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Home What is Business Continuty Planning?

Business Continuity Planning is the process of identifying and evaluating the risks to your business and planning how to continue operating if the worst happens. Having an effective plan will help your organisation to stay in business in the event of a disaster. 

  • Is your business prepared for the worst?
  • Have you analysed your business for weaknesses, for example reliance on one supplier?
  • Do you have a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to guide your response to a disruptive event?
  • Are you leaving it to luck?

Regulators and governments around the world are now putting great emphasis on the need for organisations to have effective Business Continuity arrangements. Some insurance companies are setting the level of business interruption premiums according to the speed at which an organisation will be able to resume operations. Several large businesses are starting to insist on suppliers having robust BC arrangements in place before they will trade with them.

According to AXA research, three quarters of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) are risking it all through lack of planning. One third admit to relying on luck to make important business decisions. Many SMEs appear to be risking their survival despite the ever-present threat posed by hazards such as floods, fires and industrial action.

A common misconception is that Business Continuity merely encompasses computer system backup and recovery plans and that external consultants are needed to write BC plans. However, it can actually be inexpensive and relatively easy to produce effective plans for safeguarding your business.

If you are not confident that your business could survive a disruptive event, you are strongly recommended to develop a comprehensive Business Continuity Plan. See the links below for additional information and advice for preparing your business.

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