(August 26, 2019) Is your business ready to face the unexpected? September is National Preparedness month and WEV has compiled a list of actions you can take to mitigate the effect an unplanned (or scheduled*) interruption may have on your business.
BEFORE
- Pay down debt; establish emergency savings
- Review your Commercial/Home Insurance Policy with a trusted broker
- Locate and copy key documents (keep copies off-site)
- Back up data and important contact information including employees and key clients/vendors (keep back-ups off-site or in cloud)
- Take photos of property and assets
- Freeze your credit with main credit agencies
- *Learn about Public Safety Power Shut-offs (PSPS) and scheduled outages. In the event of extreme weather conditions, SCE and PGE may shut off power for up to 5 days. Visit: https://prepareforpowerdown.com/
DURING
- Check in with your Employees
- Visit Ready.gov for updates (readysbc.org and readyventuracounty.org)
- Call 211 for Emergency Resource Assistance
- Visit Disaster Assistance Center (DAC); register with FEMA if there is damage/loss
- Take photos of/Document any damage
- File a claim with your insurer (don’t delay)
- Volunteer in your community if you have time, resources
AFTER
- Call 211 for Disaster Case Management and Recovery Resource Assistance
- Keep Employees informed of available local resources
- SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan for immediate cash flow
- Know your local Small Business Development Center (SBDC) and
- Women’s Business Center (WBC) for any emergency grant/loan opportunities
- Contact the IRS for disaster-related losses; request an extension to filing
- Pivot your business – where might there be new opportunities?
- Volunteer in your community if you have time, resources
Contact WEV’s Business Resilience Specialist Nicki Parr at 805-456-2348 or [email protected].