When living in Florida, you always need to account for the next hurricane to swing by. That includes business owners. Commercial buildings are just as prone to weather-related damages as any other home but with added considerations. Make sure you’re ready for hurricane season with this complete checklist for business owners in Tampa. If you need to file a claim, Altieri Insurance Consultants is the partner property owners rely on!

What to Prioritize as a Business Owner

Business owners have much more to worry about when it comes to protecting their property including employee safety, protection of assets like inventory, machinery, client data and documents. With so many things to consider, where do you even begin? Tampa business owners should prioritize the following in this order:

1. Everybody’s safety always comes first. This includes employees, customers, clients, and especially yourself. Make sure everyone has an evacuation plan in case of an emergency.
2. Next, you should take appropriate measures to protect the building. You should upgrade your commercial property to mitigate certain damages like those caused by wind, rain, flooding and fire.
3. Finally, plan for everything that goes along with property insurance settlements. Know exactly what to do when it comes time to file a claim and how you can navigate the process smoothly for a fair paycheck.

Step One: Have An Emergency Plan In Place For Your Employees

Everyone should be on the same page when it comes to emergencies at your workplace. It doesn’t matter if you have five employees or a hundred, every single life matters and your emergency plan should be detailed enough to reflect that. Have specific evacuation routes planned out for each area of your property and vividly mark emergency items like fire extinguishers and first aid kits.

Step Two: Protect Important Documents and Information

Data is a vital resource, almost as much as physical necessities like food and clothing. This is especially true if you’re in a career field where personal information is used regularly like in law or finances. You should have a backup plan in place to safeguard your client’s confidential files for their safety and the sanctity of your business. Make sure you have a cloud based system, and proper cyber security protections (and insurance).

Step 3: Get a Professional Property Inspection Followed By Repairs

Hurricane-related weather conditions like water and wind can do a number in vulnerable spots like cracks along the edges of the wall or holes in your roofing. To limit the damage done to your commercial property and ensure that you can resume business as usual after a hurricane, get a professional inspection done ahead of time and make the necessary repairs. Having a relationship with a roofer ahead of time, ensures priority response in a hurricane situation.

Step 4: Review Your Insurance Policy to Make Sure You’re Covered

Finding out after a hurricane that your damages aren’t covered by your policy can be a huge blow to your business. Hire an insurance consultant for a policy review to make sure that you’ll be receiving a fair settlement after a hurricane. Do this before you start seeing the warnings on the news.

Step 5: Find a Team of Insurance Consultants You Can Trust

Having the right kind of insurance isn’t always enough to ensure that your business receives the funds you need for repairs to get back on track. Insurance providers might still try to give you a run for your money, so you should already have a reliable team of Public Adjusters on standby when you need them most.

Meet Your Local Public Adjusters at Altieri Insurance Consultants!

At Altieri Insurance Consultants, we want you to be safe and to keep your business thriving with public adjusters you can rely on to help you get your life back. Find out why we’re the partner property owners rely on for correct insurance settlements and a timely recovery.