Small Business & Flu Preparedness

September 23rd, 2009

UMaine Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of economics Jim McConnon is available to discuss the importance of advance planning by small business managers to prepare for a possible flu outbreak in the coming months.

The story:  Like schools and other institutions, small businesses, which play a large role in keeping local economies moving, also should plan ahead for the possibility of widespread employee absenteeism in the event of an H1N1 flu outbreak in the coming months.

The hook: UMaine Cooperative Extension specialist and professor of economics Jim McConnon, an authority on small businesses and their impact on the economy, is available to discuss some of the suggestions recommended by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in conjunction with the U.S. Small Business Administration, the national Centers for Disease Control and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Business managers should draft a plan outlining how to work around employee absenteeism and how they can maintain adequate inventory in the event of supply chain interruptions resulting from absenteeism among product distributors.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, small businesses are especially susceptible to the negative economic impacts of a flu pandemic. An estimated 25 percent of businesses do not reopen following a major disaster, the department says, citing research by the Institute for Business and Home Safety.

Planning from the outset can help offset business losses and protect businesses and employees if and when the flu hits. Benefits of planning include: minimizing disruption to business activities; protecting employees’ health and safety; and limiting the negative impact to the community, economy and society.

Additional details are available on the Homeland Security Web site here.

Contact information: McConnon can be reached at 581-3165 or by email here. Please contact George Manlove at 581-3756 for assistance if necessary.