Almost anything can happen. The recent flooding in certain areas of the Midwest - including parts of Michigan, Ohio, and Indiana - brought businesses to a standstill. Many of those businesses were underwater for days, and owners and personnel were not allowed access until government inspectors arrived at the property and issued written permission to enter.

Ask yourself the following questions – what if:

• you lost power for several days or weeks?
• your business phone was down for a lengthy time?
• you had no access to the internet?
• important documents were destroyed that only existed in paper form?
• your business location was severely damaged or you were unable to access it?
• one of your best staff members who “knows everything” was unreachable?
• your suppliers were unexpectedly shut down?
• the services you rely on every day were completely shut down, such as roads or channels of communication?

Thinking about the worst things that could happen to your business can help you deal with smaller risks that may be more likely to happen. Suggestions from professional advisers (such as your Wright Beamer attorney, accountant, insurance carrier, and financial officers) and brainstorming with your staff, suppliers, and customers, will bring you many different perspectives and ways to address the risks.