The importance of disaster planning for businesses came to the forefront of Americans’ minds in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, closing the doors of countless companies in the storm’s wake. Many of those businesses were not able to recover after the flood waters receded.
Although Oklahomans are not in danger of hurricane floods, the state is a prime target for natural disasters such as tornados and ice storms. In addition to natural disasters, man-made disasters such as power loss, water main breaks and fires can be just as devastating to a small business.
The Rogers State University Innovation Center is hosting a workshop to help business owners prepare for the unexpected. The workshop, “How to Stay Open for Business After a Disaster” will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 15, at the RSU Innovation Center, located on the Claremore campus.
Presenter David Hall from Innovation and Small Business Solutions will provide attendees with information on how to include disaster planning as part of a business safety net.
Hall will present an overview of business continuity planning, discuss the role of insurance in disaster planning and introduce tools that business owners can use to create their disaster plans.
“Learning how to keep a business running during a disaster is a key component to successful business management,” said Dr. Ray Brown, RSU vice president for economic and community development.
The workshop will be available via videoconference at the Innovation Center on the RSU Bartlesville campus and at the RSU Innovation Center in Miami, located on the Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College campus.
Advance registration is required. The registration fee for the workshop is $15 and must be paid at the time of registration. To register to attend please contact the RSU Innovation Center at (918) 343-7533.