business closed and no money coming in, employees can become understandably anxious about their income and the future of their job with a company. This is the time to be completely honest with them as soon as you can. In many cases, employees with full information will dive in to help you in ways you might not have expected. Frequently, government assistance agencies will provide some funding for salaries during a rebuilding period.
7. Take photos and keep records
Our natural inclination when confronted with the mess and destruction after a storm is just to bulldoze it all away. However, it’s important to record the damage done to the facility and to your inventory. Your insurance carrier may require evidence of the destruction. Keep a journal of what you find, what is damaged and how badly, what you discard and when. Keep a few examples of badly damaged items to show your adjuster the extent and severity of the destruction.
8. Take care of yourself
Remember that your physical and emotional defenses are down. You are under extreme emotional distress, and you are working long hours to get the business re-established. You are in a marathon now, and you must do all you can to avoid illness and injury. Drink lots of water, eat as well as you can and, though you will not want to or feel that you should, rest and sleep as often as you can.
9. Talk to your customers
As soon as you are back in business, even to a limited extent, let your customers know. Your customers will want to support you, so let them know your status. This is when you can take advantage of electronic means of communication, including social media. Set up a Facebook page or Twitter feed, and announce that you are open for business. It’s a no-cost, effective way of getting the word out. Encourage everyone to tell others about your progress.
10. Try to find the upside and see the opportunity
As hard as it is, try to see the opportunity in the situation, which is a chance to evaluate your business and rebuild with any changes you’d like to make. Perhaps you can fix some things you’ve never had time to address before. It’s a time to re-evaluate your goals and dreams. And it’s a time to be grateful for what remains. Your attitude can do a great deal to lift up your company, your employees and your community.
This article, the first in a series, was featured in Missouri.net’s June newsletter.
The U.S. is on track to set a record for major weather disasters this year, with flooding along the Missouri River expected to soon join the list led by the deadly tornado in Joplin. That’s made many business operators wonder how they would recover after a disaster.
Knowing where to start can be extremely difficult, so the Missouri Business Development Program has come up with a series of steps to take.
1. Reconnect
Obtain a working phone line. You need a way to receive calls and reach out to family, friends and customers. If all you have access to is a cell phone, get your business number forwarded to the cell number. You might have lost computer equipment and the ability to connect via the Internet and email. One immediate way to handle this is to ensure that you can receive email and have Internet access through your phone. During many recent disasters, the most up-to-date information has been available through Facebook, Twitter and other social media.
2. Break the task down
Attempting to do everything at once will feel overwhelming. As you stand in a damaged store or factory, the amount of work before you can easily make you feel powerless and defeated. Start by breaking the work down into manageable chunks. Each completed task will give you confidence and strength for the next chore. Start with the smaller, more realistic steps, build on that and applaud yourself each time you complete a task.
3. Reach out and communicate
In the case of suppliers, remember that it’s in their best interest to get you back in business as soon as possible, so they will be willing to assist. Place orders for replacement merchandise and materials. Request replacement displays and promotional materials. And talk about payments; don’t avoid the issue. Confront the situation, and be forthcoming about what you need and what you can do, particularly because you will likely have insurance claims pending. The key is to communicate. Most suppliers can deal with any circumstance as long as they know up front what to expect.
4. Deal with the finances
It might be the last thing you want to think about immediately following a disaster, but you need to face it head on. Cash flow is going to be a big issue, particularly in the short term. Call your bank and anywhere you have credit, and let them know what has happened. Most of the time they will be incredibly supportive by deferring repayments. Regardless of whether you need this right now, it is good to know that you have it available. If you take credit cards in your business, obtain a manual machine so you can immediately process credit card payments. You might experience power outages as you rebuild, and downtime can mean lost sales.
5. Talk to the IRS
Your taxes are the last thing on your mind, but the IRS can be a very good source of assistance and support at this time. They may even relieve some of your financial worries by arranging for a revised tax payment plan in light of your situation. Because you have many other financial considerations now — particularly the cost of rebuilding, handling creditors and paying suppliers — removing the tax worry can make other decisions much more manageable.
6. Keep your staff informed
With a business closed and no money coming in, employees can become understandably anxious about their income and the future of their job with a company. This is the time to be completely honest with them as soon as you can. In many cases, employees with full information will dive in to help you in ways you might not have expected. Frequently, government assistance agencies will provide some funding for salaries during a rebuilding period.
7. Take photos and keep records
Our natural inclination when confronted with the mess and destruction after a storm is just to bulldoze it all away. However, it’s important to record the damage done to the facility and to your inventory. Your insurance carrier may require evidence of the destruction. Keep a journal of what you find, what is damaged and how badly, what you discard and when. Keep a few examples of badly damaged items to show your adjuster the extent and severity of the destruction.
8. Take care of yourself
Remember that your physical and emotional defenses are down. You are under extreme emotional distress, and you are working long hours to get the business re-established. You are in a marathon now, and you must do all you can to avoid illness and injury. Drink lots of water, eat as well as you can and, though you will not want to or feel that you should, rest and sleep as often as you can.
9. Talk to your customers
As soon as you are back in business, even to a limited extent, let your customers know. Your customers will want to support you, so let them know your status. This is when you can take advantage of electronic means of communication, including social media. Set up a Facebook page or Twitter feed, and announce that you are open for business. It’s a no-cost, effective way of getting the word out. Encourage everyone to tell others about your progress.
10. Try to find the upside and see the opportunity
As hard as it is, try to see the opportunity in the situation, which is a chance to evaluate your business and rebuild with any changes you’d like to make. Perhaps you can fix some things you’ve never had time to address before. It’s a time to re-evaluate your goals and dreams. And it’s a time to be grateful for what remains. Your attitude can do a great deal to lift up your company, your employees and your community.
This article, the first in a series, was featured in Missouri.net’s June newsletter.