Natural disasters can pose a number of challenges to your business. From employees who can’t make it to the office to suppliers that can’t deliver, roads and rails that get blocked, and ice that drags down power lines, disasters raise a number of hurdles to getting work done.

What can a small business do? The answer is simple: prepare. You need to take steps like the 10 ways to prepare your business for a natural disaster highlighted in the video above.

How to Prepare Your Small Business for a Natural Disaster

Natural disasters come in all shapes and sizes from localized power outages to blizzards that shut entire regions down. No matter the size, the goal is to keep your small business in operation while ensuring the safety of both your employees and customers.

First and foremost, you need to make sure your employees and customers are safe.

Begin by buying safety equipment like fire extinguishers and first aid kits and then training your employees on how to use them.

Also train a group of employees in basic first aid and CPR so they can help injured customers and other employees.

Finally, make sure you have clearly marked evacuation routes and ensure that they are accessible by employees with special needs.

Now that everyone’s safe, you need to make sure your business stays in operation.

Start preparing for a disaster by securing insurance that protects your company. Insurance is an easy way to recover from many of life’s problems, and that goes for your business, too.

Make sure your contact list of employees, customers and suppliers is up to date so you can get in touch with everyone even if you can’t get into the office.

To enable your employees to work, establish a second location where they can gather if the office is inaccessible. Even better, keep your apps and data in the cloud so everyone can continue to communicate and work even if they can’t leave their homes.

Finally, set up some alternate suppliers in case a disaster hinders deliveries on either their end or yours.

Check out the full 21-Point Checklist for Preparing for Natural Disasters.

Photos via Shutterstock

This article, “10 Ways to Prepare Your Business for a Natural Disaster (Video)” was first published on Small Business Trends