When a small business experiences catastrophic damage or loss due to a natural disaster such as fire, flooding, extreme weather or other causes, the first question is often, "When will we be able to get our business back up and running again?" Unfortunately, statistics show that 40 to 60 percent of small businesses never reopen after being affected by a natural disaster. Help boost the odds that your business will be able to reopen and thrive after the unexpected should occur by taking precautions to ensure your company can recover from significant damage or loss. This includes having proper insurance coverage, a pre-loss agreement, and a business continuity plan before a disaster happens. 
REVIEW YOUR INSURANCE COVERAGE. Ensuring you have adequate small business insurance in case of a natural disaster is crucial. Review your insurance policy to know your deductibles and the types of disasters you're covered for. Double-checking your insurance plan should be the first step in preparing for the worst.
Learn which natural disasters are most likely to impact your area. If your basic plan doesn't include coverage for floods, fires, tropical storms, or other types of disasters common in your area, you will need to purchase additional insurance.
Review the dollar amounts to ensure they are current and will be enough to get your business up and running again should you lose everything and need to rebuild.
Update your plan immediately if you require higher coverage or additional plans. It's much better to be prepared than at a loss after the disaster.
HAVE A PRE-LOSS RESTORATION AND BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLAN. Loss or damage to your small business due to a natural disaster can occur without warning and disrupt your operations or shut down your business altogether. Therefore, it's essential to be prepared with a pre-loss business disaster restoration plan. Having these plans in place before a disaster will limit your losses and the severity of disruption to your operations.
Planning will help your company get up and running as soon as possible and give your staff peace of mind, knowing in advance what protocols are already in place if a disaster happens.
ServiceMaster Recovery Management provides pre-loss planning services to help you be prepared for the unexpected and able to resume operations faster following loss or damage to your business due to natural disasters. With 65 years of experience in commercial restoration, we are specialists in pre-loss business disaster and business continuity planning.
Our work includes all aspects of disaster restoration services, including:
Water damage restoration and mitigation
Flood damage restoration
Fire damage restoration (including smoke damage)
Building drying and dehumidification
Building sanitization
Document drying and recovery
Inventory and disposal
Malicious damage restoration
Restoration project management and consultation services.
Should a natural disaster affect your business, our team of experts is here to help you— from pre-loss planning to crisis resolution. A disaster can leave you reeling if you're unprepared – start protecting your tomorrow today. Learn more about our pre-loss agreements.