How To Revitalize Your Business Immediately After A Flood
Cleaning up after a flood can be an emotional and financial disaster. After floodwaters have cleared, you’re left with evaluating your business inside and out. From filing insurance claims to keeping customers informed to replacing your office furniture in Houston, there is a lot to do. It can be overwhelming. Not sure where to start? Here are some things you should do immediately to begin to revitalize your business after a flood.
Ensure Safety
Once floodwaters start to recede, fight the urge to immediately jump in and start the cleanup effort. You should never enter the premises until you are sure they are safe. Floods leave many hazards in their wake, like exposed wires, weakened floors and contaminated water. Your first priority should be for the safety of you, your employees, and anyone else who might enter or pass near your business.
Contact Your Insurance
When you make a call to your insurance company, be sure to document everything you spoke about. Take the time to record all the details of the damages through photographs and video. Make sure to maintain an itemized list of materials and labor used to repair the property and restore operations. FEMA has an inventory list that is available online. Document every expense related to the storm and track any expenses related to the preparation of your claim.
Keep Employees And Stakeholders Informed
If you haven’t done so already, take this opportunity to revise your employee handbook. Make certain it contains a business continuity plan with details about weather-related emergencies. Communicate any and all recovery updates often. Uncertainty can be every bit as damaging to employee morale as physical threats. Don’t forget to keep your critical stakeholders informed and up to date on recovery plans and next steps.
Reach Out To Vendors And Suppliers
Contact your vendors and suppliers. Explain the current situation and ask for their flexibility and understanding during cleanup. They may be willing to establish alternative billing or delivery options until the business is back on its feet. They may also be able to provide copies of past invoices if you need to reconstruct your records for claims and taxes. Also, don’t hesitate to research your vendor agreements to see if they provide coverage in instances of natural disasters.
Seek Help With Restoration
If the damage to your building was extensive, taking proper steps towards water damage restoration is important. Contact disaster recovery specialists who can manage the damage restoration. This will have a huge impact in speeding the recovery process. Some specialists can even help in expediting insurance inspections and claims processes, to further speed the relief funds’ progress.
Office Furniture Clean Up
It may seem like the least of your worries but making a plan for your office furniture assets is important, too. Contact the office furniture in Houston experts at ROSI Office Systems for help. Our team can assess the damage to your office furniture, remove it and give you the best solution to get you up and running. We have a trained team experienced in removing furniture, disposing and recycling of unsalvageable items.
Prepare for possible delays in resolving insurance claims. In the interim, you may want to explore options that allow you to get business up and running ASAP. Refurbished office furniture in Houston can help you realize a significant savings vs. buying new. Or renting furniture on a short- or medium-term basis is also a viable option. ROSI can help you restore business operations so you and your employees can get back to work.
Resume Operations
Once given the green light to return to your place of business, your first priority should be to your employees. Large scale natural disasters such as hurricanes have wide-reaching effects. Your employees may be dealing with their own losses, including damage to their homes, property, and transportation. Try to accommodate their challenges with flexible work scheduling. Even providing carpooling options, or on-site day care. Not only do these efforts help ensure your workforce is in place and producing but it also helps foster a dedicated employee base for your company.
Recovering from a flood will not be easy, but with careful planning, many companies will bounce back stronger than ever and ROSI is ready to help you get back to business fast with office furniture in Houston rentals, financing, new furniture bundles, quick delivery and installation. Contact us today.
