Is your business ClimateReady? ClimateReadyVT is a FREE program helping small businesses in Vermont adapt to our changing climate and prepare for climate-related business disruptions. 

 

Busy? Under pressure? Juggling multiple priorities? This program is for you! If you can commit to 12 hours of virtual participation over 3 months, ClimateReadyVT can help you create a Climate Resilience Action Plan and gain access to free business advice and legal counsel (estimated value of $3,000).  

 

A program of Vermont Businesses for Social Responsibility in partnership with the Vermont Small Business Development Center and Vermont Small Business Law Center at Vermont Law & Graduate School, ClimateReadyVT is accepting registrations for our Fall 2024 Cohort through Friday, August 23.

 

What Can ClimateReadyVT Do for My Business?

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ClimateReadyVT guides you through creating a custom Climate Resilience Action Plan for your business leveraging leading-edge tools and resources and expert guidance. Plans include an assessment of the climate-related hazards for your business and their potential impact; action steps to mitigate these hazards; a budget, timeline, and resources to support and finance your plan; a communications strategy; insurance and legal considerations; and how to support your team. Participating businesses will:

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• Conduct a custom Climate Risk Assessment for your business

• Identify hazard mitigation strategies specific to your business

• Understand which local, state, and federal resources are available to support your business 

• Learn how legal, financial, and insurance services can assist you, including low/no-cost options

• Gain guidance for supporting your people/communicating with your audiences during disruptions

• Learn about tools and methods for emotional resilience, mental health, and wellness

• Be connected to business advisors from Vermont Small Business Development Center

• Receive legal guidance from the Vermont Small Business Law Center's faculty and students

• Develop measurements and accountability to ensure progress on your Action Plan

• Build confidence in managing your business through climate-related disruptions

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Is ClimateReadyVT Right for Me?

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ClimateReadyVT is designed for any small business or nonprofit organization with 50 FTE or less. Whether you’re an electrician or a community café, ClimateReadyVT can help you build confidence in managing your business through climate-related disruptions with the support of expert facilitators, leading-edge tools and resources, and a peer community of businesses and business organizations.

 

Participants will learn with a cohort of peers over 6 virtual sessions plus optional additional activities. Registrations for our Fall 2024 Cohort are being accepted through Friday, August 23.

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Why Does My Business Need To Be ClimateReady?

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Our changing climate is having increasing impacts on Vermont’s businesses and our economy. Warming temperatures, more precipitation, and the frequency of extreme weather events are impacting businesses across the state and across industries.[1] Whether you’re a bricks and mortar general store or a virtual marketing team, on a dirt road or downtown, climate-related business disruptions are likely impacting your staffing, customers, operations, and supply chains, making climate adaptation and preparedness essential to business viability.

 

While our changing climate is affecting all businesses, small businesses are particularly vulnerable. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), 75% of small businesses without a continuity plan will fail within 3 years of a natural disaster. The best strategy for minimizing these disruptions is to “have a plan and be prepared,” yet most small businesses do not have a plan for adapting their business to our changing climate and preparing for climate-related business disruptions.​

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