The Forum of Private Business says
SMEs can be particularly vulnerable
to the impact of freak weather and
should check their premises are
winter-proof, that insurance is up to
date, and contingency plans thoughtout
in case staff can’t get to work.

Jane Bennett, head of campaigns, says:
“The past few winters have
demonstrated just how susceptible the
UK is to extreme weather, and the cost
to business quickly runs into millions.

When infrastructure grinds to a halt
staff can’t get in to work, and that’s a
body blow which hits small firms with
fewer staff the hardest. Prevention is
better than cure; something as simple
as making sure water pipes are lagged
could save a business thousands in lost
revenue if it has to close because of
flooding. Businesses need to think
about their contingency plans now to
ensure they aren’t put out of action by
another nasty winter.”
According to data from YouGov’s
Omnibus SME survey, 13% of small
businesses said they were ‘seriously’
impacted by last winter’s bad weather;
37% said they experienced weatherrelated
problems of some sort.