Do you have a disaster plan for your business?

CHICAGO — Reacting to a natural disaster or emergency not only means ensuring the immediate safety of employees, but also planning how the business will continue to function in the aftermath.

According to the Better Business Bureau, businesses that have a continuity plan in place — and use it during and after disaster strikes — typically experience less damage, loss and downtime than businesses without a plan.  

After you’ve made plans to ensure the safety of your employees, the BBB offers the following advice to help keep your business operating and meeting your customers’ needs:

Don’t be caught off guard. Consider the different types of disasters, fire, flood, tornado, etc., that can occur and how your business would respond differently to being displaced for a week, a month or longer.

Know your surroundings. Determine alternate locations for your business to operate if you are displaced from your current building. This could mean enabling employees to work from home.

Prepare your staff. Identify essential staff who are core to the operations of the business and keep a list of their contact numbers (home, work, cell) and email addresses that can be accessed by employees from several locations (home, Internet, etc.).

Communicate, communicate, communicate. Devise an emergency communications plan that outlines how your business will be in contact with employees, customers, vendors and other key external contacts in the days following a disaster. Contact vendors and suppliers to confirm their emergency response plan procedures. Be prepared to use alternate vendors for essential supplies and equipment. Have your back-up equipment kept in good working condition.

Have an up-to-date inventory of your assets. Review your insurance policies to ensure you have adequate coverage for items you cannot afford to lose. A standard policy may not cover business interruption losses.

Store your documents safely and efficiently. Keep duplicates of personnel, payroll, payables and receivables and other essential records at an off-site location. Regularly make back-up copies of important computer files.

Establish a succession of management for the company. Determine who will manage the company if key leaders are unavailable.

For more business tips, visit www.bbb.org.