When Your Santa Ana Business Needs Restoration | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

8/11/2021 (Permalink)

Let us assist you and your business if water damage occurs.

Our local team wants to help Santa Ana, Anaheim, and Garden Grove business owners succeed, and a big part of that is planning for unpredictable problems, like natural disasters. So, if you’re a local business owner, we want to ask you a question: Do you have a solid disaster plan?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic struck, business owners (and most everyone else) have seen firsthand how an unexpected disaster or event can impact daily life and force changes. Business owners have risen to the occasion during the pandemic by looking for new ways to reach customers, interact with them and provide services.

While pandemics aren’t predictable, it’s a good idea to plan for more commonplace threats that business owners face. That includes severe weather problems, fires and flooding.

Because your local SERVPRO team wants to be a resource for you, we’ve worked together to offer you some of the best advice available when it’s time to prepare for a disaster or a major business restoration project.

Ready to Restore Your Business

You can open your business and find success after a disaster. Here are some tips to help you get started with the process:

Your disaster plan is vital. Prepare for disasters before one strikes, and you’ll be more prepared for the aftermath of a fire, flood or another natural disaster. It will help you feel less overwhelmed when dealing with the process if you’ve already planned what you’ll do. You may want to think about moving your business to a backup location so you can continue operating.

Take plenty of pictures (and make an inventory, too). Your insurance company will want to know the extent of your damage before the cleanup process begins. You can document that by taking photos of it. It’s also a good idea to put together a list of lost or damaged items during the disaster.

Don’t neglect to update your community. Staying in touch with your suppliers, your employees, your customers and your wider community is a smart move. And it’s easier than you might think. You can use social media and other tools to make it happen.

If a fire, flood or any other cause damages your business, you can always count on us for restoration assistance. We have crews who are available ²⁴⁄₇ in the event of an emergency. Contact us at any time to learn more about our restoration services and how we can help you.

Assessing the Disaster Preparedness Efforts of Your Business | SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central

8/11/2021 (Permalink)

Do you have a Disaster Preparedness Plan for your Business?

Businesses are vulnerable to a variety of risks, which can be mitigated in many instances by planning ahead. Disaster preparedness is no different—having proper disaster precautions in place will allow you to stay safer and recover faster by making sure you know what to do both in the moment and during recovery. While there are a variety of disaster scenarios that could be possible, understanding what is likely to impact your business the most is key.

Understanding what disaster preparedness efforts you are already taking and where you could improve is much easier after doing a general assessment. By checking in with a few key metrics, you will know exactly where you stand on the spectrum of being prepared.

Your Commercial Insurance Coverage

While commercial insurance coverage is generally adequate for small-scale damages, during a natural disaster, there are often areas where it is inadequate. Adding policies is a common practice for business owners to ensure they are covered against all possibilities. Damages from flooding, operational interruptions and inadequate payout coverage are all things that can be protected against in advance.

Your Emergency Plan and Supply Kit

There are often only moments to react during a disaster scenario or emergency, making it vital that business owners have a plan in place for what to do. It is smart to plan for multiple scenarios—fires, floods and severe weather may all have different processes depending on the situation. In many cases, officials will order everyone to remain where they are, so making an office emergency kit would be a wise investment for your preparedness efforts, too.

Your Plan for Restoration and Recovery

The damages sustained during a disaster can cause an interruption in operations that can be devastating—but you can lessen the time recovery takes by planning ahead. Research the disaster loans offered by the Small Business Administration so you will know if you are eligible to apply. It is also wise to get to know the commercial restoration companies that service your area, so you can begin the damage cleanup process as quickly as possible after the danger has subsided.

If your business has been impacted by a disaster, you can contact us ²⁴⁄₇ for guidance on how to begin the commercial restoration process.

Get Your Business as Clean as Possible | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

7/30/2021 (Permalink)

Get your business Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned today.

Throughout the country, including Anaheim, areas are experiencing decreasing cases of COVID-19. Business are beginning to open, and the general population is getting back to shopping, eating out and attending outdoor activities.

As the world reopens, consumers are paying close attention to businesses and the precautions they take on behalf of their customers. Everyone wants and deserves a clean shopping or eating out experience.

It’s important that you offer them piece of mind and let them know your establishment is Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.

The Basics of a Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned program

The Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned program provides your business with an “order of magnitude clean” not just an “incremental clean.”

Once you have this elite designation, customers can rest assured they are entering a clean establishment.

Our advanced biohazard cleaning processes provide your business with a clean and safe environment for your clients, customers and employees. For anyone that comes through your door, that will provide trust and peace of mind!

These extra steps set us apart from other programs on the market:

Consult. Since all business are different, we’ll work with you to create a plan that works for your business. SERVPRO of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East is locally owned and operated, so we are familiar with the complexities of the area.

Clean. With the plan in place, it’s time to get cleaning. Our proprietary, hospital-grade cleaning solutions can’t be found with any other company. Your business will receive a degree of cleanliness that is unrivaled. Adhering to or exceed CDC standards is our policy.

Certify. The Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned shield can be displayed on windows, and we can also provide you a digital shield to be used for your online presence. This lets your customers know that they are about to enter a business that cares about their safety and well-being.

If you’re ready to get serious about sanitation and have your business Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned, get in touch today to get the best team in cleanup and restoration on your side.

Helping Your Business Thrive During Tough Times | SERVPRO® of Anaheim Central/Garden Grove East

6/7/2021 (Permalink)

Allow us to assist your business thrive during tough times.

We want business owners here in Garden Grove to know our team supports them.

One of the reasons we’re so passionate about that work is because our location is locally owned and operated.

Navigating pandemic changes is a challenge for business owners across the country. You’ve probably spent a good portion of your time recently working through new ways to connect with your customers and deliver services in new ways.

Many businesses have already opened their doors again, and others have found new ways to work remotely or offer products online.

That isn’t an option for everyone, though. Many restaurant owners, for example, are now offering takeout and delivery options in lieu of indoor dining. Outdoor seating is an option for some restaurant owners, too.

Other business owners are ready to get back to “normal,” though. They’re prepared to reopen as soon as they can and want to go back to serving customers face-to-face.

Take Advantage of Available Resources

You can find plenty of tools to help you navigate the new business environment. There’s support for you at every level to ensure you can continue serving customers and weather the pandemic.

Some of your options include information about available business loans and tips, advice and more from trustworthy resources.

The SERVPRO Difference

Our team wants to help you, too.

We’re available at any time to help you get your business “Certified: SERVPRO Cleaned.” That means a team of experts will use the latest technology to ensure your business is safe for everyone.

Here’s what’s involved in our process:

First, we’ll consult with you about your needs.

Then we’ll clean your space. And we mean really clean it! Our teams use proprietary EPA-Approved Hospital-Grade cleaning solutions. Plus, we use cleaning and decontamination standards directly from the CDC.

Finally, our teams certify your space.

If you need cleaning assistance at your business, we’re here. We have crews who are available ²⁴⁄₇ in the event of an emergency. Contact us at any time to learn more about our cleaning services and how we can help you.

A Quick Guide to Fire Preparedness for Business Owners | SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central

3/26/2020 (Permalink)

Fire Preparedness Tips for Business Owners. Are you employees prepared?

Business owners are in charge of a variety of things to keep their business operational, but one important thing that is often forgotten is making a fire preparedness plan. A fire can have a serious impact on a business, but those which are prepared often have a much easier time recovering and reopening their business’ doors.

When it comes to putting preparedness plans in place, the time required is relatively small and is well worth the investment. Understanding commercial fire codes, your own specific risks and how to keep yourself safe are a great start to fire safety for your business.

Fire Preparedness Tips for Business Owners

Follow code guidelines and inspection schedules. Checking the commercial fire safety codes by the National Fire Protection Association are a great way to kick off your fire preparedness efforts. Making sure you are following their guidelines, checking your equipment on schedule and keeping your fire exits clear are the first steps to a sound fire safety plan.

Identify your specific risks. There are seemingly countless reasons a fire could start in a business, but knowing where your weaknesses lie is an essential part of planning ahead. Think of things specific to your business that may put you at higher fire risk, such as equipment or chemicals that are kept on-site. Identifying these things ahead of time allows you to be extra vigilant for the future.

Create (and practice) a fire evacuation plan. If you employ workers on location at your business, getting them involved in the fire preparedness plans is essential to keeping everyone safe. Draft several evacuation routes that employees can use, and be sure to rehearse it regularly so everyone knows exactly what to do in an emergency.

Have regular fire safety seminars with staff. Creating workplace-specific fire safety guidelines to review with your employees will make sure that everyone remembers fire safety tips as they go about their daily tasks. Be sure everyone knows how to locate the fire extinguishers, when to pull the fire alarm and any other relevant tips that might come in handy during a fire.

If your business has experienced a fire, we’re here ²⁴⁄₇ to respond and begin restoration. Call us today to learn how we can help you. We're local - in Anaheim, CA.

Tips for Lessening Risk at Your Business

12/27/2019 (Permalink)

Being prepared for a disaster or an emergency can help protect your business!

While there are always aspects of owning a business that are risky, being able to plan for dangers and lessen our risk is an important part of being a business owner. One of the best ways to do this is by planning ahead for a natural disaster—because they are becoming more and more prevalent, knowing how to protect your business in an emergency scenario is wise.

Evacuation orders can come through at any time and there is often not enough notice to fully plan an escape. Therefore, creating a protocol in advance for what you will do during the moment of a disaster and how to get your business reopened in the aftermath can ensure you can get to safety quickly while still mitigating as much risk as possible.

Here are a few Natural Disaster Planning Tips for Business Owners

1. Double-Check Your Insurance
Every insurance policy is different, but in many cases, a single business policy is not enough. Catastrophic events such as natural disasters are often beyond the scope of coverage for insurance claims, requiring business owners to purchase extra commercial policies for their business to make sure they are protected.

2. Create Your Action Plan
An emergency action plan is the best way to get yourself and your employees to safety while still making smart business decisions. Making a physical plan that includes things like evacuation routes, local shelters, location of emergency supplies and the nearest medical facility will help you know exactly what to do when disaster strikes and tensions are high.

3. Rehearse Drills and Prepare Staff
Keeping employees in-the-know about disaster procedures will help everyone feel more protected should a disaster occur. Sharing the emergency action plan and regularly rehearsing it is the best way to make sure that everyone understands what the disaster protocol is and can follow procedures.

4. Choose a Restoration Company to Work With
In the aftermath of a natural disaster, recovering quickly is one of the most important things for businesses, as a lapse in operations can be devastating for financial security. For this reason, choosing your preferred restoration company well in advance is advised. By doing this, you can call immediately to have your restoration begun and work to reopen as quickly as possible.

If you need to pick a commercial restoration company that’s right for you, call us today! We can tell you all about what sets our process apart.

Making Sure Your Business is Ready for Disaster Situations

11/4/2019 (Permalink)

Many things must be taken into consideration on a day-to-day basis when you are a business owner, but one of the most important factors to think about is emergency preparedness.

Even though having a plan in effect does not stop disasters from happening, it is still helpful from a safety standpoint in making sure that your employees know what to do if a disaster or emergency situation should occur.

You Need a Plan

It is highly suggested that you take the time to sit down and work out an emergency preparedness plan for various disaster situations. Make it your No.1 priority!

There are numerous emergencies your business should have a preparedness plan in place for, including:

• Fire
• Severe weather, including thunderstorms and winter storms
• Other natural hazards like floods, hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes
• Human-caused hazards, including accidents or acts of violence
• Technology-related issues like power outages and equipment failure

Whether your business experiences a man-made incident or one created by nature, you need to have an emergency preparedness plan because if there is no emergency plan for your business, things may go from bad to worse quickly.

Make it a point to ensure that safety training and familiarization of emergency preparedness plans are included in the company onboarding process, team-building activities and continuing education opportunities. By helping employees familiarize themselves with proper safety protocol and emergency procedures, you’re not only giving them the tools to protect themselves, but you are also setting them up to help protect guests/visitors and the business itself.

Begin Here

As you look to begin to set up an emergency plan for your business, you’ll first need to evaluate which scenarios are most likely to occur—and those that are a longshot but could still happen. After all, it’s better to prepare for all the worst-case scenarios and not be caught off guard.

There are plenty of online resources to help guide you through this process, including Ready.gov, the American Red Cross, FEMA and the CDC.

You should also consider having a business impact analysis (BIA) done to help in predicting the potential effect a disaster may have on your business. This would include lost or delayed sales and income, increased expenses from repairs, and delayed implementation of business plans. Don’t forget to make sure a crisis communications plan is in place, too.

Once you have that emergency preparedness plan, make sure to go over it and practice the plan with employees, as reviewing and rehearsing various scenarios will ensure the process remains fresh in their minds and can help employees feel more empowered.

Disaster can strike when you least expect it, but by being prepared and having a plan in place, your business will be better suited to handle whatever Mother Nature has in store. If the worst should happen and your business is damaged, know that SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central is here to help make it “Like it never even happened.”

Creating a Disaster Plan for Your Business | SERVPRO® of Garden Grove/East Anaheim Central

1/24/2019 (Permalink)

Creating a Disaster Plan for Your Business

Who but Mother Nature could throw everything from floods, hurricanes and tornadoes to wildfires and earthquakes at us, proving that nothing is safe from her wrath? Preparation for a multitude of destructive scenarios is the key to rolling with the punches, so to speak.

Being prepared for these situations involves creating a natural disaster plan for your business. This blog will lay out some aspects to consider when designing that very important disaster plan.

Where to Start With Your Disaster Plan

There are many things you will need to consider when developing a disaster plan for your business. Included in those considerations should be:

1. How to protect your employees
2. How to secure your assets
3. How to get business up and running again

Many checklists have been made available through sources like the Red Cross, FEMA and Ready.gov that can offer information that will help you identify areas that need to be included in your natural disaster preparedness plan. These sources will also help you see just how prepared you truly are.

Employee and Visitor Safety

Protecting employees and visitors should be top on your list when making a disaster plan. If a disaster were to strike without warning, that plan should address procedures and safety measures for employees and visitors to follow at a moment’s notice.

All evacuation routes and exits from your facility should be clearly marked. Set up an area that can serve as a shelter space, consider installing emergency lighting, and have volunteer staff designated as “safety wardens” properly trained and ready to guide and assist in all emergency efforts.

When picking out a shelter space, the ideal location would be a basement or storm cellar in the event of tornadoes or other high-wind situations. If there is no basement space, use a small interior room, closet or interior hallway on the lowest level of the building.

Ways to Protect Your Assets

If your business is located in a brick and mortar location, you will need to make mindful choices about how to protect the assets on the inside. If there is equipment or merchandise, there could be thousands of dollars at risk in the event of a natural disaster occurs.

Always have a comprehensive and up-to-date inventory of these items, and, if possible, take photographs prior to a disaster as this is always helpful if insurance claims will have to be made. If you keep your assets stored on a computer server, take the steps necessary to ensure that your backup system is doing regular backups and utilize a cloud storage system, which cannot be damaged.

If you own your building, you can talk with a contractor about areas that could use improvement and upgrading with regard to structural integrity. The contractor will show you possible areas that need safety upgrades and advise on any areas that may fail during certain weather situations.

Starting Business Back Up

It is entirely possible that when a natural disaster occurs, your business will be shut down and inoperable due to damage and you will lose profits every day you remain closed. Setting aside an emergency fund for these situations will help with any additional costs that are not covered by your insurance.

Putting together a list of contractors who will be available for construction repair work and knowing which cleanup and restoration service will be available to quickly respond to your emergency situation can give you peace of mind.

With SERVPRO® of Garden Grove/East Anaheim Central, you can count on us to get to the disaster faster and make it "Like it never even happened." Our training and expertise have prepared us to help with water damage, storm damage, fire damage and mold remediation quickly and effectively.

Knowing what to do when disaster strikes your business is of the utmost importance. When it comes to the cleanup and restoration aspects, depend on SERVPRO® of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central to be there for you.

SERVPRO Saves Local Anaheim Elementary School From Water Damage After Heavy Rains

4/28/2016 (Permalink)

Commercial Equipment

Water Damage does not just affect residential homes. Quite often commercial properties are affected as well. Unfortunately, this time it affected a local elementary school in Anaheim, California.

While the school was under construction, there were unexpected heavy rains, which caused water damage to the structure in two separate buildings, including numerous classrooms. The contractor, who was in charge of the remodeling, was stumped on how to dry down the exterior cinder block walls, which had retained moisture for several months. They called us out to inspect and evaluate the situation. SERVPRO of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central was onsite in no time to help assist the contractor.

Once our Production Manager, Marc Cheeley and our crew were able to meet with the contractor and their affiliates, he was able to impress them with his knowledge of advanced drying technics to remove moisture from dense, hard to dry materials. SERVPRO of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central was immediately hired to assist with the Water Mitigation.

Due to the school being on a holiday break, SERVPRO of Garden Grove East/Anaheim Central worked side by side with the General Contractor and were able to perform the dry down process without disturbing any valuable school time. The School and the General Contractor were extremely happy with how fast and efficient the whole process went.