Understanding the trends, laws and competitors in your particular business creates a storm of information and decisions for your small business. Strong winds and hail storms can also cause significant turmoil for a small business. Costly repairs and a lengthy business disruption can bury you and kill your momentum.
Ensuring you have adequate small business insurance in place is an important step to help your business recover in the aftermath of a storm. But it’s also essential that you take steps to protect your Rancho Santa Margarita property before a severe weather event. When your living the dream and working for yourself, we at Flood Pro recommend you take on the following responsibilities:
It’s the most important barrier between you and Mother Nature. Don’t forget it simply because you can’t see it from the parking lot; be proactive. Examine for damage after storms; replace any worn materials and weak areas to ensure future leaks. (Tip – Hire a local kid with a drone if you don’t want to climb up there.)
Check flashing, clear gutters, and remove branches that can rub against the structure. Roofing materials react differently to impacts from hail: aluminum, asphalt, clay tiles, cedar shakes, slate. Be aware of the average lifespan for your style of roof and plan the replacement before an emergency.
Impact-resistant glass has been specially treated to help prevent shattering and to provide an extra barrier to safeguard your building from severe weather. While it’s still possible for it to break, it’s less likely to shatter completely, offering better protection from flying glass and debris during a hurricane or hailstorm.
If any of your equipment or inventory is below ground level, you must have additional protection from a sump pump. For a small business, the magazine Business Insider suggests cast iron and stainless steel give it durability. Look for float-guard switches oil-filled motors for thermal protection to prevent overheating.
A standby commercial generator keeps your power on and your business open during an outage. It’s installed outside your business (like an AC unit) and comes on automatically, within seconds of a power outage, whether you’re open or closed. Plus, commercial generators run on propane or natural gas, so there’s no refueling.
In the event of a storm, safety is of the utmost concern. Stay away from windows, and take shelter in the safest part of your property. If your building doesn’t have a designated storm shelter, have employees take shelter in an area devoid of windows, such as a lavatory or break room.
Prepare an emergency plan ahead of time and communicate it with employees, so they’ll know what to expect. Practice an emergency drill if possible, so that everyone will be prepared if weather conditions are threatening your safety. Have a communication plan that can function with a loss of power or cell service.
Wind and hail insurance claims are covered through commercial property insurance, which can help you pay to repair or replace damaged property, including equipment, supplies, and structures. A business owner’s policy (BOP) bundles commercial property with general liability insurance at an affordable price, and can also potentially pay for business property damage in the event of a storm.
Whether your damage is from a busted pipe, severe weather, or a leaking garbage disposal, Flood Pro is the trusted water damage restoration team when disaster strikes. If you’re experiencing any type of water damage on your property, call for a home inspection.
Flood Pro technicians are trained and certified by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC). They will quickly assess the situation to determine the fastest way of drying your property.
