ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE Dear (Customer Name): Can you imagine sending the following letter to all your customers? 'Dear Customer: Last weekend an explosion destroyed all our accounts receivable recor...

AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE: A CHECKLIST FROM THE AMERICAN RED CROSS When preparing your family plan, fill in the blank lines on this page. Following an earthquake, check the boxes as you compl...

ALL-RISK Dear (Customer Name): You don't know for certain which horse is going to win the Kentucky Derby, or which stock will double next month. You can never be certain about what the future will ...

A FIRE CAN DO MORE THAN JUST DAMAGE YOUR BUILDING Dear (Customer Name): If a serious fire occurred at your ( ), your first thought would probably be for the immediate...

Every company faces crises that have the potential for doing serious damage to its reputation, image, and/or financial stability. Events that might’ve been minor or even unnoticed a few years ago could now wind up on the evening news or on page one of the newspaper. While some incidents are insignificant, others can be devastating. Yet when they occur it’s often difficult, if not impossible, to know whether the problem will evaporate or escalate, blow over or boomerang.

In a small company, the death of the key executive can often trigger a complete business failure. A larger business can take basic precautions,...

DISASTER PLANNING MANUAL - PART 1 It's probable that you'll be swamped by calls from policyholders about what to do before and after a catastrophe. Keep a generous supply of the following four chec...

DISASTER PLANNING MANUAL - PART 2 The first step to developing a catastrophe contingency plan is to outline the steps that must be accomplished in the event of a disaster. Once you know what needs to...

DO's AND DONT's FOR DEALING WITH THE PRESS DOs 1. Appoint one person in your organization to be the media contact to answer media inquiries. All such calls should be referred to that p...

You own your home, have your own business, and drive a new car. Though you are not rich, you are comfortable. It will be a shame to lose it all if someone sustains injuries by your car or at your home or place of business.