May 1, 2018

This is National Small Business Week, established by the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA) to recognize the critical role of these types of businesses in the United States economy and culture. The SBA says 30 million small businesses employ nearly 58 million Americans, nearly half the country’s labor force.

Locally, Pennsylvania Small Business Week is promoted by the state’s Department of Community & Economic Development. From April 29th through May 5th, there is a focus on the contributions of small businesses in the Keystone State along with information to help companies flourish.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development, small businesses account for 99% of all employers within the state, numbering one million small businesses which employ 2.5 million workers.

Small businesses not only lend to the flavor of the community, but also to economic diversity and commercializing innovative new technologies.

This is why it is critical that businesses and non-profits be able to survive an emergency or disaster.

According to national numbers from FEMA, up to 40% of businesses never recover after experiencing a major emergency.

An August 2015 survey conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Nationwide insurance says 75% of small business owners do not have a disaster recovery plan in place. More than half say it would take at least three months to recover from a disaster.

Our goal at Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management is preparedness and resiliency. We want to see businesses survive and thrive before, during, and after an emergency or disaster. That is why we offer our READYBusiness workshop to businesses, city agencies or non-profits in the City of Philadelphia.

If you have a business, whether it’s Main Street mom-and-pop or Broad Street high-rise, OEM’s READYBusiness workshop can help you prepare. The workshop covers hazard assessment, staying open during emergencies, communications, protecting investments, as well as other topics.

Some basic questions we ask of business owners during this workshop are:

  • How long can your business stay open if you lose power and are on generator?
  • Has your business ever been closed by an emergency? What if it happens again?
  • What if your shipping routes are impacted by storm damage?
  • Do you have back-up contracts?
  • Do you back your data up off-site?

Contact us if you are a business, of any size, or non-profit in the City of Philadelphia and would like to request OEM to present a READYBusiness Workshop for you and your employees.

An essential way to be prepared is to stay informed. Get emergency alerts from OEM’s ReadyPhiladelphia program sent to your phone or email to keep you informed prior to and during an emergency. Follow us on Twitter. Like us on  Facebook. 

 

Be prepared for emergencies.