Winter Weather Preparedness: Essential Steps for Protecting Your Small Business 

Winter in California brings unique challenges for small businesses, from power outages and road closures to floods and severe storms. These disruptions can affect operations, revenue, and customer relationships. Proactive preparation is the key to minimizing risks and ensuring your business weathers the season safely and successfully.

To get started, focus on identifying how seasonal conditions could disrupt your daily operations. Consider risks such as supply chain delays, limited staff availability, or extended closures due to unsafe travel conditions. Planning ahead can help you stay resilient and maintain critical functions during even the most unpredictable weather.

Key steps to safeguarding your business against winter disasters:

Prepare your Inventory and Emergency Kit- Stock up on essential inventory to avoid shortages during a disruption and double-check that your emergency winter kit has the necessary supplies for you and your employees, including snow removal tools (like shovels and rock salt), sand for traction, and portable heaters for backup heat.

Create a Communication Plan- Create a comprehensive communication strategy for your employees, vendors/suppliers, and clients. It will help ensure everyone is informed and prepared in an emergency. Be sure this plan includes an easily accessible, off-site list of essential contact information for critical parties like your contractors, insurance agent, building owner, and the local emergency departments. Our Business Resiliency Roadmap can guide you through creating a customized plan.

Plan for Power Outages- Invest in a backup generator or coordinate with a nearby business with one to ensure continuity during outages.

Review your Insurance Coverage- Many people may not be aware that insurance policies typically exclude flood, mudslide, debris flow, and other similar disasters. Talk to your insurance agent to ensure your coverage is up to date and your business is sufficiently protected against weather-related risks. This guide from California Department of Insurance offers a good resource with tips to best protect your assets.

Stay Informed with Weather Alerts– Sign up for real-time weather alerts through the FEMA app and local emergency alerts via Cal Alerts. Consider keeping a portable radio on-site for updates during a severe weather event. Consider keeping a portable radio on-site and know your local emergency radio stations for updates during a severe weather event.

Review FEMAs Protective Actions- FEMAs Protective actions provide practical, well-researched guidance for businesses to prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters.​

Respond During and Recover After the Event- Prioritize the safety of employees and customers throughout the event. During severe winter weather, keep entryways clear of snow and ice, and be aware of cold-weather hazards like hypothermia. For extended closures, arrange for someone to check indoor temperatures to prevent burst pipes. Following any storm or flood, immediately assess damage, coordinate necessary cleanup or snow removal, and communicate next steps to your employees. If your area is declared a federal disaster, explore options for applying for SBA disaster assistance. CalOSBA’s SCALE network partners are a resource for you to reach out to for support.

These essential steps can significantly strengthen your business’s resilience. Preparation during “blue skies” allows you to think through potential issues clearly, so when severe weather hits, you are executing a plan rather than scrambling to react. Proactive preparation is the most critical tool you have to minimize risks, ensure continuity, and protect your staff and assets, allowing your small business to weather any storm the California winter may bring.

Revised November 2025