Weather is unpredictable and can be a headache for homeowners, what with basement floods, roofing leaks, and more. If you run a business, these types of problems can come at you twofold. In Pennsylvania, we’ve experienced all kinds of weather, from tornados, to flooding, to some pretty crazy snow storms. No matter what part of the state you’re in, you can never truly predict PA weather conditions!
When the weather gets bad, you want the structure of your building to stand up to it. Whether you run a corporation or a small business, your Pennsylvania business can weather any storm with the right plan of action.
Identify your risk factors. First, you need to assess the kinds of threats the weather may pose upon your facility. Focus on inclement weather that will prevent you from getting business done. For example, if your business is located on a road that floods frequently, your employees may experience trouble getting to work. Similarly, if you’re in an area where it snows heavily throughout the winter and you cannot get your delivery trucks out, that becomes a problem for your business. Identifying the threats weather can impose on your business and devising a plan of attack for if and when they occur will put you in good shape.
Create a plan. As a business owner, you may have analyzed the traditional factors of business, like the market, finances, and consumer trends. Planning is essential to developing and growing a company, but what many small businesses overlook is creating a recovery plan. It’s vital that you take the time to identify the weather elements that threaten your business, but it’s just as important to plan how you’re going to recover in the event there is damage.
- Disaster Recovery Plan (DRP): In the event that your business is damaged by extreme weather conditions like flooding, earthquakes, or tornadoes, a DRP outlines your plan to recovery and allows you to get back to business quickly. This can include building repairs, as well as data recovery.
- Business Continuity Plan (BCP): Unlike a DRP, a BCP outlines a plan for your business to start anew. In the event that the damage is irreparable, a BCP will outline how your business obtain a new location to continue business as usual. It should include contacts to realtors or business park owners in the area.
It’s important that each of these plans are communicated with each member of your team. This way, in the event your business is damaged and needs repair, everyone is prepared.
Take preventative measures. Sometimes, the best protection is prevention. Once you’ve determined what your business’ biggest risk factors are, you can start shopping around for insurance. In addition, take the right precautions to keep your workspace safe and functional. Companies like Alpine Painting and Restoration Services can apply specialty coatings to your office building that can protect the physical structure you work in from fire and liquid damage, as well as corrosion, and can repair damage to your building while you carry out business as usual.
Running a business isn’t easy, but recovering from weather damage can be with the right plan of action. Consider your risks and outline the necessary arrangements to keep your business up and running, no matter what weather comes your way.
–Sponsored–
We Are Supported By:
