Preparedness Planning for Your Business

Businesses and their staff face a variety of hazards:

• Natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, and earthquakes.
• Health hazards such as widespread and serious illnesses like the flu.
• Human-caused hazards including accidents and acts of violence.
• Technology-related hazards like power outages and equipment failure.

There is much that a business leader can do to prepare his or her organization for the most likely hazards. The Ready Business program helps business leaders make a preparedness plan to get ready for these hazards.

Ready Business Toolkits

The Ready Business Toolkit series includes hazard-specific versions for earthquake, hurricane, inland flooding, power outage, and severe wind/tornado. Toolkits offer business leaders a step-by-step guide to build preparedness within an organization. Each toolkit contains the following sections:

• Identify Your Risk
• Develop A Plan
• Take Action
• Be Recognized and Inspire Others

Power Outage Toolkit

While a Power Outage may not seem as dangerous as a tornado or earthquake, they can still cause damage to homes, businesses and communities. Power Outages cost the U.S. economy $20 billion and $55 billion annually and continue to increase each year (CRS, 2012).

• Power Outage Ready Business Toolkit
• Spanish Ready Business Power Outages Toolkit

Severe Wind/Tornado Toolkit

It is not just in Tornado Alley. Most of the United States is at some risk for severe wind and tornadoes.

• Severe Wind Tornado Ready Business Toolkit
• Spanish Ready Business Severe Wind Tornado Toolkit

Additional Resources

• WEM Business Emergency Operations Center
• Disaster Ready Chippewa Valley
• Ready Business
• Prepare My Business for an Emergency (Department of Homeland Security)
• Emergency Preparedness for Small Business (NIOSH)