Planning for a worst-case scenario

There are problems in any business that an owner can anticipate. For example, you keep a stock of spare parts to avoid downtime should a piece of processing equipment break down. Your food safety programs help to avoid recalls, and your worker safety practices help to prevent injuries and OSHA fines. You can look at livestock forecasts to see if there will be any raw materials shortages, and you can avoid losing key employees by keeping them well-paid and satisfied at their current job.

There will always be things that are outside of your control. That could include anything from a natural disaster, like an earthquake, tornado or hurricane, to something like a fire or a flood. It’s scary to think that your business could be destroyed overnight, but it is a possibility. I’ve written several stories about plant fires this year. Having spoken to processors who recovered from fires, it can be a long, painstaking process to rebuild and recover.