The business community is bracing for the worst as Hurricane Irene sweeps in from the southeast, carrying with it the possibly of financial ruin.
Although the storm isn't expected to strike The Bahamas until Wednesday, for some entrepreneurs, the damage has already been done.
Preben Olesen, the CEO of Port Lucaya in Grand Bahama, said many of the boats docked at his marina have pulled up anchor.
"They were supposed to stay the weekend, and this obviously affects business," he said.  "I had other clients who were supposed to come out here this weekend.
"Tourists won't come.  Now we're making preparations to possibly leave."
Indeed, businesses across the country are now scrambling to mitigate a possible disaster.
The Director of Cruise Development, Carla Stuart, told Guardian Business that five ships are expected to arrive in Nassau on Wednesday and one on Thursday.  Cancellation of these vessels "seems likely", will have considerable ripple affects on the local economy, she said.
"It is expected the port will be closed on Wednesday," she said. "That would be a major loss."
"Definitely it would be a tremendous hit for many different people, be it the tour operations, the restaurants, Atlantis and the Bay St merchants.  Even the taxi drivers would lose revenue.  There are so many people who would be affected."
Stuart added that there would be a series of emergency meetings over the next 24 hours to determine whether the cancellations are necessary.  One Royal Caribbean ship, the Allure of the Seas, has already been re-routed to its final port of call, shifting its arrival into Nassau to Saturday. Carrying approximately 6,400 passengers, she anticipates no loss in revenue, if all goes to plan.
Monarch of The Seas will call on Nassau today, rather than Wednesday. Carnival Pride will make an unscheduled call into Freeport on Wednesday, and Carnival Conquest has cancelled its arrival into Freeport.
"We're watching and monitoring very close," Stuart said.  "If this weather continues, then definitely, there will be further changes."
In the meantime, at The Welcome Center, Stuart said shutters are being placed on the windows and sand bags will soon be in place.
Thousands of other businesses throughout The Bahamas are following suit over fears of widespread damage to property.
At press time, the core of Hurricane Irene was moving just to the North of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.  The maximum sustained winds had increased to nearly 80 mph, and although it was classified as a category one hurricane, the storm is expected to strength considerably over the next 24 hours.
Near the coast, the surge will be accompanied by large and dangerous waves, forecasters said.
David Johnson, the Director General of the Ministry of Tourism, told Guardian Business he's in the process of cutting his holiday short in Tampa Bay so he can be back in The Bahamas to help prepare for the landfall.
A command center has been set up at the British Colonial Hilton to field calls and establish what threat the hurricane could have to the industry.
"I'm making plans to beat the storm in," he said.  "We have a national plan and there are various steps we must execute.
"There is an emergency meeting tonight [Monday] to determine the way forward."
Geneva Cooper is the Senior Director in charge of Crisis Management at the Hilton command center.  She said the ministry is currently assessing the number of tourists in the country and any potential loss in business.
In San Salvador, she said, there are currently 448 tourists, and at the moment, all of them will be staying put to ride out the storm.
"The administrator on that island is having a preparedness meeting and most will be staying," she added.
Johnson said the hurricane's full impact on the tourism sector, including the scale of holiday cancellations, wouldn't be fully known until Tuesday.
The command center, which is staffed 24-hours a day, is currently checking in with various resorts and ensuring that lines of communication, such as satellite phones, will be reliable once Irene arrives in The Bahamas on Wednesday.
"Much depends on what happens in the next 24-to-12 hours," Johnson said.
How to secure your businessAlthough the initial focus should be on protection of life and property, Winston Rolle, the Chairman of the Bahamas Chamber of Commerce and Employers Confederation (BCCEC), said entrepreneurs must prepare for Hurricane Irene if they want to protect the bottom line.
"You must secure your premises as best you can and ensure your staff aren't in harm's way," he told Guardian Business.
In collaboration with the government, the Bahamas Hotel Association and Planet Now, the BCCEC has contributed to Bahamas Hurricane Preparation (www.bahamashurricaneprep.com), a website intended to help residents, tourists and entrepreneurs brace for severe weather.
From a business perspective, at the top of the list is ensuring you have a back-up power supply.  The lights could go out for several days after the storm, the website says, which could dramatically interrupt normal operations.
Installing a generator will go a long way to keeping the business operational.
However, entrepreneurs should prioritize which systems must be kept online in the event of a sustained blackout, whether it be the freezers, sprinklers, lights or alarm systems.
The BCCEC recommends you install the generator in an area that is safe from any potential flooding or high winds.
At the same time, it should also have access to the outside for exhaust.
Another consideration for businesses is the protection of records.  Whether it be in electronic form or raw material, steps can be taken to ensure they are safe from loss or damage.
It's a good idea to back-up any information electronically and store it in a secure location.
In terms of insurance, entrepreneurs should keep up to date with their insurance policies, and note that, if you own a home business, the policy at your residence may not cover any damage related to the business.
You may require two policies to ensure complete coverage.
"Overall, the most important thing is to watch the storm carefully and take precautions," Rolle said.

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