How to Deal with Business Disruptions Video

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How to Deal with Business Disruptions

Ivy Hartman: Location, location, and location it feel the success of your small business. So how often you spend all that time and effort on your location, what happens when an active nature or another unexpected emergency occurs to disrupt your business. A water main break along the road outside of your business, a major fire or storm could damage your building or a road closure could affect your carefully laid business plans without notice. As cities across the US repair their crumbling and out dated infrastructure some small business owners are finding that they're location is not so perfect anymore. We talked to three small businesses that are experiencing a major highway shut down near their location even though these owners had plenty of warning will this be a business burden or will it be business as usual. Schneithorst is a local restaurant and bar that’s become an icon for natives in the area, Steve Stockhausen has been in Schneithorst since he was 18 and its now managing it. Steve Stockhausen: It’s kind of a unique situation based on the fact that a major artery has been closed down. So what we did, is we had maps produced professionally and then we brought them in and put them—actually insert them into our menus for our guest so they can be better educated on different alternative routes on how to get to us. It’s all been very good, costumers were very appreciative and they were very surprised that were was so many different alternatives. Ivy Hartman: Schneithorst is located right along a busy intersection near the highway and because of its location it is served as an essential meeting place for half a century. Steve Stockhausen: We’ve been at this location since 1956 were currently, were family owned and fourth generations. Ivy Hartman: Poptions is a brand new business next door to Schneithorst. Andrew Fruendlich open this one of a kind gourmet popcorn store as his very own start up business just four and a half months ago. Andrew Fruendlich: When I sign my lease here in the early part of 2007 that you know I was well aware of what was going to go on highway 40. I knew about it but, I felt confident because of the location, because of the cotenants I have here with Starbucks and Cold Stone and Schneithorst but all of the investments in the bank here that there was going to be a lot of traffic right into this center. And I think in a unusual kind of way its going to help our business, its going to drive more traffic, more people will see us and they’ll see this and hopefully on TV I've got some good publicity through out the media at the rest of the town. And I think its going to drive more traffic to our stores. I mean we are truly the only gourmet popcorn store in Saint Louis so if anybody wants it they're going to figure out the way to get here. Ivy Hartman: Pete Nettle Metal has been Salon owner for 35 years and those are a thing or two about how the unexpected can affect business. Pete Nettle: We had sewer back up, water coming to the salon, we've had power failures like everybody, many times in the last two years. Computers go down, no blow driers, no clippers, no lights, no air conditioning. So yeah, that was a real challenge. And believe it or not some people still wanted to hurt us. No lights, we cut, we would pull chairs up to the windows and to do the people’s hair. Ivy Hartman: Pete owns to two local salons and says that there schedule is the only thing that’s been affected by the highway closure. Pete Nettle: Right now we don’t see much difference other than people running late calling to say that “I’m sorry, I’m stuck traffic” nobody said that I'm not going to come in anymore. Ivy Hartman: Some retailers are offering a concierge service complete with a personally shopper and a carrier service that deliver it right to your front door all you have to do is call email or fax your order 24 hours in advance. And that extra cost is actually absorbed by the customer. Despite these major business obstacles, these businesses remain optimistic. Andrew Fruendlich: I expect that we’ll do just fine until the construction is complete. And I’m thinking they’ll maybe even finish it earlier than they plan to. Steve Stockhausen: I would like to be an optimist you know that’s the number one question. What do you expect and I tell people to come back in a month and I will tell you, so you know were kind of, were in the darkest as well as anyone else. The first few days however I’ve been very pleasantly surprised. Overall were hoping to match our sales of last year and that’s the course were going to take now. If it doesn’t worked out that way then were going to have to start adjusting our staffs. Pete Nettle: We will definitely have more traffic, definitely. The trick is get them out the core and then the door. Ivy Hartman: Got any ideas or you're going to think about them. Pete Nettle: I thought about putting the signs out saying “Does the city in the traffic get your hair cut”. Ivy Hartman: Nail. Quick nail Male: And nail is done, whatever. Ivy Hartman: I liked it. Pete Nettle: Get refreshed instead of sitting in traffic. Ivy Hartman: Has there been much traffic along here in the— Pete Nettle: In the evening, it gets bumper to bumper. Ivy Hartman: Already pop is experience how a problem like this can be big news which is great for business. Andrew Fruendlich: No exaggeration I’d probably had 20 to 30 people coming in the last week that saw on the news that never heard about popcorns they are thrilled to hear about us and those are—its all new costumers and free advertising. Ivy Hartman: With the highway closing being relatively new, these businesses are preparing themselves by providing maps of alternative routes. Taking advantage of the extra publicity through the news stories, offering special deals and promoting gift cards. We’ll be checking back with these businesses throughout the highway closing to get their first hand knowledge and advice on how to deal with the business interruption like this one. Also in our follow up coverage we’ll provide guidelines on how you can prepare your small business as well as details on business interruption coverage. I'm Ivy Hartman reporting for sbtv.com. Small business is our only business.

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Ivy Hartman: Location, location, and location it feel the success of your small business. So how often you spend all that time and effort on your location, what happens when an active nature or another unexpected emergency occurs to disrupt your business.

A water main break along the road outside of your business, a major fire or storm could damage your building or a road closure could affect your carefully laid business plans without notice. As cities across the US repair their crumbling and out dated infrastructure some small business owners are finding that they're location is not so perfect anymore. We talked to three small businesses that are experiencing a major highway shut down near their location even though these owners had plenty of warning will this be a business burden or will it be business as usual.

Schneithorst is a local restaurant and bar that’s become an icon for natives in the area, Steve Stockhausen has been in Schneithorst since he was 18 and its now managing it.

Steve Stockhausen: It’s kind of a unique situation based on the fact that a major artery has been closed down. So what we did, is we had maps produced professionally and then we brought them in and put them—actually insert them into our menus for our guest so they can be better educated on different alternative routes on how to get to us. It’s all been very good, costumers were very appreciative and they were very surprised that were was so many different alternatives.

Ivy Hartman: Schneithorst is located right along a busy intersection near the highway and because of its location it is served as an essential meeting place for half a century.

Steve Stockhausen: We’ve been at this location since 1956 were currently, were family owned and fourth generations.

Ivy Hartman: Poptions is a brand new business next door to Schneithorst. Andrew Fruendlich open this one of a kind gourmet popcorn store as his very own start up business just four and a half months ago.

Andrew Fruendlich: When I sign my lease here in the early part of 2007 that you know I was well aware of what was going to go on highway 40. I knew about it but, I felt confident because of the location, because of the cotenants I have here with Starbucks and Cold Stone and Schneithorst but all of the investments in the bank here that there was going to be a lot of traffic right into this center. And I think in a unusual kind of way its going to help our business, its going to drive more traffic, more people will see us and they’ll see this and hopefully on TV I've got some good publicity through out the media at the rest of the town.

And I think its going to drive more traffic to our stores. I mean we are truly the only gourmet popcorn store in Saint Louis so if anybody wants it they're going to figure out the way to get here.

Ivy Hartman: Pete Nettle Metal has been Salon owner for 35 years and those are a thing or two about how the unexpected can affect business.

Pete Nettle: We had sewer back up, water coming to the salon, we've had power failures like everybody, many times in the last two years. Computers go down, no blow driers, no clippers, no lights, no air conditioning. So yeah, that was a real challenge. And believe it or not some people still wanted to hurt us. No lights, we cut, we would pull chairs up to the windows and to do the people’s hair.

Ivy Hartman: Pete owns to two local salons and says that there schedule is the only thing that’s been affected by the highway closure.

Pete Nettle: Right now we don’t see much difference other than people running late calling to say that “I’m sorry, I’m stuck traffic” nobody said that I'm not going to come in anymore.

Ivy Hartman: Some retailers are offering a concierge service complete with a personally shopper and a carrier service that deliver it right to your front door all you have to do is call email or fax your order 24 hours in advance. And that extra cost is actually absorbed by the customer. Despite these major business obstacles, these businesses remain optimistic.

Andrew Fruendlich: I expect that we’ll do just fine until the construction is complete. And I’m thinking they’ll maybe even finish it earlier than they plan to.

Steve Stockhausen: I would like to be an optimist you know that’s the number one question. What do you expect and I tell people to come back in a month and I will tell you, so you know were kind of, were in the darkest as well as anyone else. The first few days however I’ve been very pleasantly surprised. Overall were hoping to match our sales of last year and that’s the course were going to take now. If it doesn’t worked out that way then were going to have to start adjusting our staffs.

Pete Nettle: We will definitely have more traffic, definitely. The trick is get them out the core and then the door.

Ivy Hartman: Got any ideas or you're going to think about them.

Pete Nettle: I thought about putting the signs out saying “Does the city in the traffic get your hair cut”.

Ivy Hartman: Nail. Quick nail

Male: And nail is done, whatever.

Ivy Hartman: I liked it.

Pete Nettle: Get refreshed instead of sitting in traffic.

Ivy Hartman: Has there been much traffic along here in the—

Pete Nettle: In the evening, it gets bumper to bumper.

Ivy Hartman: Already pop is experience how a problem like this can be big news which is great for business.

Andrew Fruendlich: No exaggeration I’d probably had 20 to 30 people coming in the last week that saw on the news that never heard about popcorns they are thrilled to hear about us and those are—its all new costumers and free advertising.

Ivy Hartman: With the highway closing being relatively new, these businesses are preparing themselves by providing maps of alternative routes. Taking advantage of the extra publicity through the news stories, offering special deals and promoting gift cards. We’ll be checking back with these businesses throughout the highway closing to get their first hand knowledge and advice on how to deal with the business interruption like this one. Also in our follow up coverage we’ll provide guidelines on how you can prepare your small business as well as details on business interruption coverage. I'm Ivy Hartman reporting for sbtv.com. Small business is our only business.

Transcription by: Scribe4you Transcription Services