Flood damage for small firms

Recent weeks have brought a stark reminder of the devastating impact of flooding on small firms. Floods across England have affected thousands of small businesses, damaging premises, equipment and vital records, and forcing customers to look elsewhere, at least temporarily.

Statistics show that many businesses struggle to fully recover from such a serious business interruption, particularly businesses such as beauty salons, restaurants, pubs and local shops, which often depend on regular custom for their success.

Mike Bowman, MORE TH>N BUSINESS, said: "Sadly, flooding incidents seem to becoming more and more a fact of business life. So it's vital that firms take every step possible to protect themselves by creating and implementing comprehensive business continuity plan. As a minimum, that means drawing up flood contingency plans and making sure they have adequate business insurance policies in place."