In Wake of Winter Storms, Pennsylvania SBDC Stresses Business Continuity Preparations for Small Businesses
Philadelphia, PA (PRWEB) February 06, 2014 -- As close to 500,000 homes and businesses are still without power from winter storm Nika, the Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC) are encouraging businesses across Pennsylvania to prepare for the next round of severe winter weather. In a message to its network of small business owners, the SBDC urged businesses to consult with their local SBDC for strategies to be better prepared for adverse weather.
“The SBDCs are ready and able to assist small business owners who have been impacted by power outages and other effects of the winter weather,” said Pennsylvania SBDC State Director Christian Conroy. “Sometimes it takes a power outage for businesses to realize that they should be planning for these types of business interruptions in advance,” he concluded.
As recipients of U.S. Economic Development Administration and Hurricane Sandy Disaster Relief grants to help small business owners on business continuity strategies, the Pennsylvania SBDC maintains trained business consultants ready to assist in responding and preparing for situations such as power outages. The project was launched as a result of the damage to businesses in Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania from Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in August and September of 2011.
Education on cloud-based software, mobile-ready strategies and ways to optimize a company’s online presence are a key part of the business continuity and survival consulting being offered by the SBDC. Businesses receive personalized consulting on search engine optimization (SEO), eCommerce and other ways to bolster their online sales to help supplement their local in-person sales. Small business owners are also encouraged to develop mobile-ready strategies to be able to work remotely and communicate with staff during emergency situations. Pennsylvania business owners interested in learning more about these services can contact their local SBDC or visit http://pasbdc.org/business-disruption.
Kelly Cofrancisco, Pennsylvania Small Business Development Centers (SBDC), http://www.pasbdc.org, +1 (215) 746-6474, [email protected]
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