Is Your Business Location Safe? America's Top 10 Safest Cities

Hurricane Katrina has demonstrated that a single natural disaster can put a business out of commission, if not wiping it out completely. Not only hurricanes, but snow storms, earthquakes and other catastrophic events can bring a business down to its knees. Risk and Insurance magazine, together with the catastrophe-modeling firm AIR Worldwide Corporation, released their 2005 list of Top 10 Safest Cities in the United States, and these are:

1. Sacramento, Calif.
2. Phoenix, Ariz.
3. Rochester, N.Y.
4. Columbus, Ohio
5. Buffalo, N.Y.
6. Cincinnati, Ohio
7. Grand Rapids, MICH.
8. San Diego, CALIF.
9. Pittsburgh, Pa.
10. Hartford, Conn.

But of course, the probability of natural disasters is not often a factor as to whether entrepreneurs living along the coast or snow-battered areas will relocate their businesses to safer places. After all, there is the question of whether there is a market for their business in a new area, relocation costs, among other things. Not to mention the age-old question: Is there really a safe place???