Business Lessons Learned From Natural Disasters

5/26/2016 (Permalink)

Learn business lessons from the impact natural disasters have had on other businesses

Bob Boyd, President and CEO of Agility Recovery delivered a presentation to the Corporate Responsibility Association about lessons learned from business disasters. In reviewing the year 2013, Boyd said the U.S. had 62 Presidentially Declared Disasters affecting 37 states. Eight of those disasters caused more than $1 billion of damages. And 2013 was a relatively quiet year for natural disasters.

One disaster Bob discussed shut down all phone and Internet service to businesses. Among the lessons businesses can learn from disasters like that are:
1. Include the loss of Internet and phone service in your disaster recovery plan and test that plan.
2. Use more than one wireless carrier in case one network becomes compromised or goes down.   
3. Have a strategy for processing your business transactions without connectivity.
 
For Cleanup Or Restoration Needs Call SERVPRO Of Bloomfield/Enfield At (860) 216-2785

What If Smart Phones Go Down?
Mobile phones can also become useless under certain natural disaster conditions. Businesses have learned several key lessons from disasters that knocked out their mobile phone service. The lessons include having a way to communicate with your employees, clients, partners, and others without mobile access and having a strategy for relocating your business operations.

Also, you should have a core team of employees trained in CPR and first aid and have a good working relationship with local law enforcement. Police or other law enforcement may become your best source of storm updates, safety and recovery information, and help during a crisis. 

Business Interruption Most Costly Than Storm Damage
SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield knows that for businesses, time equals money. The more time your business cannot conduct operations, the more money you lose. In fact, business interruption costs are much greater than the costs of the damage and clean up after a natural disaster.

Know how quickly you can restore data, re-establish connectivity, obtain temporary power, and start conducting normal business again. Know the most likely natural disaster threats to your business and community. Whether it’s hurricanes or flooding or wildfires or something else, be prepared for the threats you’re most likely to face.

Lessons from Hurricane Katrina
Bill Rau owns an antique business in New Orleans. Hurricane Katrina did about $5 million of damages to his business but the business survived and even reopening just six weeks after the disaster. The hurricane taught Bill a lot. Among the most important advice Bill now gives other businesses about preparing for a natural disaster are:

•    Consider your employees—they need guidance, clear vision, and security during and after a disaster.
•    Keep your business customers in the loop. Let them know you're still open for business.
•    Establish cloud-computing—ensure that backup can be accessed outside the affected geographic area.
•    Get an insurance advisor to sit down with you so you can find out what may be missing from your policies.

Help Is Here
The team at SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield has specialized training and experience in fire restoration services, natural disaster prevention, and commercial disaster cleanup. Call SERVPRO of  Bloomfield/Enfield (860.216.2785) anytime, 24/7.

We've served clients in Avon, Agawam, Bloomfield, Coventry, East Hartford, East Longmeadow, Ellington, Enfield, Farmington, Hartford, Manchester, Newington, Simsbury, South Windsor, Springfield, West Hartford, and beyond.

SERVPRO of Bloomfield/Enfield
100 Peters Road, Bloomfield, CT 06002
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