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“While every storm season brings a level of uncertainty, preparation is one thing small businesses can control,” said Greg Britton, state director of the Florida SBDC Network. “Regardless of the forecast, taking proactive measures today can significantly influence how well a business weathers a storm.”
To help businesses prepare, the Florida SBDC Network will host two webinars focused on disaster preparedness:
Disaster Preparedness for Florida Small Businesses
· When: June 4 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
· Presented by: The Florida SBDC Network, in partnership with the U.S. SBA and FloridaCommerce.
· Overview: This webinar will focus on practical steps businesses can take to protect their operations before disaster strikes.
· Cost: Free
· Registration
Government Contracting in Disasters: What Florida Businesses Need to Know
· When: June 11 from 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. EST
· Presented by: Florida SBDC Network in partnership with Florida APEX Accelerator, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Florida Department of Management Services - Office of Supplier Development, and the City of Niceville
· Overview: This webinar will provide insights into securing government contracts following a disaster.
· Cost: Free
· Registration
Tips & assistance
In addition to these webinars, the network offers the following tips and resources for small businesses:
· Not only is it important to protect staff, their building, data, and inventory, it is also critical to prepare a plan to continue operations following the disaster.
· A good plan may include provisions to relocate to a pre-identified site, retrieve data, including employee, customer and vendor records; and a way to operate efficiently with a smaller staff of key individuals.
· The Florida SBDC strongly encourages businesses to back up data and ensure they have access to important files, such as tax records, legal, and financial documents.
As a principal responder in the state’s Emergency Support Function (ESF) 18 for Business & Industry, the Florida SBDC Network helps small businesses prepare for and recover from disasters.
Through the network’s service offering, professionally certified business consultants can help small business owners develop comprehensive business continuity, emergency preparedness, and disaster recovery plans at no cost. Florida SBDCs also offer training on disaster preparedness, templates, tips, and resources.
In the event of a disaster, Florida SBDC disaster specialists help affected businesses prepare disaster loan applications. The network will also deploy its mobile assistance centers into communities for affected businesses to receive on-site assistance with disaster loans and other post-disaster challenges.
Preparedness resources
· For preparedness resources from the Florida SBDC Network, please visit https://floridasbdc.org/services/consulting/preparedness/.
· www.FloridaDisaster.org – The state’s official source of information for individuals and businesses from the Florida Division of Emergency Management.
· https://floridajobs.org/floridadisaster.biz - FloridaCommerce’s website to provide businesses access to critical information before, during, and after a disaster.
· For a hurricane preparedness checklist and other resources from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), please click here.
For more information about the Florida SBDC Network and to find an SBDC near you, please visit www.FloridaSBDC.org.
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