How Businesses Can Prepare for Weather Events

2/24/2021 (Permalink)

If you have any damage to your home or place of work, then contact SERVPRO of Flagstaff/East Sedona at anytime of day!

Storms occur everyday that can impact your business, and even knowing about them in advance does not always prepare you for the possible outcomes. SERVPRO of Flagstaff/East Sedona is happy to help with any storm damage that may occur, but you should have a plan in place to keep you, your employees, and your property safe.

Here are some ideas of what to include in your storm preparedness plan:

Minimizing Potential Damage to the Building and Contents: Before any storms occur, you need to try and identify any structures, inventory, or equipment that could be damaged and try to install some type of prevention system. These can be simple solutions such as placing tarps over equipment or using surge protectors.

Protect Your Records: Before any disaster occurs, you need to be backing up your data multiple times to different hard drives and remote servers. There is software that will backup your data and records on a schedule, and this is something that business should look into in order to protect their files. If you have paper copies of important documents, then keep them in a fire and water proof safe, put them in a lockbox at the bank, or keep them at a different offsite location.

Protect Your Employees: In order to ensure your employees safety, you need to create an evacuation plan that includes an offsite meeting location. If you have a larger building, an offsite meeting location is very important so that you can do a count and make sure everyone made it out safely.

Contact Your Customers: You need to reach out to your  clients and let them know what has occurred and how you plan to operate following the weather event. Severe weather can knock out lines of communication, so make sure that you have a plan in place, and this can be through a mass text or email, or some other form of communication. Also have a plan in place that clearly explains to your customers how the business will operate if you are unable to work from the business location. It is important to identify locations where you can work remotely if there is damage to your commercial building.

If you do experience damage to your office, then give SERVPRO of Flagstaff/East Sedona a call. We travel around Northern Arizona responding to calls about water damage, fire damage, mold removal, and sewage removal. We would love to help you, and we guarantee to make it “Like it never even happened.”

When Your East Sedona Business Needs Mold Remediation Services l SERVPRO® of Flagstaff/East Sedona

2/19/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Flagstaff / East Sedona is your local commercial restoration expert. Contact us today to learn more about our services.

No business owner likes to think about needing mold remediation services. But the reality is that over the course of the next year, many will.

Having a mold issue doesn’t mean that your business isn’t clean. More than likely, it just means you have some small water incursion or another issue that allows mold to thrive.

Mold is insidious and can grow anywhere that’s damp. That means small things like roof leaks, issues with landscaping or guttering, or combustion appliances that aren’t properly vented can all allow mold into your business.

The signs of mold in your business would be the same things you would look for in your home. You might notice black spots under cabinets or in bathrooms along the walls or ceiling. Additionally, you may notice a musty smell.

Because you want to ensure your customers are getting the best service they can in a healthy, safe environment, it’s vital that you begin the process of mold remediation as soon as you find any signs of a problem in your business. For that process, you’ll want to choose the right partner.

Making the Best Choice for Your Business

You’ll want to look into your new restoration partner’s reputation and credentials. When dealing with mold remediation, you’ll want to partner with a company that hires professionals and ensures they have the highest level of training possible.

Your local SERVPRO team includes mold remediation experts. On every commercial mold remediation job we complete, the team will include an Applied Microbial Remediation Specialist, Water Damage Restoration Technician, Applied Structural Drying Technician, Odor Control Technician, and Upholstery and Fabric Cleaning Technician.

These teams are available ²⁴⁄₇ if your business needs help, so we can get started quickly and restore your business.

If your business is damaged due to fire, water or any other cause, you can always count on us for restoration assistance. We have crews who are available ²⁴⁄₇ in the event of an emergency. Contact us at any time to learn more about our restoration services and how we can help you.

A Guide to Hosting Regular Fire Drills for Your Business | SERVPRO® of Flagstaff/East Sedona

8/4/2020 (Permalink)

If your business experiences any fire damage, you can count on us. SERVPRO of Flagstaff / East Sedona specializes in commercial fire restoration.

Mitigating your risk levels is an important part of business ownership, but that means being concerned with more than just market downturns. Fires can be difficult for businesses to endure, and for those who have not adequately prepared, they can be devastating.

One of the best ways to bring fire safety to the forefront is by practicing fire evacuations with your on-site staff. Educating everyone on what to do is a great way to foster a sense of community and safety throughout the workplace, and if a fire does start, everyone knowing exactly what to do will reduce panic and ensure employees feel empowered.

Bring Fire Safety to the Forefront for Your Business

Consult with your local fire officials. Your local fire officials are a resource to definitely make use of as you plan out your fire drill process. They can come in and consult you on the best fire evacuation routes from various points of the building and give you fire safety pointers so you can take steps to reduce your overall risk.

Communicate and mark fire evacuation routes. Once the evacuation routes have been decided upon, make sure to put up signs that identify them clearly. Let your staff know about the pathways, and prepare them in advance for the first fire drill so they can familiarize themselves with the routes.

Have fire drills frequently. Having fire drills often—but not so often that they become mundane—is key to solidifying the safety procedures in everyone’s minds. Many businesses schedule drills to take place once every quarter, but you may find that your needs vary depending on your industry and staff size.

Run different fire scenarios. Though we know that fires are statistically likely to break out in the office kitchen or around electrical components, that is not the only possible scenario that would cause employees to need to evacuate. Make sure you have different fire “origins” as part of your drills so you are running different scenarios and preparing for different situations.

If your business has experienced fire damage, you can count on us. We specialize in commercial fire restoration and will be here for you at any hour—contact us today.

A Disaster Preparedness Assessment for Businesses | SERVPRO® of Flagstaff/East Sedona

5/28/2020 (Permalink)

To reduce the time that your business is closed is crucial for business. Let SERVPRO of Flagstaff / East Sedona be your commercial restoration company

The risks your business faces can come from a variety of causes, such as market fluctuation, regulation changes or natural disasters. As a business owner, doing what you can to address these risks can make all the difference in the longevity of your business—and when it comes to natural disaster preparedness, we are here to help.

Assessing how prepared you are for a disaster is a simple way to determine where you are covered and where you can strengthen your defenses against an emergency. This will allow you to stay safer and reopen faster than if you were not prepared, which will be helpful for your longevity and livelihood.

Your Commercial Insurance Coverage

Though commercial insurance policies are designed to help business owners, when it comes to disaster scenarios, their coverage is often extremely lacking. Many business owners must add on policies to be covered from the extensive damages a disaster can do—flood insurance coverage, umbrella policies and interruption insurance are quite common and worth inquiring about.

Your Emergency Plan and Supply Kit

In a natural disaster or other emergency scenario, tensions are high and there is often not much time to react. That is why planning ahead is so important to keep you and your employees safe. Make sure you have a plan in place that encompasses a variety of scenarios—there may be orders for a sudden evacuation, or you may be required to remain in the office until help can arrive. Make sure you are ready for either of these scenarios with a plan and adequate emergency supplies.

Your Plan for Restoration and Recovery

The damages sustained during a disaster can cause an interruption in operations that can be devastating—but you can lessen the time recovery takes by planning ahead. Research the disaster loans offered by the Small Business Administration so you will know if you are eligible to apply. It is also wise to get to know the commercial restoration companies that service your area, so you can begin the damage cleanup process as quickly as possible after the danger has subsided.

If your business has been impacted by a disaster, you can contact us ²⁴⁄₇ for guidance on how to begin the commercial restoration process.

Preparing for Disasters As a Small Business Owner | SERVPRO® of Flagstaff/East Sedona

12/27/2019 (Permalink)

Having a disaster plan in place is crucial for any business. SERVPRO of Flagstaff / East Sedona is your full service commercial restoration company.

Understanding the importance of preparedness for natural disasters is important for everyone, but especially so for small business owners. Because their business is their livelihood, a natural disaster can be extremely disruptive to their life as well as their business operations, and can even inhibit them from reopening after a disaster.

The good news is that by planning ahead, small business owners can prepare for recovery from a disaster before it strikes to reduce the time they must be closed. To help with these preparations, here are our top tips for helping small business owners plan ahead for emergencies.

Practicing Preparedness for Small Business Owners

1. Double-Check Your Insurance
There are countless different business insurance policies out there, but knowing exactly what yours covers is key to disaster preparations. It is not uncommon for supplemental insurance to be required for business owners to be fully covered, so talking with your agent in advance is a smart move.

2. Create Your Action Plan
Knowing exactly what to do when a disaster is on the way is important to your safety because of how suddenly they can occur. Be sure to plan both for a scenario where you and your staff must evacuate, as well as one where you are directed to stay put by officials. Stocking the office with emergency and first-aid supplies is also wise so you have everything you need on hand.

3. Rehearse Drills and Prepare Staff
Preparing your staff for emergencies is another measure you can take to ensure everything goes smoothly during an emergency scenario. Educating them on your action plan and scheduling drills to practice in the workplace will help everyone prepare for a variety of scenarios and understand just what to do if a disaster becomes imminent.

4. Choose a Restoration Company to Work With
This is one of the single biggest influencers on how quickly your business can reopen after a disaster. Research restoration companies in the area to determine who is best to work with—look for companies that have a quick response time at all hours as well as extensive experience in the commercial field.

If you need to pick a commercial restoration company that’s right for you, call us today! We can tell you all about what sets our process apart.