Fires can be devastating for businesses and it’s important that you are prepared. Unfortunately, a lot of businesses are not ready to deal with a fire because they don’t think that it will ever happen to them.
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It’s important that you have a clear strategy in place to get everybody out safely in the event of a fire. You should also install fire doors and curtains to limit the damage caused. However, no matter how prepared you are, it can still happen and it’s important that you have a plan in place to bring your business back. Your business is losing money for every day that you are closed, so it’s vital that you get up and running as quickly as you can. These are the steps you need to take to bring your business back to life after a fire.
Document Everything
In the aftermath of a fire, everything will be very chaotic, but it’s important that you document everything before you do anything else. You will need a full inventory of the damage for the insurance company, and this needs to be done before the cleanup can begin. You should also try to recover and copy any important documents that survived the fire. Throughout the cleanup process, keep a record of all of your expenses so you can manage your finances properly during the recovery period.
Make An Insurance Claim
Once you have an inventory of all of the damage, you need to contact the insurance company and make a claim right away. It’s going to be expensive to get things up and running again, and insurance claims can take a while to come through, so get the ball rolling as soon as possible. The more information you can give them, the easier it will be, so make sure that you have plenty of photos of the damage.
Call A Cleanup Crew
Getting the office operational again as soon as possible is a priority, so you need to call in a cleanup crew right away. Once everything is safe, you can get a fire damage restoration team in to start fixing the damage. Depending on the extent of the damage, this can take a long time, so expect to be out of action for a while. Make sure that you find a professional company that can restore your office as quickly as possible.
Consider Temporary Working Arrangements
If the cleanup is going to take a while, you should think of ways to get the business operating again in the meantime. It’s easier than ever for people to work remotely, so if you can, get people to continue their normal duties from home. You should also consider renting desks in a coworking space if you are unable to do things from home. Even if you cannot work at full capacity, you can still generate some revenue to help you through this difficult period.
A fire can be devastating to your business, but if you work hard and follow these steps, you can bounce back stronger than ever.
