97 percent of Rhode Island businesses have 500 or fewer employees, and many of them have fewer than five employees. Chambers of Commerce are the natural connection to small businesses to educate them about their vulnerability and to create the necessary linkages for business recovery. Chambers are now recognizing that the DRBA is a value-added service to their members. The director will distribute work with all the Chambers of Commerce throughout Rhode Island. Lessons Learned From DRBA Projects Without business restoration, communities do not recover.
Business recovery is crucial to the community's employment and tax base.
Many small and medium sized businesses lack the insurance coverage necessary to stay open for business and to recover fully from disasters. Chambers of Commerce provide an excellent vehicle to reach businesses about disaster recovery and can incorporate disaster recovery as a value-added service. The DRBA should be business funded with dues based on company size, and business managed to assure that activities meet member needs and are cost effective. Partnerships with the state and local economic development agencies, along with the Federal Small Business Administration, are essential to understand area business needs. It is important to integrate the DRBA philosophy into business strategic planning, which emphasizes protection of assets.