Advice: Draw Up a Business Disaster Plan

Sweet Savors Bakery pays $100 a month for disaster insurance on top its general insurance policy, coverage that's come in handy when suppliers inquire about the company's disaster preparedness. Combined with a written disaster plan, there's greater strategy and more peace of mind going forward. "We don't know if [a major hurricane is] going to happen again," Trinise says. But "if it happened, we'd come back and reopen."

Make a Plans A, B and C

A well-written disaster plan methodically outlines how you would handle both major and minor disasters that could affect your company. An earthquake is one thing, but what will you do if a key piece of equipment breaks or the business next door has a hazmat spill? "It's not just what happens to you, it's what happens around you," says Steve Elliot, founder and CEO of business continuity and disaster recovery consulting firm Elliot Consulting Services.

A good place to start is ready.gov, a Department of Homeland Security site that offers a wealth of business disaster planning tips. The Federal Emergency Management Agency estimates that 40% of small businesses wouldn't reopen after a disaster. Would yours?

Trinise says Hurricane Katrina taught her a lot about running a business, from self-reliance to creating a "disaster account" that the company can access quickly in a catastrophe, no matter how big or small. "If a disaster happens, you have these funds, [and] you don't have to wait on insurance," she says. "Always be up on your game. Be ahead of yourself."