Protecting Your Florida Business From Hurricane Damage
Florida Hurricane Insurance Claim Lawyers
Just as important as protecting your home from a Florida hurricane is protecting your business. Damage to your business can not only mean property damage and loss of equipment but can mean the loss of the revenues and income that you rely on. It is crucial that you do everything within your power to protect your business and keep it running. For the majority of companies in these tougher economic times, weeks or even a couple days of being down can doom your hard built business to failure. However, even a hurricane does not have to spell disaster for you if you know how to prepare effectively.
First of all, remember that hurricane insurance is crucial. With the right insurance you may even be able to be compensated for lost sales due to effects of a hurricane. However being able to be compensated for property damage, damage to office equipment and lost data can be essential to being able to survive in the aftermath. So check your insurance policy now and make sure you are fully covered. Watch out for the fine print. If in doubt take your policy to an attorney and have it reviewed.
In the case of an imminent hurricane and an evacuation for your area of Florida whether it is Miami, Tampa, Tallahassee, Naples or Sarasota you need to keep in mind the need to both protect your business premises and the need for your employees to prepare and protect their homes and families. Protect the interior of your office, even if it is on the 20th storey of a skyscraper by covering all equipment with plastic and moving furniture and equipment away from windows and if possible into areas with no windows. Take important files with you.
Make sure to allow employees sufficient time to get home and prepare even in the case of a voluntary evacuation. Helping them to prepare early in advance of any hurricanes will make things easier when a hurricanes is approaching because your employees are already prepared and need less time off. Also have plans in place for communicating throughout the storm and following days and if possible a way for employees to work from home or another location so that you do not suffer lost income and that they can protect their jobs. Remember if you are in an office complex or building your access may also be limited by the building management to minimize risks.
Many businesses will find that they can easily continue to operate throughout any hurricane emergency providing they have planned properly. Using toll free numbers or Internet phone services combined with cloud computing file storage options, you can easily ensure business continuity. In fact with proper preparation you could easily find that a hurricane could help you leap ahead of less prepared competitors and gain market share.
When comes to having to file a claim for property damage after a hurricane, you will find just like with your home that insurance companies will do their utmost to limit the amount they have to payout and drag out claims as long as possible. This means the need to seek out professional representation from a specialist law firm that can battle on your behalf to make sure you get all that you and your business deserves.
