How to prepare your small business for winter

However, for small business, just talking about severe weather isn’t enough. They also need to prepare for the worst, in order to reduce the potential impact of a flood, storm or heavy snow on their business. A lack of personnel and resources may mean that small businesses can take longer to recover from damage caused by severe weather compared to a large employer. In worst-case scenarios, this could result in a major loss or even business failure – with potentially life-changing consequences for owners and employees. Local communities are also likely to be affected due to reduced access to products or services.

Emergency plan

With small businesses making up 99.9% of businesses in the UK and employing 16.3 million people, severe weather represents a significant risk. Yet 43% of small businesses currently don’t have a business continuity, disaster recovery or crisis management plan in place. This means that when bad weather hits, it could have particularly devastating consequences. So what can small business owners do to limit the effects of severe weather on their business?

To help small businesses who may simply not know where to start, Business in the Community has created a quick guide and a checklist for small businesses to create their own bespoke emergency plans. Organisations can follow the eight practical steps to be ready for disruptive events, such as flood, cyber-attack or civil unrest.

Would you be ready? 

With winter fast approaching, now is the time for small businesses to ensure they are ready for extreme weather conditions. By taking 10 minutes to assess the risks and reduce the impact these events could have, they can safeguard their assets and – if the worst happens – get back to business, back to profit and back to growth sooner.