Hurricane Season is Here: How Prepared is Your Business?

From flood waters, property damage, power loss and spoiled food, coping with the aftermath of a powerful storm could be very troublesome for restaurant owners.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) estimates that about 40% of small businesses will unfortunately never reopen after a disaster. Therefore, during the Atlantic Hurricane season, which officially runs from June through November, hospitality owners and managers must take a multi-pronged approach to safety. First, crisis communications, management and business continuity planning and then back up efforts with the proper insurance coverage.

While restaurants, hotels and other businesses in the hospitality industry have no control over the weather, taking the proper steps before a hurricane can lessen the impact.

Generally speaking, the three main goals of any disaster management plan are to manage the business during the crisis, resume normal operations as quickly as possible, and recover losses when it is over. By taking these goals into account when surveying the most critical areas of the business, companies can determine what steps they need to take to be fully prepared for hurricane season and beyond.

Having a crisis communications, management and business continuity plan in place will help ensure employee stability in the workplace. Pre-determined employee notification channels will be critical to disseminating information should the need arise. Business owners and managers should have employee contact information at their fingertips, while also establishing a toll-free hotline number or social media site that can facilitate communication during a storm.

Similarly, understanding individual risk is key to necessary business continuity planning. Try isolating the business risk first. Is it wind, power outage or hurricane damage? Will your business be down for a week, a day or a month? Review your business assets and make sure the operations that are most critical have built-in redundancy or are covered by insurance.