Crisis Management

As a marine business owner or manager, you have probably weathered a lot of unexpected events, from storms, fires and flooding to pandemics, recessions, low water and even health issues experienced by you, your team and your families. You know the benefit of being prepared and having a place to turn for assistance.

MRAA, Sea Grant, BoatUS and our marine association friends and partners are dedicated to supporting you, your employees and your customers in times of crisis. Below are some resources we’ve gathered to help. But this is just a start. 

Please contact us for further assistance: 763-315-8043.

Overview of MTA Sandy Recovery & Relief Efforts

While dealing with the effects of Hurricane Ian, your dealership, marina, association and boating community can learn from the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey as they adapted and recovered from Hurricane Sandy. This guide discusses strategies and tactics MTA/NJ adopted to help its members and state boating industry recover from the tragic event.

SBP Disaster Assistance Process Overview

U.S. nonprofit organization SBP has tools and training  available to help you, your dealership, your employees and customers  navigate recovery from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods. This  guide includes guidance on funding sources, how to file a flood insurance  claim, how to register for FEMA assistance and appeal a FEMA decision, and  how to apply for an SBA disaster loan.

Guide to Opening Your Boat Business Safely
A manual for running an organization that’s safe for employees, customers and communities during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Planning for Emergencies — The PANIC File, by Sea Grant
A number of situations may occur in your marina that could require immediate response. Calling 911 may be appropriate in some instances, but some staff response is also called for in nearly every situation. Without pre-planning, important steps can be overlooked, and without a quick reference guide, the best of intentions may not produce the best actions for solving the occasional, but intense problem. Managers owe a duty to the public and their own employees to have a contingency plan in-hand before minor or major disasters occur.

The “Generic Panic File” has been developed as a model, but it must be adapted to your needs. You must make a commitment to prepare for emergency and “hurry-up” situations by following the four- step process outlined in this publication.

Sample Crisis Management Guide Table of Contents
To help you get started building your own Crisis Management Guide, we’ve assembled a sample Table of Contents you can customize based on the potential emergency situations your business may face.

Preparing Boats and Marinas for Hurricanes, by BoatUS
One mistake that any responsible marina owner would never make twice is to wait until a hurricane warning is posted to think about hurricane preparations. An extraordinary amount of work has to be done in a short time, perhaps only a few hours, and important decisions have to be made months in advance.

Succession Circumstances: Predictable, Probable and Possible
Businesses that pivot, adjust and take advantage of changing environments can often outlast the crisis they face. To be agile requires considering the Predictable, Probable and Possible circumstances that can impact performance and profitability. This is, at its core, succession planning. Click above to learn more about these circumstances or visit MRAA.com/succession for free marine business education, experts and tools to guide your next steps.