|
Author: Michael Riley Article source: http://www.firewaterwind.com/. Used with author's permission.
In the face of a disaster, keep one thing in mind: If you can live through it, so can your business - most of the time. But you need to plan ahead.
Sadly, most small and home-based business owners won't do that. It's a tragic way to reduce the competition. But if you choose to prepare for disaster, you'll still BE the competition!
The enhance your chances of still being around, you need to create a disaster preparedness plan. Even something very simple could help greatly. The most important aspects of your plan are to make it practical and easy to maintain.
A good disaster preparedness plan starts with disaster prevention. General prevention is mostly good common sense. Natural catastrophes such as wildfires, major storms and earthquakes can quickly convert your office or facility into a danger zone if you're not prepared. But most of the events that destroy businesses never make the news -- things like on-site accidents and small fires that happen somewhere every moment of every day.
Those things are certainly disasters. But there's an even worse disaster that happens later if you aren't ready: the unnecessary demise of your business afterward. That's the disaster that you can prepare for by planning ahead.
Disaster prevention steps
Here are some basic steps for safeguarding your employees and business from unnecessary damage:
1. Pay attention to public warnings. Don't second-guess evacuation orders. Better to err on the side of caution.
2. Establish emergency evacuation procedures.
3. Keep fire extinguishers and first aid kits on hand and check them regularly.
4. Keep a cell phone programmed with emergency contact and employee numbers.
5. Back up your data daily. Keep a copy offsite or in a fire- and waterproof safe.
6. Regularly update your insurance info: equipment, inventory, etc. Keep a copy of this offsite (or in a safe) as well.
7. Look for fall hazards: piled boxes, overhead materials, and so forth. Rearrange to protect yourself and your people from unnecessary harm.
8. Don't let debris, empty containers or recyclable materials pile up.
9. Avoid overstocking flammable items, such as fuel or materials with a rapid flash point (such as loose paper and cardboard).
10. Use appropriate safety containers for flammable items.
11. Establish a firebreak around your facility if possible, and internal firebreaks as well, such as a ten-foot perimeter around propane tanks if you have them.
12. Keep tree branches trimmed back from structures, equipment and inventory.
13. Try to separate equipment, inventory, and storage items in order to mitigate the domino effect of fire spreading to all areas of your business.
These suggestions are just a sample of what you can do to avoid unnecessary damage. Walk through your office or facility and imagine what could happen if it was suddenly hit by a fire or flood. Your common sense will guide you to create a good disaster prevention plan in order to minimize your exposure to devastation.
(For more information on preparing your business for surviving and recovering from disaster, please see the expanded article series at the website listed below.)
(c) 2005 Michael Riley. All rights reserved. Michael Riley is a freelance business writer and editor specializing in trade press and association publications. His website includes expanded coverage of this topic, as well as information on marketing your small business and improving customer relations. http://www.bymichaelriley.com
UK Copyright Law: A Quick Guide For Freelance Writers
As a freelance writer, you'll need to be aware of the legal protection your work enjoys so you don't sign away rights that you should retain. This is a guide to...
Dealing Effectively with Midlife Issues
Tips and Strategies for dealing with issues and problems that come up in midlife.
Diet Fads Come And Go
Cursed by dieters everywhere, and loved by children around the world, sugar is one those substances we 'love to hate' and 'hate to love'! It can make bland food...
More Vitamins and Minerals Needed for Hair Growth
There are certain nutrients that you need to keep your hair healthy. Learn which ones they are so that you can minimize your hair loss.
Tips for Working on Plaster Walls
If you live in an older house, say 50 or 60 years or older, there is a good likelihood that you have plaster on your walls. Plaster walls were very common, espe...
Business is not a Science?
Have you ever heard someone say that Business is not Rocket Science? And indeed although that maybe true to some degree do you ever notice that the person who s...
Home Mortgage Quotes Online - How Do They Compare To a Quote From a Broker in The Real World?
There are many similarities between the mortgage brokers in the real world and the brokers you will deal with online, but here are some of the differences.
Natural Hair - Get Creative With Homemade Recipes
Do you wear your hair natural? Going natural means changing your hair regimen including the types of products you use. Learn how to create homemade hair recipes...
Fun Things To Do At Home With Children
How to keep your children amused and occupied on cold or rainy days at home and away from the television. Ideas for children of all ages that are safe and fun t...
Another Good Reason To Take Your Fish Oil
Two factors that has caused the spread of viral hepatitis around the world is:
Affairs: Advice for the One Who Was Betrayed
Affairs can kill a relationship. Here are tips and tools for the one who was betrayed.
Insiders Secret to Selling Mailing Lists
If you've got a mailing list of at least a thousand names or more, you're
sitting on a gold mine. All it takes is for you to get the word out that you've got ...
Uses for Secured Loans
There are so many reasons why you might want to use a secured loan. Secured loans are loans from lending institutions that use some of your assets or equity as ...
5 Steps to Raising an Optimistic Child
I had just completed a session with 17-year old Julie who suffered from severe depression. Julie believed she was a total failure and would never be able to cha...
Gay Breakups: When the Rainbow Ends
This article will explore the grieving process as it applies to gay relationship breakups and will offer coping tips for managing this often difficult transitio...
How To Reduce Your Payments
Are you paying out too much every month for your credit cards, store cards and loans?
The Future Of Web Design Is Content Management!
Web development has greatly increased in popularity over the last 5 years. Many new design concepts, code standards, and technology advances have happened in a ...
What are You Doing to Improve Your Golf Swing?
Improve your golf swing. You have probably tried everything, from following advice that worked for your friends to so called 'tips from experts.' So what else ...
How to Use Textpad to Write Articles Faster
It's a good idea to use TextPad because all opt-in ezine publishers want your articles without any formatting. Also, for any email exchange, you need to put you...
The Gatekeeper is Your Key to Sales Success
It is often seen as an epic struggle...you versus the gatekeeper...winner take all! It doesn't have to be that way. Try these tips to create a relationship th...
Power Of The Mind
How to programme your mind?
Do Good Luck Symbols, Charms, & Talismans Really Work?
Every single Culture and Country of our Earth has spawned Good Luck Symbols. Volumes have been written about them. But do they really work and yield results? If...
Assembling a Baby Shower Gift Basket: Get Creative
Personalized and unique Baby Shower Gift Basket ideas.
How to Flirt and Never Get Rejected!
This is one of the easiest ways to flirt and let someone know you're interested in them without having to run the risk of getting rejected face to face.
|
Print this page