Published on 01/12/2017 by Any Business.Com.Au

Keeping your business safe and operating during an emergency

In light of the deluge of rain which is currently hitting Melbourne and will continue over the weekend in the city and surrounding areas, we thought we'd take a look at what you can do to get your business through this type of emergency should it be affected.

In an emergency, the most important thing to do is ensure the safety of yourself and your employees, then protect your business and assets as much as possible.

See below for information to help guide you in an emergency situation.

Prepare for emergencies

Ensure you and your staff are aware of all emergency warning systems in your local area. Depending on the emergency, you may have time to switch off electricity, gas and water, board up windows, or sandbag entryways to minimise further damage to your property.

Be guided by local emergency services authorities as they can advise you of the best way to protect your property. In some cases there is no time to prepare, and you'll simply need to follow your emergency procedures as quickly and calmly as possible.

Follow your emergency procedures

Follow your emergency procedures, take your emergency kit and ensure everyone is accounted for and evacuated to a safe location outside the building or to a designated evacuation centre. Once everyone is evacuated ensure they follow the instructions of police, fire, ambulance, and emergency services personnel.

Communicate

Once you have contacted all relevant emergency services (SES, police, fire, ambulance), check in with the people on your emergency contacts list. These could be family, friends, staff, or anyone else who may need to know your whereabouts and the current situation.

Keep up to date

Keep up to date on what's happening in your area, including local weather warnings. Check the Bureau of Meteorology, the local radio or television broadcasts. Social media is also becoming a common method for accessing official information during large-scale emergency situations.

Carry on, pause or exit during recovery

During the recovery effort it will be necessary to continue operations as much as possible.

Organise your employees to relocate to your temporary office accommodation; this can be a temporary business centre, hotel, someone's home or an office provided by a service provider.

If your business is damaged but your stock is unaffected, consider alternative shopfronts. For example, use your existing website to trade online, or consider setting up an online shopfront through an existing online auction or global marketplace website.

Once you have updated your finances and recorded what it will cost to repair or rebuild the damage, decide what it will take to recover your business.

If you're not sure you'll recover and you have spoken to a business advisor about your options, you may decide its time to take a break from the business while you rebuild.

In some circumstances, the only available option may be to exit your business.

While you focus on recovery, make sure you don't neglect the day to day running of your business, including daily cash and stock management and accounts. If you're severely affected, consider a virtual office service to help maintain a professional image to your customers.

AnyBusiness.com.au

Curtis is a leading expert in the business-for-sale industry, serving as a senior content creator at anybusiness.com.au.

With a career spanning over fifteen years, Curtis has accumulated extensive knowledge in the domain of business sales, acquisitions, and valuations. His deep understanding of market dynamics and his ability to translate complex industry jargon into accessible insights make him a trusted resource for entrepreneurs and business owners looking to buy or sell businesses.

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