According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, small businesses represent more than 99 percent of all employers; provide approximately 75 percent of the net new jobs added to the economy; and represent 97 percent of all U.S. exporters. Unfortunately, small- to medium-sized businesses are also the most vulnerable in the event of an emergency. By taking some steps ahead of time, many of these businesses can be better prepared to survive and recover after an emergency, thus making the nation and the economy more stable.
Although most businesses agree emergency preparedness is important, too few are taking the necessary steps to prepare. According to an October 2005 survey of small businesses conducted by The Ad Council, 92 percent of respondents said that it is very important or somewhat important for businesses to take steps to prepare for a catastrophic disaster, such as an earthquake, hurricane or terrorist attack. However, only 39 percent said that their company has a plan in place in the event of such a disaster. Qualitative research with this audience demonstrated that even though many acknowledge the value of preparedness, they see time, work force and money constraints prohibiting them from developing a business continuity plan. The goal of these new Ready Business ads is to show that developing an emergency preparedness plan can be relatively easy and cost-affordable.
The new PSA campaign, titled “Experience Lines,” was created by Chicago-based business-to-business agency Slack Barshinger and includes print, radio and Internet PSAs. Designed to reach managers and owners of small to medium-sized businesses in a number of industries, the advertisements encourage business people to visit the Ready Business campaign . The Web site and other Ready Business materials provide practical steps and easy-to-use templates that can assist businesses in tasks such as creating an evacuation plan; planning for fire safety; considering people with special needs in their plans; securing facilities and equipment; and reviewing insurance coverage.
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