Small Business Is Hard Enough: The Challenges of a Small Business After a Disaster
Disasters, I know we all hate that word. As humans we gird ourselves and simply say, “It won’t happen to me”. But the data shows that it’s not if it’s going to happen, it’s when is it going to happen.According to the Small Business Administration (SBA), 40% to 60% of small businesses fail following a major disaster. The number of presidentially declared disasters has more than doubled in recent years. However, many disasters don’t affect a large number of people like these declared events do. In fact, fire is the leading business disaster.If that is not bad enough, researchers estimate that approximately: half of business do not survive their first 5 years and 8 out of 10 fail within the first 3 years after a disaster.*Small Businesses have unique challenges that are quite different from their larger counterpart. Since 52 % of businesses are operated from the owner’s home or property their ability to recover is harder simply because they have to focus to two recovery efforts. There is never enough time to get them both done quickly and easily. If their business is in their home, there is no place for the work to continue. The property damage for a small business owner impacts BOTH the family and their business.While owning a small business may seem like the American Dream, owning a small business has many challenges. But after a disaster the challenges become more profound. There seems to be recurring views of these owners both before and after the disaster.Here are 7 challenges Small Business Owners face after a disaster:1. Illusion of Security2. Nothing could be done to protect against this3. Complete 360-degree disaster for the individual4. Self-imposed limits5. Imprudent use of financial resources6. Not understanding what is happening to their customer base7. Assumption everything will get back to normalStarting a business is a big achievement for many entrepreneurs, but maintaining one is the larger challenge. There are many standard challenges that face every business whether they are large or small. The largest challenge for small business owner is planning.Small business owners invest a tremendous amount of time, money and resources to make their ventures successful, yet, many owners fail to properly plan and prepare for disaster situations. You can protect your business by identifying the risks associated with natural and man-made disasters, and by creating a plan for action should a disaster strike. By keeping those plans updated, you can help ensure the survival of your business.When disaster strikes, having a plan and being able to put it into immediate action can mean the difference between staying open to service the needs of your customers and community or shutting down for a few days.I know, not another plan! Who has time for that?Resilience is different from preparedness. Where preparedness is something that you do; resilience is something that you become. In becoming more resilient, you as the owner should take intentional action. Do one thing today. (Just one thing). Do you back up your data? No, then get that done. Do you have an emergency contact list for your employees, suppliers, major clients? No, then get that done. Do you review you insurance policy every year with your agent? No, then get that done. Little by little, doing one thing moves you closer.You’ve finally achieved your dream. Don’t lose it to a power outage, hacker disruption, fire, earthquake or other disaster. If you’re not prepared, a disaster could put you and your employees at risk, possibly shutting down your business forever.
Branded – It Is How YOU Will Be Remembered!
BrandedThere was TV show when I was young about a US Army Cavalry Captain drummed out of the service for cowardice. A deed he did not commit. I still know the song and one line goes like this: “What will you do when you’re branded, will you fight for the name?” Have you ever felt like you were “branded” and as you walked around? Like everyone knew something about you and it changed the way they treated you? Was it untrue? The show lasted several years, with each episode negated the coward brand.When I think about the word “branded”, I go back to my cowboy days on the ranch. When branding day came, it came early in the morning with starting the fires. After getting the fire started, it was placing the irons in the red coals until they, too, were red hot. Next, comes roping the calves away from the herd and pinning them down. Hearing the bawling of the mothers who knew what was coming next still haunts me. The next sound, a sizzle and the smell of the iron as it burns into the flesh and hair of the calf. That branding smell is something you never quite get out of your nostrils, ever. The brand will never change on that hide.Branding your business is just as memory making. When people hear your name, your company name, your product, or your service, what flashes into their minds? The branding of a company takes thought, research, and imagination. Once the brand becomes recognizable, changing the brand usually means starting all over with a new business and a new business model, new clients.We brand people, too! Does that shock you? I know your mom, like mine said these words, “Don’t judge the book by its cover”, or “Sticks and stones can break your bones but names will never hurt you”. The opportunity is that names stick and being classified sticks.The branding of people is different. Once branded by others, we have a choice, to stand and re-brand or accept what has been branded on us. At this stage of life, I wear several brands. Some are hidden under old brands, some I am proud of, some I am not, and some I even earned.I was branded at an early age. I did not realize it until later in life. The fortunate part for me was that a good friend and mentor told me that everyone has a brand of some sort that is on them. I myself was branded at an early age of not being the sharpest knife in the drawer by a teacher and my mother agreed. Teachers know these things. So I reacted to the expectations and reacted accordingly. Mother knows best?My mentor went on to tell me that each time we are branded we have a wonderful opportunity to move ahead on the next great adventure. “What Great Adventure?” I asked.He continued on. “Re-branding is a natural part of life. You get to answer some new questions that are only yours and yours alone. What do you really want to be? What do you really want to do? Have you discovered your gifts and talents and how to use them? Where do you want to go? Who you become is up to you. You have a choice. Be miserable and accept the hand you were dealt or tell the dealer you would like a fresh hand. The adventure is that new insights added to the past insight to move you to the next level.” Change is possible.Let’s look at this situation another way. On the ranch when a calf is branded, the cherry red iron is placed on the hide of the calf. The brand does not change. It will be that way for as long as the cow lives. The calf will never have control of changing that brand. It labels where it belongs.People on the other hand can change their brand and do. I went from not the sharpest knife in the drawer to someone feared by the management at the company I worked for. I was the union steward. I was good. I never lost a grievance.But, one day I woke up and realized that instead of fighting against the management, I was protecting people that should have been fired and would have been without a big union protecting them. Employees lacking good work habits. I had the opportunity to really help my union brothers and sisters by weeding out the unwanted. I realized that the rest of the group was carrying the work load and having to work harder because I was protecting the useless. Most of them were not in the union, but had the same rights and access to the steward as those who paid dues. How much money does that cost a company when part of the employees work harder to cover for those who do little of the work? How many raises did the worker miss paying the wages for everyone?I handed in my union steward card. I re-branded myself again. I left where I had worked 20 years and went to be an office manager in another building. I had to re-brand and move on. The people who were my friends in the past now did not talk to me, called me things I will not repeat, and there was no going away party given for me.The realization was this: people followed others that spoke well, treated others with respect, and sought to be a helping hand to all. This sent me on a new adventure.Was re-branding myself easy? NO! Was it the most fun? NO! Was it the most exciting thing that I continue to do? YES! Today I look at the chance of re-branding daily. Some of my brands do not change. The moral and value code stays the same. I remain trustworthy, loyal, and respectful. The learning and searching continues on daily.The next great adventure (re-branding) was on to a new world of training others. This was the greatest responsibility so far I had been in entrusted with. Setting the example each and every day of how to do their jobs as well as be a representative of the company on and off the clock. From there it has been building new companies for others as well as my family. The only thing that has stayed constant is that, as you change, improve, and re-brand, you will grow. As you grow you have an opportunity to help others by being that mentor, that friend.How were you branded? Are you still wearing that brand or did you get a new one? All of us have an audience that we want to be heard by, to share ourselves with. Mine is simple and hard to do. Teach personal accountability and personal leadership to everyone that I am blessed to come in contact.