Don't Let Your Business Go Up In Smoke

Smoke damage can destroy paper documents and electronic equipment, like laser printers and hard drives. Due to its unique behavior, smoke damage is often difficult to understand. Like any hot air, smoke migrates to cooler areas and upper levels of a structure, and is not confined to the area affected by the fire. Smoke often flows through plumbing systems, using holes around pipes to go from floor to floor and damaging equipment throughout a building.

What to Do if You Have Smoke Damage
If you have fire insurance, contact your insurance agent for suggestions and advice. If you rent, contact the owner so you both can assess the damage. The restoration process is greatly affected by the type of smoke and smoke damage in a fire. For the fastest possible response, business owners should familiarize themselves with the varieties of smoke damage.

Types of Smoke Damage
Fires create two types of smoke damage — visible soot and invisible odor. Because each fire is different, it's not possible to provide one set of guidelines on how to remove soot and odor.

• Wet Smoke - Low heat, smoldering, pungent odor, sticky, smeary. Smoke webs are more difficult to clean.
• Dry Smoke - Fast burning at high temperatures.
• Protein - Virtually invisible, discolors paints and varnishes. Extreme pungent odor.
• Fuel Oil Soot - Furnace puff backs cause fuel oil soot.
• Other Types - Include tear gas, fingerprint powder, and fire extinguisher residue.

Contact a reputable smoke damage repair service in your area, or your local chamber of commerce for more information on smoke damage restoration.

Remember These 3 Steps:
To better prepare yourself for a fire or smoke damage:

• Discuss with your insurance agent what's covered in your existing policy.
• Refer to the preparation guidelines outlined above and on the Fire Insurance page.
• Consider a membership to Agility's ReadySuite.

Agility's ReadySuite: A Complete Mobile Recovery Unit
A membership with Agility's ReadySuite ensures you have a mobile office to keep your business running, even if your physical space is completely destroyed. You're provided with emergency space and equipment, including computers, servers, and satellite telephone and internet link-ups—all within 48 hours of an emergency declaration.

Stay Connected With Customers—Before They Connect With Someone Else
If your business is destroyed, insurance will pay to rebuild it. But how do you maintain operations while rebuilding? Most customers won't wait in the interim: they'll take their business elsewhere.

ReadySuite is a simple, turn-key solution that lets you continue operations without interruption, regardless of the circumstance. Take the guesswork out of ensuring business continuity in the wake of a disaster. With ReadySuite, continuity and peace of mind can be yours. All for an affordable $275 a month.

ReadySuite is Virtually Risk-Free
If there ever was an event, most business interruption insurance policies will cover the cost of ReadySuite. (Verify that's the case with your provider.) That makes ReadySuite a virtually risk-free way to ensure your business survival.

Call to learn why ReadySuite has a 100% success rate—and how its mobile recovery solutions can be applied to your business. Your call will be returned in one business day.

Be prepared in the event of any disaster—natural or otherwise. Learn more about Agility's ReadySuite.

Other Resources
Public resources for small businesses: www.business.gov/topics/research_resources

The United States Small Business Administration: www.sba.gov

The American Better Business Bureau: www.bbb.org

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration: www.osha.gov

The Federal Emergency Management Agency: www.fema.gov

Agility Partners