Follow These Steps to Reopen Your Business after a Hurricane
Believe it or not, good news is on the horizon after a devastating hurricane wreaks havoc upon your business. Over half of businesses experience longevity and even rebound after a hurricane. Your business can be on the cusp of reopening with all the vigor it had prior to the hurricane’s catastrophic force. You will need significant preparedness, largely before the natural disaster, and, of course, after the foray of flooding.
Bear in mind that the best plan of action when your business is located in a hurricane’s wake is to get a head start before the natural disaster strikes. When you own a business, foreseeing all possible risks to your property is vital to survival. Not only is a hurricane’s physical damage extreme, but the toll on financial resources is duly challenging. Remember that prevention is worth double its weight in gold to ensure the protection of your business.
Although the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) reports that 40 percent of small business owners fail to reopen once a natural disaster catapults their business into oblivion, these demoralizing statistics also encouragingly indicate that a substantial 60 percent of businesses reopen despite being in a hurricane’s path.
As a business owner, you can resume operations more quickly if you take precautionary measures:
Taking the right actions after a hurricane gives your business a 60% chance of reopening.
If you live in a natural disaster-prone area, calculate your risks against the likelihood of hazards as a first step in the process. You’ll need to estimate cost and revenue losses and determine alternate strategies for survival while your business recoups. A solid disaster-recovery plan is essential to survival.
After a hurricane, your business will have suffered disastrous losses. Here’s what you can do to get your business back on track:
File an Insurance Claim
Contact your business’ insurance company and file a claim for the damage. The quicker you make the call, the sooner you’ll be able to receive assistance. Professional water damage restoration companies employ technicians who will help you through every step of filing insurance claims—in addition to offering services to restore your flood-damaged property.
Assess Your Losses
Your insurance company can promptly serve you after the hurricane strikes if you record the damage to your business’ physical property. This includes taking detailed notes of the destruction and corroborating them with ample photographs.
Stay Safe During Clean Up
Prior to entering the physical location of your business, determine if it is safe to start the clean-up process. Your brick-and-mortar business will likely have experienced tremendous physical damage from the hurricane, from shattered windows to falling rafters to live electrical wires. Your physical safety is of utmost importance. Be diligent and careful to wear proper safety gear, including construction gloves and closed-toe shoes, while you inspect the damage.
Contact a Professional to Rebuild
Restoration professionals can help remove flood water and rebuild your damaged business.
No business owner rebuilds a business alone. After a hurricane strikes, you’ll need the help of professionals to restore your property. Water damage from the flooding itself requires immediate specialized assistance. Pipes may have been broken, resulting in major plumbing issues. Or, cracks in the foundation will deem your property unsafe. Don’t risk elevating these serious issues by trying to fix them yourself. A water damage restoration company, like EE&G Restoration, provides the most comprehensive solutions to water damage, from the initial evaluation through the final stages of complete restoration.
Water damage restoration technicians are experts in the removal of flood water and associated damages. Using highly advanced techniques, these professionals thoroughly remove all standing water with specialized water extraction equipment. All drywall, carpeting, furniture and woodwork will be completely dried. Often, companies will include an additional step—mold remediation—as a precautionary measure against the growth of mold spores that can contaminate your property, giving you unnecessary headaches days and weeks down the road. If your property requires anywhere from minimal to massive reconstruction services, you’ll find online directories of water damage restoration companies that offer skillful reconstruction services.
A hurricane’s aftermath is likely to have left your property in shambles. It is natural to experience a sense of loss. However, your worries are sure to be short-lived. Your property will be restored with professional assistance from water damage restoration experts. Once your brick-and-mortar business is restored to its original standing, you’ll be only steps away from reopening with greater audacity than ever. Take the appropriate measures and be among the 60 percent of business owners who recoup losses and reopen in the aftermath of a hurricane!
Water damage restoration experts understand that water damage of any level is a critical issue that requires an urgent response. If you’d like additional information about water damage restoration services, technicians from EE&G Restoration are available 24 hours a day to offer an immediate consultation.
About Vince Sandri
Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.
