Disaster Shut Down

4/13/2020 (Permalink)

When you own a business, there’s never a convenient time for a disaster to strike. Fire, flooding, or destruction from a natural disaster can take time to mitigate and should be dealt with immediately before the damage spreads. Once the immediate danger is handled, cleanup and restoration of the damage can begin. In a world where time means money, any amount of downtime can put your business at risk of lost revenue and productivity. Remember, every hour spent cleaning up and repairing damage is an hour of opportunity lost for your business.

If you are a small business and have limited resources, it can be difficult to recover from a disaster, especially when it interrupts your daily operations. However, with the support of the right disaster commercial recovery team and a comprehensive recovery strategy, you can get back to business faster.

Be Prepared Before an Emergency Hits

According to FEMA, almost half of all small businesses affected by a disaster will never re-open their doors. For those that do, 90 percent will fail within a year if they don’t resume their operations within five days of the damage occurring. Why is that? Depending on the type and extent of damage, general operations may have to stop within the affected area. Meanwhile, life as usual goes on for customers and clients who are not directly impacted by the disaster. While some may be willing to wait for the business to reopen its doors, any long-term business disruption can send customers and clients looking elsewhere to get their needs met.

Businesses, large and small have a better chance of recovering from a disaster and successfully returning to business as usual if they have a plan before disaster strikes. Even when a disaster plan does exist, only 80 percent of companies spend time re-evaluating their plan each year. If you do not have one, it’s time to create one, so your business can go on as usual in the event of an emergency.

Creating a Emergency Response Plan (ERP)

If a fire, flood, or natural disaster were to occur, would you know who to contact to save your business? Regardless of the size of your business, having a ERP  for your business will give you a roadmap to recovery if an emergency occurs. This plan will help you save time and limit your property losses by saving as many assets as possible. It includes:

commercial services - commercial space with painters plastic hanging in windows

Compiling a list of emergency contacts, including phone numbers and addresses.

Phone calls

E-mails

What is Involved in Commercial Restoration?

SERVPRO of Central Washington County offers multiple restoration services to our commercial clients, including:

Emergency mitigation services to protect remaining business assets and building from secondary damage

Stabilization of building

Boarding-up your facility

Drying and dehumidifying your building

Recovering documents

Restoring electronics and wiring

Restoring your location to preloss condition

Reconstructing your building

What Should You Do if a Disaster Shuts Down Your Business?

When disaster strikes in the Washington County, Saint Paul and surrounding areas, SERVPRO of Central Washington County is ready to get to work. As a leader in property emergency services, we can help your business overcome the devastating setbacks of property damage caused by fire, water, or other natural disasters. We can assist our commercial clients in planning and project management in helping create a solid business disaster recovery plan.