As we prepare for fire season, just as we create our plans at home, so too must we plan for our businesses.  Emergency Planning is mission critical for small businesses because they are especially vulnerable. Small business do not have the same resources or capacity as larger organizations do to recover from wildfire, and often the small business is a primary source of income for an entire family or more.

“In a 2012 study by the International Economic Development Council of 600 small businesses in the United States, 74% reported having no recovery plan, and 84% had no natural disaster insurance — indicating a stark lapse in disaster readiness,†notes the Capital Region Business Resiliency Initiative report.

In rural areas and small communities, small businesses take center stage when it comes to the overall economic vitality and resiliency of the community. This is why Emergency Planning is truly mission critical. Without planning the entire community’s ability to recover after a disaster is compromised.

Most of us are familiar with basic earthquake and fire safety, but preparing your business is entirely different proposition. Advance planning for disasters is a way to safeguard the years of work and love you’ve put into your business, and protect both your people and your assets.

Executive coach Rachel Clark will lead two hands-on Emergency Preparation workshops in Lake County, one in Clearlake and one in Lakeport, with everything you need to create a disaster plan that works for you. Sponsored in part by Wells Fargo you will leave you with a road map for your own disaster planning, a free workbook and as always, access to West Business Development Center expert advisors to help you work through your plan or if you have any questions.

Clark has taught thousands of business owners in her more than a decade of strategic coaching and will narrow down the key basics you need to focus on. Says Clark, “I have been working with business owners for many years and I understand the pressure they are under. We’ll go through the most important steps you can take right now, and figure out what you need to get in place for the coming season.â€

This workshop, and all the materials are free to all who attend.  

We will cover:

  • Insurance coverage: What do you have and what do you need, how to get the right amount of insurance for your business

  • Emergency and crisis planning: Action items and steps to put in place for you and your employees in the event of an emergency

  • Record keeping, files, and data: How to protect your files and data in case of an emergency and how to backup what you need online

  • Communications: How will you communicate with your employees, vendors and customers in the event of an emergency

This workshop is brought to us in part by a grant from Wells Fargo.

Emergency Prep in Clearlake

Monday, June 10, 2019

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Clearlake City Council Chambers

14050 Olympic Drive

Clearlake, CA

RSVP here.

Emergency Prep in Lakeport

Monday, June 17, 2019

5:30 PM – 7:30 PM

Lakeport City Council Chambers

225 Park Street

Lakeport, CA

RSVP here.

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Free Business Advising

West Business Development Center (WestBDC) is focused on helping small businesses in Mendocino and Lake counties succeed to their fullest potential. We offer free one-on-one business advising and free and low-cost workshops in every area of business from Instagram to How to Maximize Profits. Our workshop leaders are often business owners themselves, with years of specialized experience to help you succeed in whatever venture you start up this year.

See how these businesses set up, grew and expanded with WBDC:

Stan’s Maple Café, Ukiah

MendoTechNet, Ukiah and Lakeport

SlamDunk Pizza, Ukiah

And why small businesses are the heart of our counties, here.