NOW WHAT? BUSINESS CONTINUITY BASICS

Posted by Jim Van on October 19, 2010 under business continuity, disaster recovery, small business | Read the First Comment

I was thumbing through security results the other day, and came up with some interesting numbers:
When asked for top 5 business issues, only 18% of small business owners listed technology as an area of concern.  Most were concerned with regulation (67%), taxes (74%), capital availability (58%), and even succession beat out technology at 24%.  The numbers add up to more than 100% because business owners were asked to list their top 3 concerns.

In an age where most of our businesses are technology-driven, most of us don’t think about technology, until something goes wrong and our business comes to a screeching halt because of a technical glitch.  I hope that never happens to you.

I bring up the above points because Business Continuity, an extremely critical factor in your business plan (ok, at least it should be) is rarely a subject for discussion.  Yet, the floods here in RI last spring (remember?  The ones that STILL are affecting businesses at Warwick Mall) should have put the topic front and center for every business owner who was watching the news.  There are many things that a business can survive.  Cessation of operations, even for a brief period, isn’t generally one of them.

What is Business Continuity?

Business Continuity  is the result of an exercise (plan) that identifies potential threats and their impact to your business.  Providomg a framework for building resilience and the  an effective response, it protects the interests of owner(s) and employees alike, your company’s reputation amd brand and your ability to continue providing goods and services to your customers.

Most people focus on backing up their computer systems, at least on occasion.  Don’t be mistaken:  data backup is a critical element in a Business Continuity plan,  but it is far from a standalone item.  In many cases, it’s not even a solid practice, and in most cases, restoration from backups fail due to flaws in the backup process to begin with.

Backups are a subset of a total Business Continuity plan.   Other elements include contingency planning.  For example, when your telephones are submerged under three feet of water, how do you answer calls?  Where do employees work?  Another element is recovery planning.  How can you mitigate the impact of a setback, whether natural disaster, data breach, or defective product, for example, on your customers?  When can you expect that insurance check, and can your business advance the funds necessary to invest in rebuilding without the insurance company’s assistance.

Besides data backup, other critical elements include business recovery, crisis management, incident management, emergency management, product recall (when appropriate), and contingency planning.  Most plans also include an alternate plan, ‘just in case’.

Business Continuity was once an obscure concept, relegated to the back of the to-do list.  With a growing dependency on technology, and capabilities that newer technology have given even the smallest of businesses, a Business Continuity Plan is a must-have.

The key is agility.  Your company’s ability to ‘bounce back’ from a setback, whether it be aflood, tsunami, earthquake, product defect, or rogue employee, is critical to the credibility of your business.  Without a solid plan, your business WILL fail.  A business continuity plan is not expensive to set up and maintain, and the return on investment can be priceless.  Companies such as Logicomm have expertise in the area of Business Continuity Management.

Just as each business is unique, there’s no ‘one size fits all’ Business Continuity Plan.  However, some examples can be found below.  However, we advise you to, just as you would seek the advice of a lawyer regarding legal matters, contact a company such as Logicomm for assistance in setting up an effective plan.
Suggested BC links:
CSO Magazine – Business Continuity Basics http://www.csoonline.com/article/204450/business-continuity-and-disaster-recovery-planning-the-basics#1INC. Magazine – How to build a Business Continuity Plan http://www.inc.com/guides/2010/05/business-continuity-plan.htmlBusiness Continuity, Contingency Planning & Disaster Recovery http://www.business-continuity-world.com/Ready.gov – Basic Continuity Template http://www.ready.gov/america/_downloads/sampleplan.pdfWikiHOW – How to Create a Business Continuity Plan http://www.wikihow.com/Create-a-Business-Continuity-Plan
Overwhelmed?  Give Logicomm a call on 401-441-5810.  You’ll be surprised at how cost-effective our services are for small business.  We’ll work with you and your key employees to develop and implement an effective Business Continuity Plan.  You can also email us at bcp@logicomm-inc.com