Louisiana SBDC offers no-cost disaster, cyber help; encourages business owners to plan now for Hurricane Season 2021

MONROE, La., April 1, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- As the State of Louisiana prepares for a potential early hurricane season in 2021, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center is offering business continuity, disaster planning and cybersecurity services at no-cost to Louisiana small business owners.

It's no secret that Louisiana's 2020 business year was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, tornadoes and hurricanes. When business is disrupted it costs money, and many small business owners have found out that insurance does not cover all costs and cannot replace customers.

Louisiana SBDC State Director Carla Holland said the importance of having a plan to protect both physical and digital assets can't be overstated.

"Being able to acquire the tools to thrive in business the first time is a challenge, so we want to make sure that our small business owners have an increased chance to not have to buy them a second time due to a disaster," Holland said.

The Louisiana Small Business Development Center network announced its SBDC CARES Act  initiative in March, which is a program that allows the Louisiana SBDC to expand its small business technical assistance service to specialty consulting for existing small business owners and entrepreneurs who were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The SBDC CARES Act initiative is designed to serve only existing small business owners in the state of Louisiana who were in business prior to March 2020. As part of the initiative, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center has brought on Theresa Jones, CSA to work directly with business owners to develop a continuity plan and offer cybersecurity planning at no-cost.

"Businesses that fail to plan, fail. Please don't let this be you," Jones said.

Small business owners are encouraged to contact Jones directly by email [email protected] or visit the Louisiana SBDC website at www.louisianasbdc.org for more information.

SOURCE The Louisiana Small Business Development Center