If your business suffers fire and/or water damage, shutting down completely while your facilities, equipment, and furnishings are restored could be devastating for the short term and long term future of your company. You won’t be making sales, so you’ll be losing out on money every day, and you may also permanently lose clients who are forced to take their business elsewhere. So how do you keep your business from shutting down while restoration after fire and water damage is completed? The answer is a combination of steps you can take before and after the damage.
The following actions will help keep your business up and running as your restoration is taken care of:
Prepare for an emergency.
Take steps in advance to prepare your business in case of fire and water damage. This preparation should include backing up your computer records frequently and storing vital information such as your contacts and inventory and accounting records off-site so they won’t be destroyed.
Gather what you can.
If you’re cleared to safely access your building, remove any records and valuables that you can. Pay particular attention to any insurance information you may have stored there, accounting records, cash, and employee records.
Contact your insurance company.
The sooner your claim is documented and filed, the sooner it will be resolved. Money will help your business keep operating, reimburse you for replacing items that were destroyed, and pay for restoration services.
Hire and communicate with your fire and water damage restoration company.
Hire a restoration company that has the experience and expertise necessary to handle the job. Talk with your contact at the company to get an idea of the time frame it will take to complete the work, as well as any interruptions to work flow that the damage and work may cause your business. In addition, learn what areas of your business they’ll need to work in and when so they’ll have clear, uninterrupted access and can finish the job as quickly as possible. Also make sure you learn what equipment and services you can safely keep up and running and which ones should be shut off.
Secure a temporary location if needed.
If you can’t work in your current building, look for a temporary location where you can set up operations. A business you have a pre-existing relationship with may be able to help in exchange for discounted products or services. And if space is an issue, let some of your employees temporarily work from home if possible.
Contact your employees, vendors, and customers.
Keep in close touch with your employees, vendors, and customers so they know exactly how and where your business will be conducted and how they can reach you. Be upfront about any temporary changes that could affect them so you maintain good working relationships throughout the process as well as when you’re back to regular operations.
Keep track of progress.
Your fire and water damage restoration company can let you know how their work is progressing and when each part of the job should be completed. Pass this information along to your employees, vendors, and customers so they’ll have updated status reports and will know when your business will resume normal operations.
If your business has suffered fire and water damage,
contact STOP Restoration today. We’ll help you devise a plan of action and use our 40 years of experience to get your business up and running normally as soon as possible.
