Protecting your business
All businesses and organisations, no matter their size, are vulnerable to a wide range of risks and threats.
This page is designed to help you identify some of the challenges your business may face and provide you with the resources to safeguard your people, property and information should an incident occur.
What is Business Continuity Management?
Business continuity management is the process through which organisations aim to continue the delivery of their key products and critical services during - and following - a disruption to normal activity.
Effective business continuity is the first line of defence for any organisation to ensure they maintain the delivery of their core services and, increase their chances of surviving a disruption.
What can affect business continuity?
There are many different hazards or threats that could affect business continuity, both large and small.
Fires and floods
These can damage goods, property, and transport, which in turn can halt business functions entirely.
Power outages
Power outages can lead to the unplanned write-off of stock, records or information, and the inability for a business to re-open for a period of time.
Staff shortages
Staff shortages can occur for a number of reasons, including due to other hazards such as severe weather. Without staff, a business cannot operate, and revenue will be lost. This can be especially detrimental to small businesses.
Supply chain disruption
Supply chain disruption can lead to stock shortages, which can lead to severe impacts if you are reliant on only one supplier and can lead to serious revenue loss.
Fuel shortages
Fuel shortages can cause unexpected costs (i.e. increased transportation costs or delay in stock replenishment) and can even lead to the complete halt of business services in severe cases.
The Community Risk Register (insert link to public CRR please) provides Northamptonshire businesses with information of the likelihood and potential impacts of a range of different risks.
What can a Business Continuity Plan do?
A Business Continuity Plan can:
- protect your business and help it recover quicker
- protect your reputation
- enhance teamworking
- increase the knowledge and competency of your staff
- identify possible problems before they occur
- find alternative suppliers in times of need
- help your business to stay competitive
What should a Business Continuity Plan include?
A business continuity plan usually includes the following information:
| Purpose | Outline the plan - explain what it will do and what it is for |
|---|---|
| Scope | What the plan will include and will not include |
| Document Management | Document Owner - who made it, who is responsible for maintaining it Version Control - when was it made, when was it updated and by who Distribution List - who gets a copy of this plan? |
| Roles and Responsibilities | Who is responsible for what activity in the plan? What are they supposed to do? Ensure those listed are aware of their responsibilities and can fulfil them when necessary |
| How the Plan will be activated | When will the plan be activated? Establish a trigger point for when the plan will be activated. Who will be responsible for activating the plan and how will it be activated? What will happen when the plan is activated? |
| Key Contact Details | Internal - managers, those listed in the plan External - important stakeholders, suppliers, anybody who you may need to talk to |
| Critical Functions | The activities and services that need to be maintained to remain operational and how they will be carried out. The minimum level of service you still need to provide to ensure your business remains viable, and the maximum amount of time that services or activities can be suspended before they become unrecoverable. |
| Resources | What is the minimum level of resources you need to deliver your essential services? How will you ensure that you have these resources? |
| Actions | What actions need to be carried out? In what order? Under what timescales? Who will do these? Who will authorise emergency expenditure? Who will agree the emergency budget? |
| Communication Processes | What is your decision-making process and who will be involved in business-critical meetings? How information will be cascaded to staff, customers, and suppliers? |
| Business As Usual Processes | How you will return to business-as-usual processes after a period of disruption. Is there anything specific that needs to occur? |
Please contact [email protected] for advice and guidance regarding formulating your bespoke Business Continuity Plan.
The table above highlights some of the most common aspects of a business continuity plan, however, there is nothing preventing you from adding more details or sections to this plan.
Whatever you think your business needs to do to continue should be established and outlined in this plan.
It is important that what you put in this plan has been tried and tested, there should not be any assumptions.
Do you need assistance in creating your plan?
Our wide range of partnerships mean we have links with other organisations or agencies that can provide you with support to help further develop your business’s resilience.
Contact us to talk about your requirements and how we can help you by email to [email protected].
Last updated 31 May 2024