Most small businesses that close after a disaster do not close because of wind or water. They close in the weeks that follow: no way to reach employees or customers, records gone, cash exhausted before insurance or assistance arrives. Research suggests the median small business holds less than a month of cash reserves, and figures long cited by FEMA indicate a large share of businesses hit by disasters never reopen.

Brett Wallace with the Alachua County COAD/LTRG will provide owners and managers of businesses under 100 employees a practical resiliency framework grounded in the current international standards, with a dedicated set of tactics for businesses under 10 employees. 

Attendees leave with a one-page resiliency quick plan they can complete the same week. The perspective throughout is where the rubber meets the road: field-tested emergency management rather than an IT view of continuity.