The Washington Small Business Development Center partnered with Disaster Resistant Business Toolkit Workgroup to make the DRB’s toolkit available free to Washington small businesses.
The DRB Toolkit is a comprehensive software tool that is customizable and designed to help small business owners build an emergency program, including creating or enhancing, updating and testing the company’s disaster plan. This helps companies deal with unexpected disruptions to operations due to fire, loss of power, natural disasters, civil disturbances and other emergencies that could have long-term impacts on business.
The toolkit provides a simplified approach by using an interactive software application that has video prompts to guide the user through information input. With this input, the program creates a disaster plan, also known as a business continuity program, that helps a business return to normal delivery of services and ensures the safety of employees.
The plan addresses critical elements including employee training.
“The best thing about the DRB Toolkit is that no one needs to be an expert in business continuity to use it,” said Ines Pearce, DRBTW founder and president. “All of that expertise is built into the tool itself.”
Businesses interested in working with the WSBDC to develop a disaster plan, or to receive a code for a free copy of the DRB Toolkit in Washington, should contact their local SBDC advisor through www.wsbdc.org. For more information about the toolkit, go to www.drbtoolkit.org.
by Mary Hopkin
Tri-Cities Area Journal of Business
