Dear Editor:
The best time for a small business owner to respond to a disaster is before it happens.A relatively small investment of time and money now may prevent severe damage and disruption of life and business in the future. Small businesses in Missouri are as susceptible to some kind of disaster - flood, hurricane, earthquake, ice storm, wildfires and landslide -- as small businesses in the rest of the country. Man-made disasters - oil spill, terrorist attack, fire - can devastate the surrounding neighborhood and economy as well. Even though an area has never been damaged before, there is no guarantee that it will not happen tomorrow. With proper planning, business owners will increase the likelihood of their business' survival and be able to rebuild, recover and get back to business sooner.
Protecting critical records by making backup copies and storing those records in a secure, offsite location will save time and money. Business owners should meet with their insurance agent to make sure they understand exactly what is covered. And buying business interruption insurance can cover lost profits and necessary expenses while the company is out of operation. The building should be examined to identify the risks based on its geographic area. Common-sense measures and communication with employees, suppliers, customers, the local media and the public will make a big difference.
America's small businesses are the backbone of the nation's economy accounting for more than 99 percent of all employer firms in America and creating between 60 to 80 percent of the net new jobs in the economy. With those staggering statistics, it should be clear that now is the time to create a disaster preparedness plan.
Without a disaster preparedness plan in place, a business owner risks losing everything they've worked hard to accomplish. The resources available at the SBA's Web site www.sba.gov/disaster provide additional disaster preparedness tips and links to other sites with information on protecting homes and businesses.
Sam JonesRegional AdministratorU.S. Small Business Administration, Region VII816-374-6380 |
