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Businesses need to have contingency plans for getting the manpower they need.Assessing responsibilities to others.A marina may have pledged to haul ves- sels out of the water if a hurricane is ap- proaching. A barge may be contractually obligated to deliver goods before a dead- line, without regard to weather-related events, such as a flood-stage river that is no longer navigable. These types of con- tracts should be reviewed carefully and modified if necessary to protect a busi- ness from being committed to performservices that may not be achievable. I PP TH TTH After a disaster, commerce grinds to a halt locally, and the flow of income is in- terrupted as businesses lose the ability to operate and customers find alternatives. The long-term effect can be substantial. The American Red Cross estimates that 0 percent of small businesses never re- open after a disaster. But here too, plan- ning can make a difference. A business continuity plan that is spe- cific to a company?s situation can address a number of factors so the response to a disaster is well organized and almost au- tomatic. Elements of such a plan can in-clude: an alternative worksite, an employee notification process, appoint- ing a logistics lead for continuing opera- tions, and a communication plan forcustomers, suppliers and others.While such plans can range from rela-tively simple to very extensive, many re- sources and templates exist to help companies prepare. ften an insurer?s risk control services will include assess-ing business continuity plans and provid- ing assistance in identifying strengths andweaknesses. Insurance agents can also behelpful in working with businesses to an- nually review plans so they are properly updated with current information. aving business interruption or loss of income coverage as part of a company?s insurance can also be a critical compo-nent of the plan, especially if it is with thesame insurer that provides the property coverage. aving a single insurer can streamline the claim process and allow a business to better focus on getting back to business. II T TH STS Contingency plans can make the differ- ence between whether a business survives or sinks after a natural disaster strikes. nfortunately, many businesses simply overlook the planning process, believing that their insurance alone is enough. The fact of the matter is proper risk manage- ment and preparing to survive demand both. By working with agents and carri- ers, marine business owners can put solid pre- and post-disaster plans in place, andstand a much better chance of riding outthe storms that may be headed our way. July 2011www.marinelink.com 15CCTI In the May 2011 column Todays Ports ? Tomorrows Pres- sures, we inaccurately cited a statistic. We apologize for this error and share the correct statistic as follows ? According to the World Factbook, in 2010 in the nited tates received nearly 2 trillion in imports, taking the number one posi- tion among all countries, and shipped out close to 1.3 trillion in exports, third behind China and Germany.