Disaster management: getting ready for emergency weather events

We’ve seen the raw power of nature, and how freak weather conditions can quickly endanger your business. But what can you do to prepare for these emergency weather events?

Emergency events that stop your business trading

Whether you’re a freelance sole trader, a bricks and mortar retail company or a family-run farming business, we all rely on utilities such as power, water and internet to do business.

We can’t control the weather. But weather can swiftly engulf your business, making it impossible to trade. And with dangerous weather conditions an increasingly common threat, it’s important to know how to prepare your business to minimise any disruption.

Here are a few ways you can reduce the impact of emergency weather events.

Develop an emergency plan

Create a detailed plan that includes your strategy and procedures for various weather events. This plan should include evacuation routes, communication protocols and shutdown procedures for important equipment.

Make sure all team members are familiar with the plan and carry out regular drills. This plan should also include contact information for emergency services and key personnel.

Secure your premises and physical assets

Storms, cyclones and rising sea levels can do immense damage. Make sure you reinforce your building structures, such as roofs and windows, to withstand high winds and flooding.

Move valuable equipment and inventory to higher ground or secure locations to minimise any damage. Back up critical data to off-site servers, or cloud storage, to prevent loss in case of physical damage to your on-site IT systems.

Establish a reliable communication system

Staying in touch with your team and customers is vital. Get a communication system in place that allows you to share information with staff, customers and suppliers during an emergency.

This may include having a dedicated emergency phone hotline, sending out email alerts, or even having an emergency WhatsApp group for the team. Make sure you’ve got backup power and charged batteries to maintain communication in case of any power outages.

Review your insurance coverage

However small your business, you absolutely need to have the right insurance in place. Review and update your insurance policies regularly, so you know you’ve got adequate cover for potential damage from weather events.

This includes having property insurance, business interruption insurance and liability insurance policies in place. Document and photograph all your key assets and inventory, so it’s easier to make insurance claims in the event of damage.

Build an emergency cash reserve

Damage from weather events can be costly. Put cash away to deal with unexpected expenses and lost revenue during, and after, an emergency.

This cash reserve can help you maintain your business operations and pay essential bills while you’re waiting for insurance claims to be processed. Think about putting a percentage of profits aside each month to build up this emergency fund.

Get in touch to upgrade your disaster management plan

With climate change an increasing issue, emergency weather events are likely to become all too frequent. The key to minimising the impact is to have a disaster management plan in place.

Come and have a chat with the team about disaster prevention. We’ll help you get your plan together and look at starting a cash reserve to cover unforeseen emergency expenses.