Attention Small Businesses: Get help to improve resiliency to natural disasters, hazards
In recent years, local businesses on Cape Cod have faced unprecedented economic challenges. In addition to adapting to the pandemic, there are many diverse impediments to overcome for a small business to improve its resilience to storms.
The business continuity planning (BCP) process is designed to help small businesses prepare for, plan for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from any natural hazard or disaster that may occur. A BCP program sponsored by Woods Hole Sea Grant and Barnstable County’s Cape Cod Cooperative Extension aims to help Cape Cod small businesses develop plans to respond to and recover from disasters and build resilience in advance of an emergency. This effort builds on the 2021 economic resiliency effort (https://capecodcommission.org/our-work/business-recovery-planning/) by the Cape Cod Commission that provided a multi-part workshop series designed to help Cape Cod business owners navigate COVID-19 recovery and resiliency strategies. The current effort is to pilot the BCP template with an expanded emphasis on recovery from storm impacts.
This month businesses can apply to become one of the twenty selected to participate in the program, which provides 1-on-1 technical support to build a business resiliency plan. Businesses selected to participate will receive assistance assessing their vulnerability to various disasters, a business resiliency plan, as well as a $100 Gift Card. Please consider participating as you’ll be helping us refine the toolkit to help other small businesses while enhancing your own experience and confidence in anticipating, preparing for, and recovering from a natural disaster.
More information (as well as the online application) is on our website https://seagrant.whoi.edu/bcp/). Please consider spreading the word!
