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Did you know that 43% of businesses that experience a disaster and have no emergency plan never reopen? Kissimmee Utility Authority reminds you to have a plan to protect your workers and work flow before disaster strikes. Here are 10 things to get you started:

  1. Create an evacuation plan and post it on each level of your building.
  2. Speak with your employees to learn who may have special needs or circumstances in the event of a hurricane. If so, make arrangements in case a storm keeps them away longer than others.
  3. Determine with your employees how much time they may need away from the office so they can prepare early.
  4. Decide ahead of time if or when your business will close early because of a storm. Communicate this to your employees so they can plan their own preparations accordingly.
  5. Photograph all of your office equipment and keep a current inventory of all office machines and supplies.
  6. Store copies of valuable paperwork, files and data in a safe location, preferably outside the risk area.
  7. Consider adding insurance coverage to help you recover from productivity lost as the result of a hurricane.
  8. Cross-train employees in case a staff member has to be out for an extended period of time due to an evacuation or storm damage.
  9. Think about whether you might try relocating your operation or ask employees to work from home if storm damage prevents you from returning to your normal location.
  10. Keep a record of companies that provide a disaster recovery services such as cleanup.