As we all watch the tragedy unfold in Texas, Contractors must have a real world view of how to proceed after the storm has receded. While we watch heroes pull people from their flooded houses and cars, we are subconsciously thinking about where we go from here. What will happen to fuel prices and resin prices, and how we will respond after this trauma of the enormous storm has passed?
First, don’t be selfish; keep your greed in check and realize that there is work to be had without taking advantage of the people that have lost their homes and property. While most scheduled work will be put on hold there will be many opportunities to help out; do not be afraid to donate services to get started on helping existing customers and friends. A little goodwill in the beginning will serve all involved well. There will be insurance money to come after the initial work and cleanup begins.
Second, make a plan. It is important to protect your brand, help people, and keep your financial stability intact, all at the same time. These concepts are not opposing concepts; you can do the right thing and protect the base of your company at the same time. I fact, you can strengthen it. No reasonable person expects a contractor to do work for free unless it is specified donation work; help out where you can, and offer up discounts to get new work moving. You can be part of the solution or part of the problem.
Third, make sure you file your own claims and take care of your own people. If you are like many of us, you have people, equipment, and projects in the areas flooded by Harvey. It is important that you don’t lose sight of your own losses. Stay on top of your claims and replace important equipment to service the need that is to come.
Fourth, realize that even though the storm may slow things down temporarily, the damaged property will need to be repaired or replaced. It is important to put yourself in position to service the work that is to come. Do not lose sight of the future; many of the projects that you have completed will need repairs and some will need total replacements. Be ready to serve your customers well, and be fair in pricing the replacement of your installed work. If you are fair, then you will be treated right and you will have goodwill that will lead to jobs in the future.
Don’t be afraid to work. Above is a picture of me working last week on a job that my crews could not get to. If you are willing to serve the customer by getting the hard work gone yourselves, your employees will be wiling to go the extra mile to get the work done. Not every owner can get to a job site and work, but it has a visual impact that can motivate both your customers and your employees. It is important that you don’t ask people that work for you to do things that you are not willing to do.
The idea of this article is to emphasize that you can navigate through natural disasters in a responsible way so that you can impact the community positively and protect the core of your business at the same time. It is irresponsible to take advantage of a natural disaster for extra profit, but it is not wrong to protect the core of your business by retooling to keep your emplyees working during a time that might be challenging.
Moral: Don’t panic. Keep to your core beliefs and do not act irresponsibly; you should protect your employee’s pay while helping your customers. It is possible to be part of the solution without losing money. A little help to those in need will go a long way. Don’t get lost – stay focused on the future.
Resin Adviser 
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