Ready Business - From the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

Homeland Security Urges Small and Medium-Sized Businesses to Take Steps to Prepare for Emergencies; New PSAs Explain Importance and Dispel Myths about Difficulty and Costs

http://www.ready.gov/business/index.html

Monday October 31, 9:01 am ET

Ready Business, an extension of the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security's successful Ready campaign, is designed to
educate owners and managers of small to medium-sized businesses about
preparing their employees, operations and assets in the event of an emergency.
To help spread this critical message, Homeland Security, in partnership with
The Advertising Council, has sponsored new business-specific public service
announcements (PSAs).

According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses
represent more than 99 percent of all employers; provide approximately 75
percent of the net new jobs added to the economy; and represent 97 percent of
all U.S. exporters. Unfortunately, small to medium-sized businesses are also the most vulnerable in the event of an emergency. By taking some steps ahead of time, many of these businesses can be better prepared to survive and recover after an emergency, thus making the nation and the economy more stable.

Although most businesses agree emergency preparedness is important, too few are taking the necessary steps to prepare. According to an October 2005 survey of small businesses conducted by The Ad Council, 92 percent of respondents said that it is very important or somewhat important for businesses to take steps to prepare for a catastrophic disaster, such as an earthquake, hurricane or terrorist attack. However, only 39 percent said that their company has a plan in place in the event of such a disaster. Qualitative research with this audience demonstrated that even though many acknowledge the value of preparedness, they see time, workforce and money constraints prohibiting them from developing a business continuity plan. The goal of these new Ready Business ads is to show that developing an emergency preparedness plan can be relatively easy and cost-affordable.
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