There are many small businesses out there that choose to protect themselves with the best IT security and firewalls possible, but if there is one area most businesses forget to protect, it’s their physical premises. Sure, the gates outside and the key fob scanners are in place to protect the building from people coming in and out without permission, but there is more to it than that.

Did you know that your business is at risk of the biggest threat of all – Mother Nature?

Storms, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes – you name it, it’s a risk to your business.

It’s even more of a risk if you live in areas that are prone to extreme weather.

It’s in your best interest to ensure that you are ready for what Mother Nature can hit you with. With forward thinking, you can better plan for anything that could affect your business. You could plan to have the number for the best commercial roofer on standby to ensure that you can get things fixed in a timely manner. With careful planning and communication, you can ensure that everyone in your business knows what to do when the storm comes.

Plan for your emergencies.

• Would you know what to do if a natural disaster struck your business?
• What would happen as a result of it in the following days?
• Would you know what your employees should do if the roof is ripped off?

These things really need to be considered because if a disaster does strike, you have to know how to cover your business and your staff.

Safety is important, and planning allows you to acknowledge this and know what’s coming next?

Always backup your data.

It’s nice to invest in technology and it can help your business to come on in leaps and bounds. It can also help you to back your data up automatically and regularly enough that you feel secure that your information and data are constantly secure.

If you’re not automatically backing up all your documents, data and more into storage, you’re going to run the risk of losing it all in a natural event.

Being in the cloud allows you to access your files from home – as well as your employees – and this will help with the continuity of your business as you recover.

Get insured.

If you are in an area where you are likely to deal with frequent storms, it’s not a bad idea to get insured for natural disasters – which is something you can do! Natural disasters can impact your small business but with additional coverage you can at least have some of your physical assets secured.

Keep talking to your staff.

It’s scary to be in the fall out of a natural disaster but as an employer it’s up to you to keep the lines of communication open with your staff. Take a moment to ensure that you are looking after your people and continue talking and liaising with them throughout your business recovery.