If there’s anything that the last several months have taught us, it’s that having a preparedness plan in place is critically important when it comes to protecting the future of your family and your business.

While no one could have predicted exactly how COVID-19 would impact our country, it is proving out that having a preparedness plan in place will give you a head start on recovery in the face of a future disaster. While your experience of shifting operations for COVID-19 is fresh, create or update a preparedness plan for your business using the strategies below as a starting point. Whether you have a large or small business, keeping some of these tips in mind can make all the difference. 

A Preparedness Plan to Protect Your Future:

Employee protection measures:

  • Identify an internal shelter in the event that authorities tell you to “shelter in place.”
  • Make a list of all necessary protective and safety
    equipment needed, and create a central storage site for these items along with instructions on how to use them
  •  Document each employee’s function and
    emergency contact information.
  •  Create a phone tree and designate individuals
    who will initiate the communication process.
  • Establish a single spokesperson to speak to
    the media and the public in times of crisis.

Customer relations strategies

  • Prepare for a situation where customers will be present and/or impacted if a disaster strikes.
  •  Keep your customer records in the cloud.
  • Have an alternate worksite where you can communicate with customers.
  • Maintain a contact list of all your suppliers, and find out how they plan to continue to provide supplies for you if they also experience a disaster.
  •  Maintain a list of alternate suppliers in order to
    make substitutions if possible.

Operational preparedness

  • Document critical business processes, from answering phones to tracking finances and distributing your product or service.
  •  Design and implement a remote work infrastructure or alternative location in order to continue operations when necessary.
  • Keep all of your essential documents in the cloud so that they can be accessed 24/7 from anywhere.
  • Create and keep current a list of all your business inventory, equipment, and supplies for insurance purposes.

Take the lessons learned from the recent health and economic crisis to better prepare your business for the future.