Page 40 - midJersey Business - May 2015

Your Business

{ }
Security

RESOLVE TO BE PREPARED

FOR EVERY DISASTER

Protect your assets and plan for the worst |
OBy Vincent G. Cerio

ver the past few years,
businesses have fallen

victim to all types of di-
sasters, from hurricanes

and blizzards, to loods
and power outages, to

protests and looting. Whether natural

or man-made, disasters can jeopardize
and even ruin a small business overnight.

In fact, 25 percent of businesses do
not reopen after being hit with a major

upheaval, according to the U.S. Small
Business Administration.

Businesses have so much at stake that
being prepared isn’t just a good idea—it’s

a grave necessity. Resolve to be ready by
taking steps to protect your assets and

plan for the worst.
While Mother Nature may bring

the storm, small business owners and
managers are ultimately responsible

for keeping a company running for their

employees, customers, and shareholders.
Advance planning and redundancy are

critical.
To prepare your business for disasters,

you must address three major problems:
loss of power, loss of communications,

and loss of property. Every situation and
business is diferent, but here are a few

things every company should have in
place to prepare for an emergency:

An evacuation plan. Do your employees

know the quickest way to leave the build-
ing or to reach a protected area during an

emergency? Your company should have a plan should be posted in a common area, operation. Identify and protect them. De-
basic evacuation or shelter-in-place plan, and your company should hold an emer- pending on the nature of your business,

including a designated meeting place, a gency drill at least annually.
these can include personnel iles, critical

means of internal communication, and planning documents, customer records,
someone assigned to aid anyone who Identify and protect critical assets.
or inventory. Your company may need

needs extra assistance. An evacuation There are materials and documents with- daily access to these assets, so they will be
plan is the irst step in preparedness. The
in each company essential to its continued
likely stored on site.

38 business.com
midJersey