Lessons Learned in Disaster Recovery

You Have One Year

The circumstances of many of our country's disasters are very different but also very much the same: loss of lives, loss of homes, and loss of jobs.  In addition to what affects us all beyond the horrible loss of lives and property is the complete, catastrophic effect on the small-business community.  Depression, confusion, and utter chaos face every business owner in the wake of a disaster — they are the really underserved and under-recognized population.

I say this because business owners not only have their own homes, families, and personal losses to deal with. They also face the added burdens of their businesses, employees, and employees' families. This fact often goes unnoticed.

Chambers play an important leadership role in helping to keep the spirit alive and hope in the forefront for the small-business owners — especially in the first few days and into the first year after such an event. We learned this post 9/11. With support from the U.S. Chamber reaching out across the country, other chambers came to our rescue in the way of donations of one-year memberships in the Manhattan Chamber. We began a "Small Business Grant Fund" and within the first five months after 9/11, we gave out more than $150,000 to local businesses. I and various other chamber and board members went to the businesses in lower Manhattan to hand them checks and talk with them about their issues.

"Within the first five months after 9/11, we gave out more than $150,000 to local businesses."

This personal contact with us was one of the most important initiatives for these business owners. They appreciated the grants to help pay a bill or go toward payroll or rent, but it was the hands-on caring that most of the business owners really needed. We kept in touch with many of them during the first year, but a good many of them couldn't survive and eventually went out of business. Our city, state, and federal governments and the business community also undertook several important initiatives to support and rebuild. One of the most important was the one that kept the communication lines open — the most critical need of communities after a disaster strikes.

Our chamber, along with the NYC Better Business Bureau, FEMA, American Red Cross, libraries, universities, and city and state representatives, pulled together a 9/11 Small Business Council made up of about 40 different organizations. After 9/11 several neighborhood community-business nonprofits were established and they too were included in this Council. We developed a group e-mail list and met every two weeks, sharing all of our experiences, successes, and challenges and taking it back to our respective members, neighbors, and business owners. We met with local legislators, keeping them abreast of what was going on at the ground level so that they could communicate to their city councils, state assemblies, and congressional and other leaders. And, we kept on top of the legislators,
letting them know the pitfalls of many of the programs and lobbying to get more funding.

"By keeping everyone in the loop through all the local organizations we helped to cut down the confusion."

We held panel discussions and open forums, always including media, and made sure that all of the information regarding grants, loans, program applications, etc. was accessible to our constituents.  By keeping everyone in the loop through all the local organizations — both government and nonprofits — we helped to keep the dialogue open and cut down the confusion, making sure that everyone knew of all the programs to help them, where to go to apply, and what was and was not working.

One of the other components to taking a leadership role is constant vigilance in holding all government agencies accountable for their actions. As you may have heard, even today, six years later, we are finding that monies earmarked for businesses in lower Manhattan went to businesses in Ohio and to companies in other states that were in no way directly affected by 9/11. In the process of mass chaos, there has to be a voice of reason, and it is the chamber. Our legislators must hold all agencies responsible for grants and loans, and the business community has to keep pressing them to see funding distribution reports. It's our job to keep the media pressure on the agencies and funders, as well. After one year, when many of the grants had been set, public and private monies distributed, and thousands of SBA loan application submitted, many of the groups started to fraction off and pursue their own community needs.

"You only have one year to keep your communication lines open before breakdown starts to happen."

You only have one year to keep your communication lines open before this breakdown starts to happen. Infighting and "my neighborhood needs it more than yours" will occur (maybe even before a year's time), and you lose your ability to be an efficient group. Or perhaps you will be lucky and your bond will continue. But whatever the case, chambers must take advantage of those first few days to channel all organizations into one, to support your community, and to be the conduit
that keeps information flowing directly to your business
owners and back up to the legislators.

1615 H Street NW, Washington, DC 20062     (t) 202-463-3133     (f) 202-463-5308     (e) BCLC@uschamber.com

By Nancy Ploeger, President, Manhattan Chamber of Commerce

Read Full Report: Business Disaster Assistance and Recovery: Long-term Recovery Issues and Case Studies