Ready For Anything | Disaster Preparedness

About this workshop

Disaster Preparedness is the third session of our 6-Part Series, Ready For Anything, designed to prepare small businesses in the New River Valley for unforeseen challenges, and to help you develop a plan to move forward once the dust settles.

Unexpected disruptions can put employees, customers, and business operations at risk, especially during severe weather events such as Hurricane Helene. This session will help business owners strengthen their disaster preparedness plans by developing clear emergency procedures, identifying critical safety protocols, and preparing staff to respond quickly when a crisis occurs.

You’ll learn how to

• Develop emergency procedures for flooding, power outages, and building evacuations
• Identify safe assembly locations and communication procedures for employees during an emergency
• Prepare “Grab-and-Go” kits with essential supplies and business information
• Evaluate site-specific risks and emergency response considerations for Southwest Virginia businesses
• Create step-by-step response instructions that support employee safety and operational readiness

Who should attend

This workshop is designed for small business owners and entrepreneurs in the New River Valley who want to improve workplace safety, strengthen emergency preparedness procedures, and better prepare their teams for unexpected disruptions or disaster events.

What you’ll walk away with

Attendees will leave with practical emergency preparedness tools, draft response procedures, and clearer guidance for protecting employees and responding quickly during a disaster. Participants will also gain resources for building site-specific preparedness plans that support business continuity and safety.

Presented by

Business Advisors with the Roanoke Regional SBDC and New River Valley SBDC, along with guest facilitators/subject matter experts.

Before you attend

Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop or tablet to participate in live workshop activities focused on their business’s unique situation.

Location

Workshops are held in-person at CoWorks @The HUB, 801 East Main Street, Radford, VA 24142.

In-person attendance is recommended, but classes will also be broadcast virtually and a Zoom link will be provided prior to the session date.

Free parking is available.

Registration

There is no cost to attend this workshop, but registration is required. While you are not required to attend all six sessions in the Ready For Anything Series, attending the full series is highly recommended to create a comprehensive plan. The class material is specially designed to benefit the unique challenges of small businesses in the New River Valley region, however Virginia small businesses outside of this area are also welcome to attend.

Fine Print:

This is an interactive workshop.

Our workshops, events, and programs are designed with a small business owner in mind. Actionable, sharing of ideas, and takeaways to keep things straight.

The SBDC reserves the right to cancel a workshop/event/program for insufficient enrollment, weather emergencies, and other unforeseen circumstances. Should a cancellation occur we will use the email you provided to contact you. Pre-registration is required. If an event is canceled or postponed and you have not pre-registered we will not be able to contact you. All programs of the Virginia SBDC are open to the public on a non-discriminatory basis. Reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities will be made if requested at least two weeks in advance.

This project was funded in part by GO Virginia, a state-funded initiative administered by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) that strengthens and diversifies Virginia's economy and fosters the creation of higher wage jobs in strategic industries.