Small Business Consulting Services - Tampa Bay » Disaster Planning http://www.sbdctampabay.com Helping Small Businesses Start, Grow, & Succeed! Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:33:08 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Records, Contacts, Communication: Are You Ready for Disaster? http://www.sbdctampabay.com/records-contacts-communication-are-you-ready-for-disaster http://www.sbdctampabay.com/records-contacts-communication-are-you-ready-for-disaster#comments Thu, 25 Aug 2011 19:54:44 +0000 hbender http://www.sbdctampabay.com/?p=3673 From earthquakes, to flooding, tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, and other potential disasters, it has been an active season. Being personally prepared for such events seems to be a must for individuals, like those who cause water shortages when hurricanes stand in their path. Physical safety is first thing we think of. However, few people, aside from those that have had the misfortune of experiencing it, think about the post-disaster time period. Humans are more often responsive than preventative. You just can’t afford to make that mistake when it comes to your life. You also cant afford to make that mistake when it comes to the life of your business. So, how do you take your business out of the path of destruction?

The SBA has recently summarized three quick tips, which are even further summarized with three words: Records, Contacts, & Communication.

Records: What will you do with your records, contracts, invoices, customer information, employee information? What would happen to your business if you lost this information? Are there electronic backups? Are these backups safe in various conditions?

Contacts: Is the information current? You will probably want to make sure that you have accurate customer & employee information in a safe location. You may need to contact customers, to check on safety & even on shipments or receivables. Your employees can end up scattered in unstable circumstances, and it is helpful to have accurate databases of this information in order to reach out to them & ensure their safety. Without your human resources, you have no business!

Communication: Communication can become tricky during & even preceding disasters. Phone lines can be down, travel can be limited, deliveries could be halted, internet access can be limited. What is the back up plan for ensuring that, if you have the accurate records & contact information, it can be used? What’s the communication plan? What will be the agreed-upon tool for easily verifying this?

How to Prepare:

Sources like Ready.gov provide Disaster Preparation Kits

You will want to communicate a solid plan to employees & provide resources to help them personally prepare, as well. For instance, Ready.gov also provides a Family Emergency Plan outline & downloads.

Get important local contact information at Ready.gov’s Community & State Information Page, which has detailed information about Florida’s core areas of concern (Extreme Heat, Floods, Hurricanes, Thunderstorms, Tornadoes ). The weather channel has Preparedness Kits & Information for Hurricanes.

You can also get a Florida Emergency Quick Guide here.

City of Tampa
Office of Emergency Management
Tampa Fire Rescue
808 E Zack Street
Tampa, FL 33602
(813) 276-7011
www.tampagov.net/dept_emergency_management

]]> http://www.sbdctampabay.com/records-contacts-communication-are-you-ready-for-disaster/feed 0 What Does the Oil Spill Mean to Small Businesses? http://www.sbdctampabay.com/what-does-the-oil-spill-mean-to-small-businesses http://www.sbdctampabay.com/what-does-the-oil-spill-mean-to-small-businesses#comments Wed, 12 May 2010 13:34:36 +0000 erodriguez http://70.32.108.103/?p=1611 With close to 1,200 miles of shoreline and 663 miles of beaches, Florida?s small businesses can be severely impacted by the oil spill in Louisiana. Tourism is one of Florida?s three key economic engines and a vital part of our economy, with 74 million visitors in 2009, Florida continues to be the top travel destination in the world. The tourism industry has an economic impact of around $50 billion on Florida?s economy. 500,000 jobs are created in the state by beach tourists.

According to a recent study on the economic impact of beaches to Florida?s tourism, beaches serve as economic engines by attracting out-of-state tourists whose spending creates employment and income for local residents. Impacts of these economic development spread beyond the immediate area of the beach because not all beach-going tourists stay in the immediate beachfront communities. Additionally, businesses in the beachfront communities are supplied by businesses in nearby metropolitan areas (Murley , et.al, Tourism in Paradise: The Economic Impact of Florida Beaches).

The SBDC at USF encourages you to take Pinellas County Economic Development’s Disaster Preparedness Survey. The information gathered will assist the state in determining how to better prepare small businesses for natural disasters. Please make every effort to take this important survey.

More information on the Oil Spill can be found on the Pinellas County Website.

]]> http://www.sbdctampabay.com/what-does-the-oil-spill-mean-to-small-businesses/feed 0 Business Disaster Planning http://www.sbdctampabay.com/business-disaster-planning http://www.sbdctampabay.com/business-disaster-planning#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 13:09:23 +0000 Small Business Professor http://70.32.108.103/1885/business-disaster-planning/ Full Story]]> Did you know that historically half of small businesses go out of business when affected by a major disaster? To help local businesses meet this threat, this Business Disaster Planning seminar will focus on procedures to use prior to, during and after a disaster occurs. Not only will valuable information be shared, but participants will be provided with materials to take with them describing the content of the session. Don’t wait until a disaster strikes to prepare!

Training Seminar

Time: 2 hours
Cost: $10

See the Training Calendar for upcoming classes.

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