Putting together a contingency plan for natural disasters may sound like a low-priority item for your to-do list. But having a plan in place will save you countless hours should your business be affected by Mother Nature.

When developing a disaster contingency plan for your small business, answer these questions:

If a disaster occurs and your office, plant or store is unusable, could you operate out of your home or a nearby storefront?
Could you quickly transport critical items such as computers, inventory and equipment?
Could you save replaced equipment and reactivate it in an emergency?
Could you store inventory, equipment and supplies off-site?

Answering these questions will help you to focus on the ways you can keep your business up and running in unforeseen circumstances.

Once your plan is ready, discuss it with your employees so they know what to do if a situation arises.