The Swine Flu - Protecting Your Business

In the wake of any disaster (man-made or natural), small business is often ill-prepared to respond to the unfolding situation. The current pandemic watch affords many small business owners some time to prepare for business impact.

Waiting for the possibility for any disaster to unfold can be crippling. In fact, disasters result in business disorientation and environmental detachment as revealed by the work of Thomas Powell, "Shaken, But Alive: Organizational Behavior in the Wake of Catastrophic Events." Whether or not, a pandemic alert is issued, the fear of a pandemic can affect your business. The SARS crisis in Toronto created fear and many businesses experienced a slow down. To plan for the swine flu pandemic consider the following tips:

• Restrict Travel to Affected Areas: Companies have already begun to implement disaster planning by restricting non-essential travel to affected areas including Mexico, Texas, California, Kansas, Ohio, New York, Nova Scotia and British Columbia.
• Prepare for Staff Shortages: Up to 30% of your workforce could be absent from work for up to three weeks due to sickness, fear of becoming sick, or caring for family or friends, according to GlaxoSmithKline report "Pandemic Influenza Risk Management for Employers."
• Conserve Cash: Expect for a slow down in revenue and profit. The GSK report found a severe pandemic flu could reduce an revenue by 8% and profit rate by 16% or more during the quarter of the pandemic.

More resources:

CDC states U.S. swine flu virus same as deadly Mexican virus, About.com Rare Diseases

Swine Flu Epidemic in Mexico, California, and Texas, About.com Infectious Diseases

CDC Monitoring Mexico Swine Flu Outbreak, About.com US Government Info