Small businesses are vulnerable to a disaster. Planning can help them ensure an on-going enterprise. Learn about tools available and how businesses have used such tools.

1. Ready Business:
Using Multiple Technologies
to Help Businesses
Prepare for and Recovery
from Disasters

3. Parsons Co., Roanoke, IL

9. Why Plan?
 40% of small businesses
do not reopen after a
major emergency (SBA)
 Additional 25% fail within
the first year (FEMA)
 80-90% may fail within 5
years (US DOL)
 Declared disasters more
than doubled in recent
years John Arens

10. A “Comprehensive” Definition
“A disaster is a nonroutine event that
exceeds the capacity of the affected area
to respond to it in such a way as to save
lives; to preserve property; and to
maintain the social, ecological,
economic, and political stability of the
affected region.” (Pearce, 2000)

11. Think Disruption
 Natural disasters alone – 30%
of businesses closed for 1 day
due to a natural event
 Now think
 External (Key supplier) and
internal (Coffee on
computer)
 Big and small
 Personal issues (health of
owner or key employee)
 Impacts:
 Business PLUS
 Family
 Perhaps some or all of the community
 Uses resources – money, time and goodwill

12. Teaching Resources
www.EDEN.lsu.edu

14. EDEN Courses
 Plant Biosecurity Mgmt
 Protecting America’s Food System
 Pandemic Preparedness for Business
 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness for
Faith-based Organizations
 Animal Agrosecurity and Emergency Mgmt
 Family Preparedness
 Ready Business

21. Marketing Video

22. iPad App
for Business Disaster
Preparedness
and Recovery

23. Help small businesses
develop, streamline and store
their disaster preparedness
plans

24. Mobile
 Walk through to capture information
 Photograph inventory

25. Electronic
 Updated easily
 Stored in cloud
 Accessible by multiple staff

26. Inventory
 Walk through
warehouse
 Record inventory
details
 Photograph
products, labels, etc.
 Key in supplier
details

27. Shelter in Place
 What it means
 Why it’s important to
have designated
locations
 Examples of good and
bad locations
 Record your shelter-in-
place locations

28. Plans
 Release in May: National Small Business
Week
 Market through EDEN, eXtension,
NACDEP, U.S. Chamber of Commerce,
SBA, financial institutions and
organizations, social media, mass media
and many other outlets