SBCN Disaster Relief - Dorian

Dear Business Owners and Small Business Center Network Client,

A Prepared Business is a Resilient Business. The SBCN is here to help you prepare and help you recover when disaster strikes.
September is National Preparedness Month and is recognized each year to promote the importance of emergency planning.  The Atlantic Hurricane Season has already delivered devastating impacts to North Carolina through Hurricane Dorian, and we continue to monitor perilous storm activity so we can quickly engage to provide support to businesses.  Now is the time to plan and prepare to ensure your safety and the safety of your family and your employees. As business owners, you can act now to ensure you have the best protections in place to survive the impacts of a storm and to get your business operational after a storm as quickly as possible. 
The Small Business Center Network is here to assist you, both in the planning and preparation phase and during the recovery phase.  We work in partnership with a number of Federal, State and Local organizations to provide the information and strategies to help your business move forward. Our experienced business counselors can assist North Carolina’s business owners and farmers with:

  • General business counseling and assessment of the financial impact on your business
  • Reconstructing financial information
  • Applying for SBA loans and other capital resources
  • Accessing resources to support employees
  • Creating a plan for recovery and a more resilient business as you move forward

Pre-Disaster Steps:

  • Download a copy FEMA’s Ready Business Toolkit. This is a great starting point to help you identify risks in your business and plan accordingly.
  • Be prepared at home with an Emergency Kit.
  • Develop a communications plan for you and your employees. Make an updated list of all your employees’ contact numbers and email addresses. This critical step will help ensure your team is safe, informed and looped in during the process of recovery.
  • If you lease your business space, check with the lease owner to learn what protections and insurance coverages are in place for your business.
  • Locate insurance policy information and make sure you have the policy numbers, phone numbers and contact information for your insurance agent and the claims department.
  • Backup important records in the cloud.  Move important business records, personal memorabilia and anything that cannot be replaced to an offsite location. 
  • Use your cell phone to save key contacts or make a binder or file with the resources you will need to restore your business and get open quickly.

Post-Disaster Steps:

  • Ensure the Safety of Your Family and Employees. Communicate and keep everyone informed of where you are in the recovery process.
  • Contact your insurance company to file claims. Check with your lease owner to ensure they have contacted their insurance company.  Document the damage with photos and back up to the cloud.
  • Visit our website to learn which specific counties FEMA and SBA declare as federal disaster areas.
  • Contact us at www.ncsbc.net to get more information, locate your nearest SBC office and complete a Request for Counseling.

We wish you all the best in your preparation and we are here to help during the recovery process.  Stay Safe!

Sincerely,

Anne Shaw
State Director, Small Business Center Network

Updated 9/17/2019 9:07:16 PM | B Johnson