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Disaster Recovery for Business10-01-14 | News

Disaster Recovery for Business

The hurricane and tornado seasons are mostly behind us, but blizzards, ice storms, fierce rainstorms brought on by El Ni????(R)????o, the resulting flooding and other potential natural disasters lie ahead. Any of these can bring your business to a standstill and eventual ruin. Here are some considerations to help your business pull through.

Strategize
To assist with developing a business recovery strategy, Lucien Canton, a certified emergency manager, consultant, speaker, lecturer, and author of the book ''Emergency Management: Concepts and Strategies for Effective Programs,'' suggests you start with three basic questions:

What is the impact on your labor pool?

What is the impact on your supply chain?

What is the impact on your customer base?

Canton reminds that quick repairs alone do not equate to business survival if you cannot produce goods and services or there is no one to buy them.

Keeping the Lights On
Even though most of your work might be in the field, maintaining electricity at your base of operations to keep it well lit and heated are essential, especially with the shorter, colder days. Here are Consumer Reports' top picks for generators:

Stationary Models

Kohler 8.5 RES-QS7, $3,200 (small)
Generac 6237, $2,250 (small)
Cummins 13GSBA-6722B, $4,300 (large)
Kohler 14RESAL, $3,700 (large)
Generac 6241, $3,500 (large)

Portable Models

Honda EU7000is, $4,000
Generac RS7000E, $900
Troy-Bilt XP7000 30477, $900
Honda EM6500SXK2, $2,800
Briggs & Stratton 30470, $900

https://consumerreports.org/cro/generators/buying-guide.htm

Ground Rules
Jose Cantu, the owner of Saw House Inc., an outdoor power equipment store, and a board member of the National Hispanic Landscape Alliance, has these tips for being ready to get back to work:

Prepare your equipment so that it is set for the added demands that post-disaster projects can present.
Work hand in hand with your local dealership to make sure they have the extra equipment you might need, and that it's ready.
Even if you have enough equipment, you probably won't have enough employees to cover the workload so try to get jobs done ahead of time for your customers such as removing hanging limbs, dying or dead trees.

Cantu adds this post-disaster advice for the removal of trees that have fallen on houses. Once a tree is brought down, arrange to come back to dispose of it after the situation has settled, and instead move on to the next tree that needs removing.

''Disasters are complex and so are their effects. A good strategy needs to be reassessed periodically.'' - Lucien Canton, CEM