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Small Business Disaster Recovery and Continuity Plan

Physical damage on a business premise as a result of either manmade or natural disasters could mean temporary interference to the business operations or an end to the business. Either of the outcomes directly depends on how well a business plans for potential disasters. The creation of procedures that are aimed at reducing the effects of disasters and promoting continuity of the business depends on preparation and efficient communication both before, during, and after the event of the disaster. The furniture refurbished set-up, like most businesses, has high chances of experiencing disasters both natural and manmade. Formulating a comprehensive business disaster recovery and continuity plan will ensure that the retail shop remains operational after any disaster.

Business’s Legal Obligations and Resources Available for Disaster Preparedness

The furniture refurbished retail shop is located in Wisconsin and, therefore, it has to follow the obligations set by the state regarding disaster preparedness. The state of Wisconsin requires all business owners to provide a workplace that is safe both to the employees and the public. The state asserts that each employer must adopt processes and policies that adequately addresses safeness of the workplace (Wallace & Webber, 2017). Specifically, courts in Wisconsin require employers to train employees on issues of safety including how to respond to emergency situations such as disasters. 

The business has many resources that it can use to protect itself. For instance, it can make use of FEMA’s mitigation and insurance programs to stay operational. The FEMA mitigation programs provide effective tools that each business, including the furniture shop can use to make the workplace safer for the employees. The business can make sue of the national flood insurance program to ensure business continuity in case of a disaster. Approximately forty percent of small businesses fail to continue operating after a flood disaster (Wallace & Webber, 2017). Having a flood insurance protects the business from financial losses against floods.

Business Continuity Operations Plan

Disasters usually strike Wisconsin state every passing year, at times without warning. The natural disasters normally cause injuries to the state’s citizens and destruction of businesses, farms, and homes. The furniture retail shop can face many potential hazards that may either shut down the entire business or lead to reduced competitiveness. It is thus the obligation of a business set up like the furniture shop to plan in advance on how to reduce the effect of disaster. The business can face natural disasters like tornadoes, floods, and hurricanes (Tippett et al., 2015). It can also face manmade hazards such as fire accidents and violent acts. Lastly, the business can also face power outages thus compromising the normal flow of work.

There are many disaster legislation materials that govern the operations of retail shop operations. One of the legislations is the Presidential Policy Directive which outlines the operational guidelines in case of a major natural disaster or security threat to the nation. The policy not only stimulates the actions of the federal government, but also strengthens the position of businesses since it ensures a comprehensive protection of all firms (Tippett et al., 2015). The other legislation is the natural disaster recovery framework (NDRF) that provides support to the affected communities. The guideline provides a flexible action plan that can be implemented by the business to ensure effective collaboration during a disaster situation (Tippett et al., 2015). Lastly, the business can benefit from the Sandy Recovery Improvement Act that outlines how the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) can assist communities and businesses during a crisis.

The business is also protected by the Wisconsin State Statute of emergency management. The statute directs that the state will assists the local governments in responding to disasters such as floods. The state government is also responsible for alerting the public and businesses of the danger of any threat, both manmade and natural (Plan, 2017). The state government is obligated to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the public is protected against any disaster and such protections extend to businesses within Wisconsin.

The furniture retail shop’s manager is responsible for executing emergency plans in case of any disaster that the retail shop faces. As the manager, I will ensure that each and every employee in the premise understands and follows the guidelines outlined by the premise regarding safety. All new employees will be notified of the disaster plan and informed on the location of the documentation by the assistant manager. When an emergency strikes, such as accidental fires, the employee closest to the switch of the alarm will switch it on to alert all the other employees of the threat. The workers will evacuate to the general assembly location using designated routes with enhanced safety standards (Plan, 2017). I will then carry out a complete evacuation drill to ensure that all employees are accounted for. During the evacuation process, there will no permitted entry into the premise until the situation is addressed.

During the disaster emergency, the employees are required to exit the compromised area instantly, by using emergency routes and an alternative route will be designated by the technical operator. The emergency designated areas and routes will be assessed and approved by the technical operator to ensure that they adequately provide safe environments to the employees. Since the business has two disabled employees, the assistant oversight manager will ensure that they are assisted during the emergency situation.

How Business Will Return to Normal Functions

As the shop’s manager, I will determine the critical operations that need to be shut down during the evacuation and the person required to ensure that all operations are stopped. Accordingly, all the shop’s operations should be shut down to avoid cases of casualties in avoidable circumstances (Wallace & Webber, 2017). After ensuring that each person is accounted for using the head count procedure, I will call 911 to report any medical emergency that may be required by certain employees. At the same time, the manager’s assistant will notify the relevant department dealing with the emergency situation to react and reduce the impact that it may have o the business and surrounding communities. For instance, in case of fire, the assistant manager will contact fire department of the Wisconsin state to request for their assistance.

The business outlines its post-event response indicating the steps that will be used to restart the operations. Employees will be assigned specific tasks including meeting the owner of the business building, contacting vendors, suppliers, and customers, assisting employees with problems, and repairing the premise and other damaged furniture (Wallace & Webber, 2017). In certain cases, the business may be extensively damaged thus prompting temporary closure as financial assistance is still sort out. In case of such a scenario, I will communicate with the employees informing them of the situation at hand. If possible, I will assure the return to normal operations within the shortest possible period to avoid losing experienced employees to the business competitors. In case the business resumes operations immediately, I will inform the employees must be informed of any change in the operational processes and the way forward in case of any future disaster.

Federal, State, and Local Resources Available for Business Continuity

The FEMA provides mitigation insurance assistance in creation of disaster resilient businesses thus reducing loss of property and life. The FEMA building science branch can help the business to conduct a compressive post-disaster assessment and engineering interventions that will help to shield the premise from future damages. The business also has access to many state insurance policies in case of a disaster. Package policy in Wisconsin allows a business owner to combine more than one insurance types into single comprehensive policy known as a bundle. The business outlet combines the general liability insurance and commercial property insurance to protect its business (Plan, 2017). The general liability protects the business from financial burden that accrue from disasters and accidents thus affecting the premise’s operations. The general liability insurance can sometimes be a standalone package or combined with other policies. The commercial property insurance covers the premise, and protects it from financial burden in case of any manmade or natural disaster. The insurance coverage protects the business against hurricanes, vandalism, lighting strikes, floods and other natural disasters (Plan, 2017). The last option is the umbrella insurance that covers losses beyond what can be addressed by the package policy. The insurance provides the business with additional protection and support in case of extensive property damages and losses.