Disaster Recovery

It has been documented and the statistics are scary, that any business sustaining an interrupting event or "disaster" has got the deck stacked against them for survival moving forward. It is something that none of us really want to think about but, how many of us share a building with another business or with tenants that we are counting on being "smart" or careful all of the time. Something as simple as an unattended candle or a mechanical failure such as a toilet line leak could incapacitate your business and put you in jeopardy if you are not prepared.

Who will be the first person you call in such an instance? Your Insurance Agent, more than likely. What is their phone number? What if this happens during "non-business" hours? How will your event be handled and by whom? Who is your representative there? Are you covered? Furthermore, how will you run your business? What backup plan do you have should your facility be partially or totally affected and deemed inoperable? Who can you count on to get you back up and running either partially or entirely? It would be ideal to have a business partner that can understand what is important to you PRIOR to the event.

Servpro of Hampshire County and Shrewsbury/Grafton understands that being incapacitated for any amount of time can affect your money making ability and can work with you to get you back up and running as quickly as possible. Whether it's providing a temporary facility and moving you to it or getting an area of the existing space safe, secured and operable, Servpro can get the job done. We have provided emergency services to many large businesses over our 15 years of business in Western Massachusetts, paying special attention to working with decision makers to make it "Like it never even happened" as quickly as possible. From area schools, day cares and medical facilities to, just recently, a large national retail store. Fires, broken pipes, backed up sewer drains and blocked grease traps are among the causes of disaster for some of our larger losses.

Please take a moment to think these questions over. How prepared are you should something of this nature happen to you? Are you going to search the phone book or sign up with someone waiting at the curb to "sell" you their service and make promises. How much do THEY know about your business?

Contact me at kevin@servprohcsg.com or at our office for a complimentary consultation and discussion on Disaster Recovery. We can become familiar with you and your facility and business as well as provide you with a "Playbook" for a quick recovery. With Winter coming soon, there are more mechanical and natural opportunities that can cause a disaster to occur in your life. Take time NOW to plan for something that you will hopefully never have to deal with. The time invested now could save your business in the future.

Fire Safety Month - Are You Prepared?

As stated in a previous post, disasters can range in size and in importance. A spilled glass of wine on a carpet on the day you are hosting a dinner party will be a "disaster". Is it as large as the house getting flooded or having a fire? Probably not, but to you AT THAT MOMENT, it may very well be. How will you handle that? How will you respond? Who can fix that for you in a timely manner?

It is important to have a plan of action in the event of a "disaster". What is your plan of action to recover as quickly as possible and have that "dinner party" go off without a hitch or "like it never even happened"?

For more information on Disasters and Recovery Profiles, email me at kevin@servprohcsg.com or call our office at (800) 947-0975 to schedule a consultation.

I will post more information as time goes on here as well, so stay tuned.

One final note: Can you exit your house from your bedroom with you eyes closed while holding your breath? Have a predetermined exit strategy for evacuating your house during a fire. Quickest way out with a meeting place for you and your family members. In a fire you will not be able to see or breathe. A little scary food for thought. Practice makes perfect.