Frank Bridge is the Director of Workplace Education at the American Red Cross in Bridgeport, CT.
A recent survey conducted by the American Red Cross revealed some startling information about the state of readiness of American businesses:
• One-third of businesses surveyed do not have a business continuity plan in place.
• 40% of businesses never reopen after a disaster
• Although 89 percent of those surveyed believe it's important to be prepared, far fewer are ready for an emergency.
• Close to 60% of Americans are wholly unprepared for a disaster of any kind.
• Only 1 in 10 American households has hit the preparedness trifecta: a family emergency plan, an emergency supply kit and training in life-saving first aid and CPR.
No one likes to think about preparing for emergencies or disasters. And let’s face it, the state of Connecticut does not experience the same type and frequency of disasters as states like Florida, California and any number of Gulf Coast states. Still, we only have to think back to the Christmas Nor’easter or the Bridgeport tornado to recognize that we, too, are vulnerable to the “big one.”
As the nation’s largest provider of First Aid and CPR training, the American Red Cross has created a suite of products and services aimed at ensuring your business is ready – not if, but when – a man-made or natural disaster or medical emergency strikes.
The American Red Cross Connecticut Region Business Readiness model has at its core individual employee and family readiness. Even the most resilient continuity of operations plan (COOP) fails without staff on-hand to implement it. Our no-cost, on-line Be Red Cross Ready program prepares families for emergencies by encouraging them to “Get A Kit, Make A Plan, Be Informed.”
Once your employees are ready, willing and, most important, able, to show up for work in the face of adversity, we offer a number of products and services that will assist you with overall business readiness including Ready Rating™, our free on-line readiness assessment tool. Finally, and once your business is ready, we turn our attention to the community-at-large and explore ways in which you and your employees can work with us to ensure we are all ready when the time comes.
Businesses today are under tremendous pressure to cut costs and increase productivity. It’s more than cliché to say that only the strong will survive. Your American Red Cross is uniquely positioned to help you ensure that you have a fighting chance – when the time comes.
Readiness is sooo important. Even having some back up cash will keep you afloat until you get it back together. Stay ahead of the game and prepare for the worse. No sense in losing your business for lack of planning.
Posted by: Asset Based Loans Guru | February 2011 at 02:50 AM