Organisations that have a business continuity capability are far more likely to survive the effects of a major incident than those that don’t.  

The Buncefield fuel depot fire near Hemel Hempstead in December 2005 had a devastating effect on local businesses that could not access their premises or systems for several days. This major incident clearly demonstrates the vulnerability of SME’s and the importance of having a business continuity strategy. 

Think about the effects on your customers and business if your building caught fire. What might the effects be of another fuel crisis, a major utilities failure such as loss of power or the effects of severe weather conditions including floods?  

What if your neighbours’ building suffered a major fire that resulted in you having no access to your offices for days, possibly weeks? 

All of these events could have an impact on the survival of your business. If you’re unable to satisfy your customers’ needs, how confident are you that they will wait for you to recover? Sympathy and loyalty will last for only so long. Being prepared is the name of the game. Your plan needn’t be complicated and it doesn’t have to cover every eventuality or every business process - just those that are most critical.

Why wait for something to happen?

The chances are that most companies would soon find themselves facing a disaster if computer or telecom failure was not properly planned for and managed. To be ready you must ask yourself the following:

• Would your business still function if your computer or telephone systems were unavailable for several days?

• Would you be able to contact your customers?

• What alternative arrangements would you be able to make and how long would it take?

• What could you do to make certain you have access to vital data, even if your computer system is destroyed?

• If your computer systems are stolen could sensitive information fall into the wrong hands?

• What would happen if your competitor got hold of sensitive information?