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Natural Disasters Can Destroy Your Small Business

by Olufisayo
Natural Disasters Can Destroy Your Small Business

You know that a small hiccup can ruin the schedule of your business. A vital piece of equipment could break down and require a replacement. The plumbing in the only bathroom could fail. The rent costs for the storefront could take an unexpected jump. If these minor emergencies can send your business into a panic, imagine what a natural disaster can do.

Natural Disasters Aren’t Good for Business

Your storefront can’t stand up to a flash flood or a category four hurricane. Customers won’t feel like shopping when the streets are submerged in dirty water and the winds are over 130 miles per hour. You’ll have no choice but to close up shop until the disaster passes and it’s safe for everyone to go outside.

After the state of emergency is over, your business could be devastated. You might have to deal with expensive damages like broken windows, shattered doors, and torn rooves. The merchandise could be unusable, drenched from floodwaters or covered in dirt. Crucial financial records and client information could be lost forever. A full recovery could be near-impossible.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reported that approximately 40% of small businesses hut down after going through a natural disaster. The recovery process was too expensive and too long for them to open their doors again.

Prepare for the Possibility

With enough preparation, you can lower the chances of your business closing after a natural event like a hurricane, flood or earthquake. You can mitigate the permanent damage and set up an effective recovery plan.



If you don’t have enough money to make major preparations, you can get the funding you need for these long-term investments from an alternative resource. After making an online application, you can get access to this financial support within days. That way, you can start enacting the steps to protect your business straightaway. The faster you make these changes, the more confident you can be.

You can do anything from installing back-up power sources to improving the infrastructure to withstand damage. If you’re unsure about what preparations to make, check out the Small Business Association’s checklists and safety tips for these natural disasters:

  • Hurricanes
  • Tornadoes
  • Floods
  • Earthquakes
  • Winter Storms
  • Wildfires

Disasters Are Going to Get Worse

These warnings aren’t exaggerations or attempts at fearmongering. Climate change has dramatically increased the severity and the frequency of natural disasters across the country, making their potential for destruction much harder to ignore.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association recorded that the country has dealt with multiple billion-dollar natural disasters in the last year alone. These have devastated communities, harmed economies and drastically impacted citizens’ lives. And the year isn’t over just yet.

Hoping that the number of natural disasters will go away on its own is not a great plan. If you want to help your business survive an obstacle like a sudden earthquake or a massive rainstorm, you need to get prepared. When you take the initiative to set up your storefront and input back-up plans, you can raise your chances of getting your workplace through a catastrophe relatively unscathed.



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