Following the coldest winter for three decades last year, which caused widespread disruption to businesses, forecasters are predicting another harsh, snow-filled winter in the coming months.

The Federation for Private Businesses (FPB) is as a result urging firms to ensure they prepare for weather-related disruptions this winter by drawing up continuity plans if they have not already done so.

Positive Weather Solutions this week said that the winter of 2010/11 was likely to see similarly icy temperatures to last year and more of the ‘disruptive snowfall’ which hampered deliveries, triggered heating and power failures and left many employees unable to get into work.

According to a YouGov poll, 58% of senior decision-makers at small businesses said their companies suffered as a result of the snow last winter, despite 78% believing their firms were sufficiently prepared. Nationally, three quarters (74%) of employees were affected by the snow, with more than a quarter (26%) failing to get in to work at all. Crucially, 21% of those surveyed found key suppliers and contacts were unavailable and 26% had to postpone or cancel meetings.

The FPB itself has an agreement with a range of business continuity service for its members in an effort to protect them against interruption.

Spokesman Phil McCabe said: “I think it’s fair to say that last winter’s extreme weather conditions caught out many small business owners.

“A lot of small firms struggled to continue trading as employees failed to make it into work, deliveries were cancelled and freezing temperatures caused heating equipment to fail, leaving their premises unusable.

“We estimated that last winter’s snowfalls were costing smaller businesses across the UK around £230 million each day at one point. Obviously, in the current climate, small firms can ill afford a similar expenditure this year so we’re urging business owners to think about their contingency plans now to ensure they aren’t put out of action by another icy winter.”

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