Top Ten Ways to Engage Local Businesses in Disaster Preparedness Activities

Scott CaveAtlantic Business Continuity Services

March 5, 2014

Partner with Chambers of Commerce and/or Economic Development Organizations

#1

• Benefits Chamber• Benefits Community• Provides administrative support• Portal to business community

Chamber of Commerce Examples• Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce

• Formed a BCP Council• Chamber Members volunteered to join• Organized 14 workshops and seminars from

2006 – 2012• Partnered with local agencies (DHEC, County,

State)• Developed Speaker’s Bureau to present at

local events• Engaged larger community (CARRI, ESF-24,

NetGuard)

Chamber of Commerce Examples Continued

• Greater Summerville Chamber of Commerce• Did not form a committee but focused on topic• Held annual workshops and seminars for past

three years• Completed internal Business Continuity Plan• Partnered with local agencies (County)

Develop Professional Network#2• Identify business continuity professionals• Identify related professional associations• Engage these individuals and groups• Use their knowledge and experience

Find Storytellers#3• Personal accounts or experiences• Lessons learned• Will inspire and motivate others to act• More than just nameless statistics

Create Speaker’s Bureau#4• Deliver the preparedness message• Professional associations and groups• Give them the reasons • Lead into workshops and other resources

Hold Workshops#5• Tell them how to prepare• Use personal stories• Advertise through professional groups • Free resources available

Workshop Lessons Learned• Both free and paid workshops have been well attended• Shorter events (morning or half-day) are better • Food = people in seats• Overlap with other events when there is a larger

audience for a broader topic• Qualify all speakers in advance to ensure they can

deliver a message with value that is interesting to audience

• Time events to leverage media coverage (e.g., June 1)• Develop relationships to best advertise events• Deliver value to the attendees so they will promote

Integrate with Emergency Mgmt.#6• Connect Business Continuity with EOC• Private-Public Partnership• Businesses need to know local gov’t response • Builds community-wide resiliency

Publicize through Media#7• Traditional newspapers, radio, TV• Social media• Utility bill inserts• Become the source for business preparedness

Promote through Business Licenses

#8• Inserts in license renewals• Information in new license applications• Discounts for Business Continuity Plan???

Promote through Fire Inspections#9• Item on Fire Chief’s checklist• Hand out brochures, flyers, etc.• Provide information on events

Track Your Progress#10• Survey the business community• Measure % of businesses with a plan• Track over time for improvements

Questions?

Scott Cave, CBCPPrincipalAtlantic Business Continuity Services(843) 879-5025scave@atlanticprep.comwww.atlanticprep.com