📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

Natural Disasters Are Unavoidable. Is Your Business Ready? (Infographic) One in four organizations slammed by a natural disaster is unable to reopen its doors. Here's a look at how business owners can prepare and minimize potential losses.

By Catherine Clifford

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

As a business owner, you can plan, plan, plan all day and stay up all night planning some more. You can have a perfect business plan, a flawless marketing campaign and a rock solid team of superstar employees. But disasters happen. Floods, fires, earthquakes, tornadoes. And even if your headquarters aren't affected directly, a natural disaster can take out a part of your supply chain or partially incapacitate a vendor.

Unfortunately, there is almost nothing you can do to insure that your business will be 100-percent protected from the whiplash of a natural disaster. But there are some steps you can take now to minimize potential loss later.

Your preparation may mean be the difference between your business surviving and it being taken out. One in four organizations hit by a major disaster doesn't reopen, according to the infographic (below) compiled by Boston University's Metropolitan College Graduate Programs in Management. Every dollar invested in a preparedness plan ahead of a disaster striking can save your business $7 after the fact.

Related: What Businesses Need to Know About Preparing, Coping and Recovering From Natural Disasters

Check out the infographic to identify what you should do to assess and mitigate some of the potential risks.

Click to Enlarge+
Natural Disasters Are Unavoidable. Is Your Business Ready? (Infographic)

Catherine Clifford

Senior Entrepreneurship Writer at CNBC

Catherine Clifford is senior entrepreneurship writer at CNBC. She was formerly a senior writer at Entrepreneur.com, the small business reporter at CNNMoney and an assistant in the New York bureau for CNN. Clifford attended Columbia University where she earned a bachelor's degree. She lives in Brooklyn, N.Y. You can follow her on Twitter at @CatClifford.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Franchise

Franchising Is Not For Everyone. Explore These Lucrative Alternatives to Expand Your Business.

Not every business can be franchised, nor should it. While franchising can be the right growth vehicle for someone with an established brand and proven concept that's ripe for growth, there are other options available for business owners.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.

Business News

Passengers Are Now Entitled to a Full Cash Refund for Canceled Flights, 'Significant' Delays

The U.S. Department of Transportation announced new rules for commercial passengers on Wednesday.

Leadership

Why Companies Should Prioritize Emotional Intelligence Training Alongside AI Implementation

Emotional intelligence is just as important as artificial intelligence, and we need it now more than ever.

Business News

Elon Musk Tells Investors Cheaper Tesla Electric Cars Should Arrive Ahead of Schedule

On an earnings call, Musk told shareholders that Tesla could start producing new, affordable electric cars earlier than expected.