Owning a business is challenging no matter what climate or industry you are operating in. From the humble beginnings of starting out with a good idea and a shoestring budget to creating a team that must be paid well, a clientele that must be catered to, sales and marketing, and more, you probably spend more time at the office than at home. Keeping an edge on the competition in the most normal of circumstances is difficult, so when an issue completely out of your control arises, you may be left wondering what to do.

Environmental issues may affect your business depending on where you are, and could leave you without income for weeks on end if you fall victim to a bad storm and/or flooding, earthquake, wildfire, landslide, severe drought, or more. In such cases, you may find yourself with damage to your business and the inability to get back to normal for an indefinite amount of time. While insurance may cover some of your loss of income, consult with your business attorney on the best course of action.

Your employees may be struggling as you are unable to provide them (or yourself) with a paycheck for a substantial amount of time, and there may be programs available. You may also find that many of your employees simply never come back to the area, forcing you to hire an entirely new crew once the weather issue has subsided. If you are in food service, you could also experience shortages of food and especially produce if crops or farms are destroyed.

Pollution may be an issue that some employers deal with in congested cities, causing yourself or your employees to become ill. It may be difficult to target and deal with the source, and could even cause you to have to move.  All too often, there are issues emanating from neighboring business as well. There could be problems with waste disposal, leaking of toxic contaminants, and more. If your landlord cannot deal with such matters, again, this is the time to speak with your attorney.

Business owners must also take care to consider other environmental issues they could be responsible for, such as pollution or emissions they may produce during the production of goods. This can be a major problem in terms of both air and ground pollution if not carefully considered ahead of time. You should also be sure that you are doing your part in terms of reserving energy when possible, exploring alternatives like solar power and more. A recycling program should be in place, and every attempt to go green as much as possible allows you to do your part in leaving as small a footprint as possible—and most likely, leaving your clientele impressed as well.

If your business has suffered a serious setback due to an environmental issue or if you are concerned about rules and regulations, or another business problem, call Shane Coons now at 949-333-0900 or email us at Shane.Coons@seclawoffices.com.