Over the past week hundreds of thousands have been affected by the floods in southern Alberta. The impact will carry forth for months and perhaps years to come. Having lived and run a business for 12 years in Calgary, much of it in some of the affected areas, the devastation has touched me personally.
How often has a tragic event, affecting you directly or someone you care about, led you to claim that you will make changes to prevent a similar occurrence happening to you?
Someone suffering a heart attack prompting you to claim to shift your health. Someone dying prompting you to claim to live more freely and happily. A flood or other natural disaster prompting you to claim to make changes in your business or living scenarios to, hopefully, minimize the impact next time something devastating happens.
Did you actually make the changes?
If you are currently affected by these recent events I truly hope the impact is minimal and that your life and business will rebound quickly and fully.
If you’re at a distance watching everything unfold like I am, what lessons are you learning that may lead to change in how you run your business and live your life?
What’s your contingency plan?
While there is no perfect plan and no guarantees it will make the difference you hope for, here are some key questions to ask yourself that may prompt change.
Preparing in advance for the future
- Do you have business interruption insurance?
- Do you have contents insurance for your home (office) or place of business?
- Do you know what your insurance does cover and what it does not cover?
- Do you have all digital information pertaining to your business backed up and safely stored off site?
If you have to leave in a hurry
- What would you take? Why?
- What is essential to get your business back up and running once you are able to do so?
Getting going again
- How can you effectively run your business from another site or virtually?
- How long can you go without income before it becomes a significant concern?
- Do you have a savings or contingency fund for times of need?
- Do you have means of generating income that do not require your physical presence?
- Should you?
This is by no means a complete list of questions related to your contingency plan. It is meant to get you thinking, to get you asking questions of the right people, and to get you devising a plan that will serve you and your business should you ever find yourself in a situation that many of our friends in southern Alberta have been experiencing this past week.
I truly hope it never happens to you.
If you are currently experiencing the many challenges of being in this region and having your life and business impacted, how can we help? Even the best laid contingency plan needs the help of others. If there is a way our little community of entrepreneurs can act to support please comment below. Someone in our community may be in a position to help in the exact way you need.
Remember…
“Life is meant to be embraced, enjoyed and fully lived, not merely endured!”
To your success,
Brent
Be an advocate of Entrepreneurial Freedom. Please share this with anyone you feel would enjoy the content. I appreciate your support in growing our community of entrepreneurs!
Beginning with a degree in exercise science and kinesiology, Brent Haydey has evolved over thirty years as an entrepreneur; building four businesses, and as a health, executive, and life coach.