Deliver Your News to the World

NFIB News Tip on Emergency Preparedness for Hurricane Season


WEBWIRE

WASHINGTON, June 9 -- June marked the beginning of the 2005 hurricane season, and today, all eyes are on the Caribbean as the first tropical storm of the season develops. Scientists at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are predicting a 70 percent chance of an above-normal hurricane season, which could be devastating to some small businesses located in hurricane-prone areas.

The National Federation of Independent Business, the nation’s largest small-business advocacy group, conducted a Small-Business Poll in late 2004 to determine what type of impact disasters had on small-business owners.

According to the poll, in the last three years, nearly one- third (30 percent) of operating small businesses in the United States have been forced to shut their doors for 24 hours or longer due to a natural disaster.

As the storm season continues, NFIB experts will be available to discuss the data from our poll, and our small-business members can offer first-hand insight on how disasters affect their small business. A copy of the Small-Business Poll on Disasters is available at: http://www.nfib.com/object/sbPolls

To learn more, contact Melissa Sharp in NFIB’s Media Department at 202-314-2068 or melissa.sharp@NFIB.org

Fast Facts on Disasters’ Impact on Small-Business

-- While most disaster events are winter-storm related, the most destructive events individually are tornados, hurricanes and typhoons.

-- Sixty-two percent of those struck by a natural disaster say the biggest problem caused was the loss of sales and customers; 18 percent say that the biggest problem was uninsured loses.

-- Two in five (38 percent) small employers have an emergency preparedness plan, almost all of whom communicate it to their employees. However, most take actions that are effectively part of such a plan, purposeful or not.

------

The National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) is the nation’s largest small-business advocacy group. A nonprofit, nonpartisan organization founded in 1943, NFIB represents the consensus views of its 600,000 members in Washington and all 50 state capitals. More information is available online at http://www.NFIB.com/newsroom.



WebWireID2916





This news content was configured by WebWire editorial staff. Linking is permitted.

News Release Distribution and Press Release Distribution Services Provided by WebWire.