Economic Development Recovery and Resiliency Playbook - Flipbook - Page 85
Tips for Taking Action
Immediately Afer a Disaster
In the days immediately following a disaster, many
local leaders and stakeholders may experience an
overwhelming desire to take action to support a reeling
business community; however, it can be dificult to
ascertain exactly which measures and activities are
most appropriate during such a time. The following are
a few recommendations to help local government staf
and economic development stakeholders support their
business communities in the days immediately following
an incident.
Define your purpose and take action accordingly.
Assess local government capabilities and those of
resource partners relevant to business needs and fill
the gaps in services with purpose. Don’t assume that
others will fill the gaps that exist, and be flexible and
open to changing roles and not being constrained by an
organization’s pre-disruption profile.
Act with urgency. Time is of the essence, so
Community members obtain support at the Santa Rosa Local
Assistance Center following a disaster.
local governments should be quick to deploy but
adaptive in execution. It is likely that the business
community’s needs will evolve rapidly, as will the availability of resources.
Provide a central resource for information, ofen called a Joint Information Center (JIC). Sharing important information
— such as data on the severity of the incident, timelines for restoration of vital services, recovery checklists, and contact
information for health, safety, and business relief resources — can be helpful as employers and entrepreneurs develop shortterm strategies for their businesses. This may take the form of a website, social media or text message platforms, call centers, a
physical location, or a combination of these.
Act as convener of business resource partners to coordinate strategy. By taking action to organize resource partners
around a common business relief strategy, local governments and economic development staf can streamline communications
and avoid redundant activities. To aid in this efort, the ofices of elected oficials, agencies such as the SBA District Ofice, local
and regional economic development organizations, GO-Biz, and CalOES can be asked to help coordinate and disseminate
information about the meeting.
Use small business data to drive decisions and priorities. By using previous small business surveys and data sets regarding
the types and composition of the local business community (see Chapter 4 for more on these tools), local governments and
resource partners can make sound decisions regarding the most efective way to deploy resources in immediate recovery
eforts. For example, if the composition of the local business community is predominantly sole proprietor professional services
firms, the rapid return of internet services may be key to business stabilization. For a business community composed of
primarily retail and restaurant locations, the most efective priorities may be physical damage assessments, debris recovery,
and storefront grants. Data generated by conducting regular local businesses censuses and assessments can serve as a useful
tool for developing a recovery strategy immediately following a disaster.
Promote resources across multi-language and local media. Local governments can augment their business
communications eforts by inviting local media including radio, television, and newspapers to help communicate available
resources to small businesses. Short public service announcements about how to access business relief, particularly on culturally
and linguistically diverse media channels, can be invaluable both in disseminating information and inviting small business
owners to respond with requests for resources. For communities that are remote or under lockdown due to incidents such as a
pandemic, webinars and digital meetings can provide critical information sources. Communication eforts should include careful
attention to disability accommodation to ensure that vulnerable populations have equitable access to information.
Recovery Deep Dive: Engaging Businesses Before, During, and After Disruption
77
