Are You
Ready? by David B. Walls, CAE, CMP
David B. Walls, CAE, CMP, is the Executive Director of the Maryland Trial Lawyers Association. In this capacity, David is responsible for the overall operations of the Association. Former Managing Director for ELM Services, Inc., Mr. Walls has spent almost 20 years in the association, meeting planning, and hospitality industries. He earned the prestigious Certified Association Executive (CAE) designa- tion (June 2004) and earned his Certified Meeting Professional (CMP) designation in 1991.
As I talk with fellow Executive Direc- tors and friends from Louisiana, Georgia, and Florida who were affected by the re- cent storms, I am reminded of fact that a natural or unnatural disaster could strike at anytime. The question to be answered is, “Is your business ready for an emer- gency?” How quickly you respond to an emergency depends on prior planning, preparation and practice. Committing to a plan will help support your employees and your clients.
It also protects your
business and gives you and your practice a better chance for survival. What you need to be prepared and
how can you prepare your business for the small and large emergencies can be found on a myriad of lists on the web. How- ever, one of the better sites can be found at
www.ready.gov, a web site of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. When entering the site, you have options to select three topic areas: “Plan to Stay in Business,” “Talk to Your People,” and “Pro- tect Your Investment.” Each section has step-by-step guides and templates that can be used “as is” or adapted to fit your par- ticular business model. If you think you are ready, you are not.
Unless you are like the small fraction of business who actually have a plan AND practice, you are not.
Consider the following: 1 If there was an emergency, do you and your staff know what to do?
Create a plan (simplified if need be), train your staff and talk to other businesses in your building.
2 If there was a disruption in the utili- ties (water/electric) do you have backups of your files and computer data? Store copies off-site.
3 If communications were disrupted, how would you communicate with your employees, clients and vendors? Consider cell phones, a phone tree or a voice call-in number.
4 If there were a fire in your office, would you have the resources to not only recover your files, but also to open a satellite office to continue your appointments? Store backup files (above) and consider alliances with other offices or firms.
5 Do you have the financial resources to meet payroll or pay your creditors for payroll continuity? Check your insurance and investment policies and talk with your accountant.
6 How will you plan for your own in- come if business is interrupted? Again, consult your accountant.
7 If a Senior Partner or key personnel were to fall ill or move on, would you know the critical operations to re- cover or survive? Have a plan and share it with your staff.
8 Does your office have the basic tools to protect your physical assets? Pur- chase fire extinguishers and smoke detectors.
This list could go on and on.
All MTLA members should consider taking the basic steps in starting to pre- pare for an emergency or a disruption in your business. Having a plan is the first step in the process; you must also prac- tice the plan so that when you need to put the plan in motion, you can survive and recover more quickly. Although we do not expect to have any natural disas- ters like the massive flooding in the south, in the last few years we have seen several businesses in the Annapolis and Baltimore harbor areas under water. Be persistent in establishing a plan for
your office and your home. Practice the routine. Winter weather is just around the corner and the Farmer’s Almanac is confident that this winter is going to be a cold and snowy one where we can expect disruptions in our utilities and work schedules.
DW On a personal note, I would like you Pre Settlement Funding • Law Firm Financial Products
John Friedson President
P.O. Box 1339 Rockville, Maryland 20849 (301) 984-0600 Fax: (301) 984-0719 Email:
jfriedson@hotmail.com 6 Trial Reporter Fall 2005
to remember the victims of these storms as you prepare for the holidays. Remem- ber to think about donating to charities that are assisting disaster victims. Instead of providing your clients and vendors with holiday gifts, prepare and send a short note explaining that you value your rela- tionship and have donated to a charity that will bring food, clothing and shelter to those who need it now. It is a time for sharing and caring and what better way to keep the MTLA motto of “Keeping Families Safe” than to provide the much need supplies to survive to the families that need it the most?
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