You could easily argue that if you’re doing business, then you have to be prepared for anything. However, there is a difference between being prepared and being seriously committed to ensuring that your company continues to function no matter what.
A business continuity plan (BCP) is a set of policies and procedures designed to help your organization recover from a disaster. It includes an analysis of the possible risks your company faces and how it plans to respond. With a BCP you can assess potential vulnerabilities and establish procedures to prevent, minimize the extent of and manage business disruptions that might affect operations and employees.
If your business doesn’t have a formal continuity plan in place, here are four reasons why you should get one:
1. Think of Your Employees and Customers
Your employees and customers should expect that your organization is prepared for anything, especially if they’re paying you to do a job. After all, how can you possibly provide quality goods or services if the building has been destroyed or your equipment has been stolen? Besides, there’s no telling what a hostile situation might do to your morale. Your people could become stressed and unfocused, which would only add to the chaos.
2. You’ll Be Prepared for Emergency Situations
According to FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency), business continuity planning is “a management process that identifies potential events that may disrupt operations and creates policies and plans to reduce their impact.” In other words, a BCP helps your business prepare for disasters before they occur.
An IT Support company can help you business with disaster recovery in the event of a disaster. They are professionals at risk analyzing and can help you team set up an efficient plan that goes into depth about technology disasters.
3. Your Business Remains Secure
As much as we hate to admit it, disaster can strike any company at any time. By establishing procedures and policies that lay out how to respond when something goes wrong, you minimize the risk of a smaller crisis escalating into a major problem.
4. You Can Get Back on Your Feet Quickly
It’s one thing to be prepared for a disaster and another to know exactly what you need to do in case of an emergency. A BCP helps your business stay focused during a time of chaos and confusion by detailing:
• Steps employees should take during a crisis
• Procedures to follow when resuming business
• Where vital equipment and records will be stored outside the office
• Spare parts needed to repair or replace damaged equipment Your BCP should also include information about how you plan to deal with insurance issues, legal matters related to the disaster, payment of employees who are unable to work due to the situation, securing of office space for the business, and the cost to resume normal operations.