The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), an agency that provides support and resources to American companies with fewer than 100 employees, announced that it is hosting a webinar on January 17 that could help these business owners better adjust their disaster recovery planning for the coming year.

According to a press release, the SBA-hosted webinar, which is formally called the "2011 Year in Review – Disaster Recovery Lessons Learned," will focus on business continuity planning, as well. However, the main topic of focus will be what company owners and managers can take away from 2011's natural disasters such as Hurricane Irene, Tropical Storm Lee and the tsunami surges that affected the West Coast.

The webinar will take place from 2 to 3 p.m. EST, and is open to registration, the release said. However, the agency was quick to note that space for the webinar is limited, and as a result, business owners who are interested should sign up as early as possible.

The Insurance Information Institute, an organization that aims to increase the public understanding of insurance, indicates that the ramifications of these and other natural disasters totaled nearly $36 billion in 2011. Small business owners were affected in many parts of the country, as the losses they faced in the aftermath coupled with the ongoing instability in many industries forced a number of these businesses to close.

Business owners who are unable to fit the webinar into their busy schedules may want to hire a consulting firm that is capable of taking a more hands-on approach. For example, an experienced consulting firm may be able to offer the business impact analysis and business resumption techniques that these professionals need to ensure their workers and partners that in the event of a disaster, they'll be on their way to a speedy small business recovery.