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All our companies have emergency preparedness plans. They are a staple in business. And, they serve a very important purpose. Whether a natural disaster or a scenario like a fire or active shooter – we need to know what to do, and what our employees should do. The problem is: they are only for short term problems. COVID-19 has shown that businesses need to have plans in place for long term problems disasters bring. This is where disaster resistant plans come into play. It is important to distinguish when to engage an emergency plan or a disaster resistant plan. Read below for three differences between emergency preparedness and disaster resistance, and why it matters:
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Short term vs. long term
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Simply put, emergency preparedness plans provide short term strategies and reliefs to companies when disasters hit. They are highly effective, and a key business tool. Disaster resistant plans are long-term. They think strategically; how you can be adaptive, resilient, etc. Disaster resistant plans utilize long-term planning models and tools. It is usually most beneficial to bring in an outside consultant to help on your disaster resistant plans. Why? Because the outside consultant brings fresh ideas and perspective needed to make a disaster resistant plan successful. Make sure your emergency preparedness and disaster resistant plans work well together. Emergency preparedness is often step 1 in the process. Plan out your first step NOW and avoid potential business failure later.
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Pivoting
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Emergency preparedness plans are about trying to maintain business operations. This is an important element in any disaster/emergency. But the reality is that sometimes disasters will forever change how a business operates and if the old business offerings are still needed. This is where disaster resistant plans come into play. They are about learning when and how to pivot your business in order to remain in operation after/during a disaster. Mauro F. Guillén provides a great example of when and how to successfully pivot. “As demand has soared for essential products, consumer-goods powerhouse Unilever has pivoted to prioritize its packaged food, surface cleaners, and personal hygiene product brands over other products, such as skin care, where demand has fallen.” Your disaster resistant plan can outline pivoting service offerings, product production, or even what consumers you target. Planning is most important; so, when it comes time to make quick decisions, you can.
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Strategic vs. reactive
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The last big way emergency preparedness and disaster resistant plans differ is in their reactive vs. strategic purpose. When a disaster first hits, especially something like a fire or active shooter, we need to be reactive. This is why emergency preparedness plans are so crucial to businesses. Once the initial first “threat” has passed, it is time to be strategic. Whether its needing to pivot your business or needing to provide mental health services to employees who have been through trauma, businesses must have existing strategies in place. Know when and where to utilize which plans, and what benefit they bring to your company.
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The examples above illustrate that both emergency preparedness and disaster resistant plans are highly effective for businesses. The main issue is that most of us don’t have disaster resistant plans. We need to be thinking strategically both short and long term. Build your plans so that they complement each other. A little planning now will save you heartache, headaches, and business problems down the line.
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Interested in learning more about disaster resistant planning? Contact our team at Kim@QuantumMark.com today!
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