This chart is intended to help businesses in the development of emergency and disaster preparedness plans. The information it asks for is used to assess the user's areas of vulnerability in the face of natural disasters and other emergency situations. With this information, business owners can make their operations more resilient and ultimately more sustainable.

The emergency preparedness program offers classes and one-on-one advising to help small businesses prepare for emergencies and natural disasters. June 1 marks the beginning of hurricane season and 2011 is predicted to be a very active year. Hurricanes can produce dangerous winds, storm surge, torrential rain, serious inland flooding and tornadoes posing a serious hazard to people, property and business activities. "Emergency Preparedness is about examining your processes and taking steps to protect your employees and business assets," said Deirdre Pattillo, project manager with the UTSA Small Business Development Center Contracting Reource Center.

This report, created by The National Academy of Sciences, discusses how communities can anticipate and limit the effects of both natural and human-caused disasters. With the ultimate goal of making communities worldwide more resilient, this report focuses on the potential of collaboration between private and public sectors to achieve this goal as disasters become increasingly intense and the global population continues to grow.