How to Save Face in a Crisis

This article was written by Mark Nowlan of Entrepreneur.com

Crises come in all shapes and sizes, from national crises that impact all types of organizations to industry-specific crises. Whatever the type, the way in which you manage a crisis can have a long-lasting effect on your business.

So what's a small business to do to manage a crisis effectively, especially considering they're not always predictable? Actually, you can anticipate far more than you think. A little forethought and planning can make even the worst crisis more manageable and improve your chances of successful recovery. The key is maintaining control.

Pre-Planning

Long before a crisis ever occurs, there are several steps you can take to ensure that you're ready to react at a moment's notice. To start, establish a crisis communication team. If you're a larger business, this team should consist of senior management, legal and communications advisors.

For smaller businesses, this "team" may simply consist of yourself and a PR advisor and lawyer you've established a relationship with and can call on at a moment's notice. These individuals will be responsible for creating and executing the crisis response and managing the situation as it unfolds. ...