Free National Preparedness Month Webinars Announced

WASHINGTON, D.C. — This summer millions of business across the country were forced to close their doors in the aftermath of power outages, approaching wildfires, and flooding caused by tropical storms. Business interruptions, even lasting just a few hours, cost business owners greatly in terms of lost productivity and profits.

Individuals can get help with business preparedness planning through a series of free webinars hosted by the US Small Business Administration and Agility Recovery. The September series is presented in collaboration with FEMA’s Ready Campaign, as part of National Preparedness Month.

SBA wants to help business owners take charge of the well-being of their own companies, the safety of their employees, and the sustenance of their local economies by being prepared to rebound quickly from any kind of disaster.

The webinars, held each Wednesday in September at 2 pm include:

September 5: “Ten Steps to Prepare Any Organization for Disaster” with an introduction from James Rivera, associate administrator for SBA’s Office of Disaster Assistance.

September 12: “Protecting Your Organization by Preparing Your Employees”

September 19: “Utilization of Social Media During a Crisis”

September 26: “Surviving a Crisis, Large or Small: Real Life Lessons Learned.” Business owners who recovered from disasters discuss their proactive emergency planning.

A question and answer session will follow each presentation.

SBA has partnered with Agility to offer business continuity strategies through their “PrepareMyBusiness” website. Visit www.preparemybusiness.org for the link to the upcoming sessions, to access past webinars and for useful preparedness tools.