Published
June 04, 2026
When a small business closes after a disaster, a community loses more than a storefront. It loses jobs, services, and a place people rely on day after day. That reality drove the conversation during the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s 2026 Building Resilience conference in Washington D.C. The discussion brought together leaders from Verizon, FedEx, and the American Red Cross to around a core truth: preparedness is not only a business decision—it is a community stabilizer.
Why Preparedness Matters: The Ripple Effect on Communities
Des Alexander, manager of resilience programs at the U.S. Chamber Foundation, framed the issue in plain terms: small businesses serve as community anchors, providing jobs and essential services that shape the economic and cultural fabric of a place.
She described what happens after a disaster depending on whether a business is prepared. In the first 72 hours, owners focus on life safety and immediate operational realities: reaching employees, assessing damage, maintaining power, and protecting inventory and records. Thirty days out, pressures expand to leases, insurance, and customer retention. Six months out, any steps done to prepare before the disaster hit can impact whether a business continues operating or becomes part of a broader pattern of closures.
A Solutions Model: How Readiness for Resiliency Works
The session highlighted the Foundation's Small Business Readiness for Resiliency (R4R) program as a practical pathway from awareness to action. Julia Chicoskie, integrated marketing and communications advisor at FedEx, described FedEx’s role as founding partner and described how the program helps small businesses mitigate risk and recover more quickly when disasters strike.
R4R is built around a straightforward process that mirrors how small business owners operate: take a manageable first step, then build from there. First, businesses use a free emergency preparedness checklist. Second, they register through a short form that places them in a Foundation-managed database. Third, if a qualifying disaster affects their area, the Foundation contacts registered businesses with instructions to apply for grant support.
Alexander reinforced that R4R is designed to incentivize preparedness. For eligible businesses, R4R offers$5,000 in disaster recovery grants to help cover immediate needs. Common uses for the funding include payroll, replacing inventory, and communications that help businesses reconnect with customers.
Speed matters after disruption, and the program’s timeline is designed to move quickly. R4R averages about 27 days from the time an application launches to when a business receives funding, with ongoing improvements aimed at shortening that window.
Strengthening the Plan: How Ready Rating Complements R4R
Another key focus of the discussion was the American Red Cross Ready Rating program, which complements R4R by helping businesses create strong continuity plans.
Kevin Kelley, senior director of community preparedness programs at the American Red Cross, described Ready Rating as a free, easy-to-use, web-based program that allows organizations to assess their preparedness and receive customized guidance to strengthen their plans.
Ready Rating helps businesses identify gaps, build continuity plans, and track progress over time. Participants also gain access to a resource hub of tools that support everything from emergency planning to recovery operations.
As Kelley explained, the two programs come together to provide a continuum of support. R4R provides an entry point, while Ready Rating helps businesses strengthen and evolve their plans, improving their ability to operate through disruptions and recover more effectively. Ready Rating members also become eligible for potential R4R grants if a qualifying disaster is declared in their state.
Scaling What Works: Partnership in Practice
New research conducted by the U.S. Chamber Foundation and Verizon shows why these readiness tools matter. Courtney Schoon, senior manager of social innovation at Verizon, shared early findings from the national survey: 94% of small business owners said they felt confident their business could recover from a disaster, but only 31% reported having a disaster plan and only 20% reported having a preparedness budget.
In 2020, Verizon launched Small Business Digital Ready to support digital upskilling, with a goal of reaching one million businesses by 2030. As a premier sponsor of R4R, Verizon will raise awareness and deliver tools to small businesses already connected through Digital Ready and in communities it serves across the country.
Looking Ahead: Strengthening America for the Next Generation
Across the session, the message stayed consistent: preparedness does not have to be perfect to be powerful. Start with one step, build a plan that matches your risks, and keep improving it.
Every hour invested before a crisis can protect livelihoods afterward. With cross-sector partnerships and tools like R4R and Ready Rating, small businesses can move from optimism to action and help strengthen America for the next generation.
Small business owners can begin their preparedness journey today by downloading a free emergency preparedness checklist, exploring their local risk factors, and registering for R4R before disaster strikes.
