Roofing

Small Business, Any Business

McCaulsen Any Occasion Florist in Weirton, West Virginia has been around for 90 years. Its roof collapsed. The owners vow to reopen, but they will have to work quickly and closely with their insurance company and local commercial roofer to get back on their feet in time for the holiday flower rush. Could your business bounce back from such a devastating loss?

Small Business and Disasters

Water was the most likely reason McCaulsen Any Occasion Florist suffered a roof collapse. The Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) points out that almost 40 percent of small businesses do not reopen after a disaster, including floods. If you do not have a plan in place, an unexpected flood (we think the roof qualifies as an unexpected source of flooding) could shutter your business permanently.

Any business, even one with financial resources to deal with a commercial roof emergency, could incur major losses at any time. The Small Business Administration provides resources to help you plan for the various types of emergencies that could arise that affect not only your commercial roof, but your whole commercial enterprise:

  • Hurricanes
  • Wildfires
  • Earthquakes
  • Hail
  • Floods
  • Tornadoes
  • Winter weather

Even Texas gets snow and ice, which can lead to commercial roof collapses every year, according to FEMA’s advisory. Beyond natural hazards, human-made issues arise, too, like impact from wind-borne debris, objects dropping from other buildings or the sky, or vandalism.

Plan for Emergencies

Prepare a list of useful numbers you would call if your building suffered an emergency, and keep your commercial roof contractor near the top of that list. Make sure your building’s facilities employees understand the chain of command, so in the absence of the property manager everyone knows who is giving orders. Human lives are, of course, the paramount concern, so keep building occupants current on evacuation drills and shelter-in-place drills.

In many cases, your business, like the West Virginia flower shop, will bear the brunt of an emergency when the building is empty. This means a duplicate set of your emergency plans must be off-site. Any emergency plan to respond must include a call to your insurance agent and your commercial roof contractor, so work can begin immediately to salvage and restore functionality.

If you are developing an emergency business plan, Contact BELDON Roofing Company today. and let us show you how our two emergency response teams can answer your call.

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