MasterCard Survey Shows 84% of Small Business Owners not Worried About Natural Disasters

A new survey from MasterCard International found that more than 84 percent of U.S. small business owners are not worried that a natural disaster will affect their business within the next 12 months. And while most small business owners are not worried that a disaster will impact their business, 77 percent admit that their businesses are not fully prepared should one occur. MasterCard conducted the survey in advance of National Small Business Week, which began April 10. The theme for this year’s U.S. Small Business Administration conference in Washington DC is the impact of natural disasters on small businesses.

When asked about their top concerns following a natural disaster, 25 percent of small business owners said that losing customers would be their top concern. The second most identified concern (20 percent) was the loss of financial records. Nearly 80 percent of small business owners said that they do back up their business’s financial records, including 52 percent who create CD or hard drive back-ups that they store off-site.

“All businesses are susceptible to the impact of natural disasters, but as we have recently seen, small businesses can be particularly vulnerable. Most disasters are unforeseen, but having a business continuity plan that addresses employee, business and financial needs can help small businesses recover quickly,” said Bruno Perreault, Group Head, Global Small Business and Mid-Sized Enterprises, MasterCard International. “MasterCard understands the challenges facing small businesses, and is committed to supporting their growth and success.”

The survey was conducted by Harris Interactive and polled approximately 506 small business owners in the U.S. between March 24 – 31, 2006.

To coincide with these survey results, MasterCard offers the following tips to help small business owners make sure that following a natural disaster, their employees are safe, their assets are replaced and their financial data is secure.

1. Keep important financial records organized and safe – Make backup copies of all critical files such as accounting and employee payroll data, as well as customer lists, and inventory and store these records in a safe off-site location. If your business’s financial information is online, via your financial institution’s web site, you can access your information and direct payments to your suppliers or other partners even when you may be away from your office.

2. Maintain up-to-date contact information for critical parties – Have customer and vendor phone numbers, addresses and email addresses handy so you can notify them promptly if your business has to suspend operation. Make copies of contact information for professional advisors as well, such as lawyers, banks, and credit card and insurance companies so that you know how to reach them in an emergency.

3. Empower employees to keep the business moving – Empower employees to keep the business moving by providing them with business debit or credit cards to use when they make business-related purchases. If in an emergency or other situation you decide to allow employees to make non-business purchases with those cards, contact your issuing bank to give them more flexibility. You can advance employees cash, extend credit limits or loosen restrictions on the types of purchases the card will allow.

4. Make your business more agile – Enable employees to access email and other IT capabilities, such as shared hard drives from remote sites, so they can continue working even when they can’t get to the office. Providing key employees with mobile phones, PDAs and handheld email devices will also allow them to stay in touch with customers and access company information from virtually anywhere.