Hurricane Season is Here!

June 1st marked the beginning of the 2011 Hurricane Season.  Are you prepared?

When most people hear the phrase “preparing for hurricane season,” they think about protecting their property and stocking up on bottled water, batteries, and canned goods.  Small business owners certainly need to consider these things, but they also need to be concerned about business continuity planning -- protecting their businesses by making sure that records and processes can survive a storm. 

The University of Houston Hurricane Business Recovery Center (HBRC), a specialty program of the UH Small Business Development Center Network, has created the HBRC Business Survival Kit to assist small business owners as they prepare for hurricane season, or any other business interruption. The kit is a series of forms that makes consolidation of essential information easy, and offers suggestions about protecting records. 

“In the aftermath of 2008’s Hurricane Ike, we learned that the business owners who had created a continuity plan before the storm were able to recover much faster than those who did not,” said James B. Evans, HBRC director.  “Unfortunately, many small business owners without a plan were unable to recover or restart their operations.  Completing the forms in our survival kit and being ready to use them when necessary will put many small business owners in a more secure and disaster-ready position.” 

Hurricane season is an immediate potential threat for businesses in the Houston area, but there are other disasters that could be waiting to interrupt or destroy your ability to operate your business as well.

Electrical Power Issues - momentary surges, short or long term outages
Floods or Rising Water – can be caused by plumbing problems or by swollen waterways, rain or storm surges
Fire - can result from lightning or from acts of negligence or arson
Fraud/Theft - criminal in nature, but still must be accounted for in your continuity planning
Cyber Threats - Challenges of this nature have become more dangerous as businesses have become more web-based.
Commercial Liability – Protection comes from safety training, insurance (self-insured or through a carrier) and loss mitigation.
Terrorism - dirty bombs, biological warfare, explosives, conventional and unconventional weapons
Loss of Key Employees (including owner/operator) - How will your business continue if key personnel are lost in both short and long term situations?
 
To be sure you are prepared for any eventuality, download the HBRC Business Survival Kit from www.hbrc.uh.edu. You can also take your preparedness to the next level by consulting with one of the experts at HBRC.  For help completing the forms or to schedule a face-to-face appointment with an HBRC consultant, call 1-877-660-7826 or visit www.hbrc.uh.edu.