As recent events have shown, emergency management and disaster planning is crucial for businesses of all sizes; particularly small- and medium-sized businesses, which often have few staff or resources, and may be dependent on a busy summer season to tide them through the rest of the year.
According to the Canadian Centre for Emergency Preparedness, “If there is no tested emergency management plan in place, up to 86 per cent of small-and-medium sized businesses fail within three years of a major incident.” Major incidents can include anything from wildfires and full-scale floods to ice storms and hurricanes, or fraud or cybersecurity breaches.
Any of the above scenarios can take a business offline. Recognizing the risks is a vital first step, but for companies to be properly prepared, they need planning to protect them before, during, and after an event.
A free workshop being hosted by Community Futures Sun Country (CFSC) and presented by Small Business BC on June 7—“Disaster Proofing Your Business”—will look at how small businesses can safeguard themselves and their employees from disaster striking.
To be prepared, three different types of plans are needed: a business continuity plan (to provide clear directions on how to operate throughout a major even); an emergency response plan (for managing an incident or emergency as it happens); and a disaster recovery plan (which indicate the steps a company needs to take to get back on its feet as soon as safely possible).
Deb Arnott, general manager of CFSC, says that a simple thing to put in place before an emergency is to have all your business’s files stored on the Cloud. “That way, when you walk out the door, you grab your laptop or phone and continue doing business.” It is also crucial, she says, to ensure you have insurance and coverage for what is needed, such as business interruption and inventory.
“It sounds basic, but I think we all get these binders that are two inches thick, and we assume everything is in order until something like this happens. Does your insurance policy have a clause about disasters? And do you have a list of what inventory you have in the building?” This is where the Cloud comes in; if such a list is stored there, it guards against a disaster happening and you not being able to get back in to get the files your insurance company needs right now.
An emergency response plan protects business owners and staff. Arnott notes that after last year’s wildfires, people went in all directions. “You need to know where staff are, if they’re safe. Are you able to get hold of them?” She adds that a response plan can set out things such as ensuring that the alarms are set, that things are shut down safely, and that electronics are unplugged in the case of power surges.
“Every once in a while, do an emergency response practice,” she suggests. “They do them at schools; why not do them as adults? But we all think ‘Oh, we’ll be fine.’”
The first item on a recovery plan should be getting in touch with your insurance broker—fast. “Some businesses waited for a bit,” says Arnott. “But it’s a long process. Have a contact name and phone number for your insurer on your phone, and have a copy of your insurance policy. Some people don’t even know what company they’re with. Call them and have them open a file. They’ll tell you what you need to keep track of.”
The free “Disaster Proofing Your Business” workshop will take place at the Cache Creek Community Hall from 6 to 9 p.m. on Thursday, June 7. To register, call CFSC at (250) 453-9165 or 1-800-567-9911 (toll-free), or email vision@cfsun.ca.
editorial@accjournal.ca
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