5 Unthought of Ways You Can Protect Your Business During the Winter Season

Chaleigh Glass

October 31, 2013

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Winter can be very bad for business. Heavy snowfall, frigid winds, and icy roads are just a few reasons for people not to leave the comfort of their homes. In addition to scaring the customers away, Old Man Winter can also cause some serious damage to your storefront or office. Most owners engage in common emergency preparation practices like buying business insurance and setting aside extra money, but most overlook the following important steps.

1) Think about possible risks and plan for them

Winters vary greatly across the continent, and they can bring different consequences with them. Consider the typical winter weather conditions of your geographic region so that you can plan appropriately. Are you located on the East or West Coast? How much snowfall do you typically receive? What about typical wind speeds and average temperatures? Does it get cold enough to freeze pipes? Can breezes get strong enough to uproot trees or damage windows and roofing? Is your business near a mountainside where it can be destroyed by an avalanche? These are all questions you should ask yourself before you can come up with a fitting plan. You should also make sure that you enact your plan well before the winter season, since early snowstorms can wreck an enormous amount of havoc if you are not properly prepared.

2) Devise a general emergency plan for the employees

Your workers mean everything to the business--especially those who have served you well for many years. Even if you can't plan for every disaster, you can still come up with a general emergency plan to keep employees safe. Most emergency plans will involve stocking up food, clothing, essential survival supplies like flashlights and bandages, alternative power sources like a portable generator, and figuring out a way to escape the premises if need be. Your emergency plan should be as detailed as possible, and everything that can be done ahead of time should be completed well before winter begins. Make sure that all employees are aware of the plan so that it can be executed flawlessly if the time comes. It can also be a good idea to put the plan down in a book that documents all of the actions that you take and where the supplies are located, since people might not be able to think clearly in an actual emergency.

3) Keep important electronic data backed-up

Since most modern businesses use a lot of technology, it's crucial that you back-up important info with external hard drives or using cloud storage. You don't want to lose essential company data like contracts, project outlines, or insurance papers to a devastating winter storm. If you choose to use external hard drives, you will want to make sure that they are placed in a special safe that is resistant to fire and large amounts of pressure. It is also advised that you use two separate hard drives and place them in different areas, increasing the chances that one will survive a disaster. Cloud storage makes backing up your data much easier than using external hard drives, but it is important that you find a service that has at least two different data centers in different parts of the country. It is also important that the service be affordable, since you will need to constantly be paying for this service.

4) Document all aspects and details of the business

In addition to backing up important data, you should document everything that could come in handy if something horrible were to happen to the business. For example, you might want to keep a list of all your furniture and equipment with their values so that insurance can provide accurate coverage. Inventory records can save you a lot of headaches if your business gets damaged or destroyed. You should also take pictures of your assets to help you collect the most amount of insurance money possible. By doing all of this, you will be able to make sure that the insurance process goes quickly and smoothly if your business does end up getting damaged.

5) Plan for power outages

Harsh winter storms are very likely to damage power lines and other electrical and mechanical equipment. Most people remember to store flashlights, batteries, candles, or portable generators in the shop, but you should also have a local commercial electrician in Canal Winchester come to do regular maintenance work so that everything remains in optimal working order and has a smaller chance of failing. It is usually recommended that you have your business' electrical systems inspected once a year, preferably before the winter season begins. By doing this simple maintenance, not only will you be able to make sure that you business has the power that it needs, but you can also help to reduce the risk of fire, which can be greatly increased by faulty electrical systems.

It's no secret that winter months can be tough for businesses. You might not even see profits rolling in during certain months of the year, but that's nothing compared to losing everything. Protect your business later by planning for the bad weather now.