4 Ways to Prepare Your Business for Hurricane Season

We talk a lot about preparing your home and family for hurricane season, but what about your business?

Living in Louisiana means that hurricane prep is just a way of life. We often give tips about preparing your home and family for possible evacuation but what about your office building, your business and staff? In this blog we wanted to give some quick ideas on ways to stay prepared for a big storm.

1. Protect your office building

If you own your own building you're probably already used to concerning yourself with maintenance, security, insurance, etc. but if you haven't owned your business during a very active storm season, it may not be top of mind when prepping. 

• Install storm shutters or board up windows with plywood

• Reinforce doors and garage doors

• Ensure roof integrity

• Clear gutters and drains

• Cut back any tree branches near roofline 

• Secure any outdoor equipment or furniture 

• If trees are older, they may need to be removed entirely before storm season  

2. Develop a Business Continuity Plan

During a state of emergency it's nearly impossible to keep business functioning as usual but some businesses simply have to continue running even its done remotely. The best way to stay afloat and get back to work after a few days of interruption is to have a plan in place. 

• Identify critical business functions and operations that must continue regardless of closures

• Create a game plan for how those critical functions can continue with a skeleton crew or key individuals remotely 

• Identify key individuals responsible for continuing operations and assign critical functions 

• Establish remote work protocols to allow employees to work from home if necessary 

 3. Practice firm cybersecurity

Safeguard your data by using strong cybersecurity measures to protect digital assets

• Regularly back up all critical data and store it offsite or in the cloud

• Educate employees about phishing scams and other cyber threats that may increase during a disaster
• Test your backup systems to ensure data can be restored quickly

4. Business/Commercial Insurance

You knew we couldn't conclude without mentioning it; commercial insurance. It's important to make sure your business is covered from every angle. The exterior or property is only one facet, let's look at the full picture...

• Property Insurance: Review your current policy to understand what is covered. Ensure coverage includes wind, water, and flood damage

• Consider adding or updating business interruption insurance to cover lost income and operating expenses during downtime

• Maintain an updated inventory of business assets and property-- take pictures and keep records in a secure location

No one wants to talk about hurricane season. As a small business we understand how seriously a hurricane can impact your day-to-day operations or cost you. That's why we keep a very close eye on the weather during storm season and try our best to give as many tips beforehand to keep you protected. 

As always, we are here for YOU. If you have any questions at all about commercial insurance or prepping your business for a hurricane just give us a call!

Call us today or visit our website for a customized quote.  

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