Giving local businesses a survival “check up” and helping them plan to stay open for business when unexpected events disrupt service is the topic of a free workshop being offered by the Delaware Business Resiliency Initiative on July 31 at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce , New Castle.
The Business Survival Check Up, held in partnership with New Castle County Chamber of Commerce’s Emerging Enterprise Center and Discover Bank will run from 8 to 11 a.m. at the chamber office at 12 Reads Way.
The workshop will help local businesses take proactive steps including a self-assessment and preparation of a business survival “ready kit” that includes important documents and supplies essential for a business to get up and running quickly in the event of disruptions.
Experts from financial, legal, IT, insurance and other areas will look at business continuity preparations and strategies. Through a donation from Discover Bank, the workshop also will feature, a continental breakfast, small gifts for all participants and a drawing for a gift card.
“Any kind of surprise disruption — the loss of power for days, a road closure in front of a business or a computer crash or cyber-attack – can interrupt operations and cash flow,” says program coordinator Carrie Townsend. “A small investment of time now in planning and preparation can reap huge benefits later and get a business back up and running quickly. Our business survival ‘checkup’ can help with self-assessment and simple steps that will safeguard small businesses and give peace of mind to owners.”
The Delaware Small Business Development Center (SBDC) with the help of a grant from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) recently launched the Delaware Business Resiliency Initiative, a program to provide long term assistance so businesses are prepared and ready for anything.
Registration is required to participate in the workshop. Go to http://www.ncccc.com/events or call the Delaware SBDC at (302) 856-1555 or email ctownsen@udel.edu to register for the workshops or for more information about the Delaware Business Resiliency Initiative. Or visit our website, www.dsbdc.org to learn about all programs, services and locations.
The Delaware Business Resiliency Initiative will include other training and informational workshops, webinars, a readiness tool kit and one-on-one counseling for small businesses. in Delaware as part of its mission to educate on preparedness and business continuity. Delaware is among 11 states impacted by Hurricane Sandy to receive grant funding for this type of outreach.
Delaware businesses certainly need to plan for hurricanes and other acts of nature such as flooding, fire, drought, snow that could impact their operations. Other disruptions that could be anticipated and planned for included power outages, construction near a business that displaces or reroutes traffic, infrastructure and IT malfunctions.
The SBDC, a unit of the University of Delaware’s Office of Economic Innovation & Partnerships, provides business advisory services for free in all three counties in Delaware through funding from the SBA, Delaware Economic Development Office, the University of Delaware and private sector organizations.
The Emerging Enterprise Center is a business incubator located at the New Castle County Chamber of Commerce. The EEC provides a comprehensive program of Support, Access and Advice to early-stage businesses in a nurturing environment, so they can focus on Growing their Business, Developing Business Skills, and Graduating with a Scalable Business Model.
