Business Continuity Planning (BCP) Plain And Simple On A Limited Budget
Business Continuity Planning (BCP) is just as important for small businesses as it is for large corporations. Of the small businesses without a working Business Continuity Plan, over 80% will fail and go out of business within two years after suffering a disruptive event (fire, flood, power failure, computer disaster, software crash, theft, global pandemic, etc…). Some never re-open at all.
Even knowing these odds, only about 25% of small businesses have Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) in place. And of these only a fraction have routinely tested their Business Continuity Plans to make sure they still work and keep them up to date.
You do not need to be one of these!
The reasons for not maintaining a working Business Continuity Plan are the prohibitively high costs and time needed for the type of systems in place at large corporations. Large corporations have large budgets and staffs that can create and support large complicated Business Continuity Plans.
But the not every business needs a large complicated Business Continuity Plan with a large budget. If you are running a small business or non-profit organization, you just need a plan that works for your organization's requirements. It doesn't have to be fancy or complicated or expensive, it just has to work for you.
Business Continuity Management and Business Continuity Planning is a process of identifying the potential risks to your business and then evaluating how to prepare for these so that if they do happen, you have a working plan to enable your business to continue to be viable. This means that you are still able to operate at some level needed to meet customer needs and to be able to resume normal operations at a defined point in the future.
Lack of adequate Business Continuity Planning means that a disaster could put you out of business permanently. With the right knowledge, guidance and tools, you can prepare your business so this does not happen to you. The resources on this site can help small businesses and non-profit organizations to obtain the information and tools needed to put an effective Business Continuity Plan in place - without having to spend a fortune.
Even knowing these odds, only about 25% of small businesses have Business Continuity Plans (BCPs) in place. And of these only a fraction have routinely tested their Business Continuity Plans to make sure they still work and keep them up to date.
You do not need to be one of these!
The reasons for not maintaining a working Business Continuity Plan are the prohibitively high costs and time needed for the type of systems in place at large corporations. Large corporations have large budgets and staffs that can create and support large complicated Business Continuity Plans.
But the not every business needs a large complicated Business Continuity Plan with a large budget. If you are running a small business or non-profit organization, you just need a plan that works for your organization's requirements. It doesn't have to be fancy or complicated or expensive, it just has to work for you.
Business Continuity Management and Business Continuity Planning is a process of identifying the potential risks to your business and then evaluating how to prepare for these so that if they do happen, you have a working plan to enable your business to continue to be viable. This means that you are still able to operate at some level needed to meet customer needs and to be able to resume normal operations at a defined point in the future.
Lack of adequate Business Continuity Planning means that a disaster could put you out of business permanently. With the right knowledge, guidance and tools, you can prepare your business so this does not happen to you. The resources on this site can help small businesses and non-profit organizations to obtain the information and tools needed to put an effective Business Continuity Plan in place - without having to spend a fortune.
Business Continuity Plan Template With Instructions and Example
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Here is a complete ready-to-use fill-in-the-blanks business continuity plan template you can use as-is or customize as needed to your specific requirements.
It also includes a free download of a fully editable electronic version of the business continuity template in MS Word so you can start working on it right away with no retyping or formatting required. To make this as painless as possible, there are step-by-step instructions for each section which details the type of information needed to be entered in and I have included a fully filled-out example of a completed business continuity plan so you can see what the final plan looks like. |
Experience shows it is most effective to learn from examples and being able to see what the final product is.
Either way, this is a logical straightforward process that makes a lot of sense to do so that you have a workable plan to follow in the event of a disaster or emergency. The time to plan is now, when everything is working well.
The Business Continuity Template With Instructions And Example is available right now on Amazon.com.
This is a complete ready-to-use hit-the-ground-running template with detailed instructions to guide you through completing each section. There is also a completed example to show you what an effective Business Continuity Plan looks like. This is not just a teaser to encourage you to buy something else. Everything you need is included in one package.
A Complete Template For Quickly And Easily Creating A Working BCP; including Step-By-Step Business Impact Analysis, Risk Assessment, Disaster Recovery Planning, and more!
You do not need to spend $1,000’s for consultants or fancy software.
This is perfect for small businesses and limited budgets.
Here's what the template includes, and it can be customized to your specific needs:
Section I - Plan Overview and Contact Information
1. Plan Summary
2. Plan Approval
3. BCP Leadership Roles and Responsibilities
4. Internal Contact Information
5. External Contact Information (Customers)
6. External Contact Information (Suppliers and Business Service Providers)
7. Utilities and Facilities Services
8. Financial Services Contact Information
9. Regulatory Agency Contact Information
10. Critical Records and Systems
11. Backup Locations
12. Backup Service Provider and Supplier Information
13. Emergency Services Contact Information
Section II - Business Risk Assessment and Impact Evaluation
14A. Business Process Risk Evaluation
14B. Business Process Disruption Impact Evaluation
Section III - Pre-Emergency Planning
15. Risk Mitigation
16. Emergency Materials and Supplies
Section IV - BCP Plan Activation and Implementation
17. Plan Activation
18. Plan Implementation
Section V - BCP Plan Deactivation and Restoration of Normal Operations
19. BCP Plan Deactivation
20. Return To Normal Operations
Section VI - BCP Plan Testing
Section VII - BCP Plan Maintenance
1. Plan Summary
2. Plan Approval
3. BCP Leadership Roles and Responsibilities
4. Internal Contact Information
5. External Contact Information (Customers)
6. External Contact Information (Suppliers and Business Service Providers)
7. Utilities and Facilities Services
8. Financial Services Contact Information
9. Regulatory Agency Contact Information
10. Critical Records and Systems
11. Backup Locations
12. Backup Service Provider and Supplier Information
13. Emergency Services Contact Information
Section II - Business Risk Assessment and Impact Evaluation
14A. Business Process Risk Evaluation
14B. Business Process Disruption Impact Evaluation
Section III - Pre-Emergency Planning
15. Risk Mitigation
16. Emergency Materials and Supplies
Section IV - BCP Plan Activation and Implementation
17. Plan Activation
18. Plan Implementation
Section V - BCP Plan Deactivation and Restoration of Normal Operations
19. BCP Plan Deactivation
20. Return To Normal Operations
Section VI - BCP Plan Testing
Section VII - BCP Plan Maintenance
EDITABLE ELECTRONIC TEMPLATE INCLUDED
Includes ready to use editable template. A MS Word document which you can start using immediately, just fill in the blanks. No need to write this from scratch.
PLUS BONUS MATERIALS
BONUS: Family Emergency Plan
Personal Emergency Plan For Yourself and Your Family. Having your business taken care of is not going to be your main concern if your family is not taken care of first. This is a must-have.
BONUS: Top Reasons Why BCPs Do Not Work And How To Avoid Them
Business Continuity Planning Essentials; Key Requirements for Effective BCPs, Common Mistakes and What To Watch Out For. Learn from the mistakes of others, up front before you have to find out the hard way.
A BCP will enable you to plan ahead, because you want to stay in business in the event that an unforeseen disaster or emergency happens that interrupts your business operations. In situations such as this, you want to know clearly what needs to be done to keep business running. You need to be prepared so that panic does not cause you to make inappropriate and ineffective decisions which will hurt your business.
The BCP plan provides a clear roadmap of what to do, when to do it, and who needs to do it. Having this plan in place will give you a valuable tool to guide you through the disaster and provide peace of mind knowing what to do to keep your business running.
The BCP plan provides a clear roadmap of what to do, when to do it, and who needs to do it. Having this plan in place will give you a valuable tool to guide you through the disaster and provide peace of mind knowing what to do to keep your business running.
Available On Amazon:
Or Available At Discounted Pricing For Any Of The Digital Options Below:
Direct Download Here: |
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Examples of What Is Included In The Template:
How To Prioritize What Requires BCP Based On Real Business Data
(It's Not Realistic To Make Everything A Top Priority)
Risk is defined as the combination of how likely a key operation will be disrupted, how much time before the business experiences the negative impact of losing the operation, and how much this disruption will hurt the business performance.
Example 1: The manufacturing plant can be shutdown for several months in the event that the river running through the property overflows and floods the building. Some flooding has occurred once every 3 years with major flooding occurring on average every 25 years. This will result in loss of sales within 2 days).
Example 2: A backup manufacturing site is qualified and PO-##### is issued to Company Z to enable startup of production within 1 day in the event of an emergency at the primary manufacturing facility. A new manufacturing site has been identified and a project initiated to relocate primary manufacturing to this site by 15-JUN-20## .
The high risk items are the ones which should receive the most attention when designing and implementing the Business Continuity Plan. These are the items which will hurt the business the most if they are not adequately addressed.
Example 1: The manufacturing plant can be shutdown for several months in the event that the river running through the property overflows and floods the building. Some flooding has occurred once every 3 years with major flooding occurring on average every 25 years. This will result in loss of sales within 2 days).
Example 2: A backup manufacturing site is qualified and PO-##### is issued to Company Z to enable startup of production within 1 day in the event of an emergency at the primary manufacturing facility. A new manufacturing site has been identified and a project initiated to relocate primary manufacturing to this site by 15-JUN-20## .
The high risk items are the ones which should receive the most attention when designing and implementing the Business Continuity Plan. These are the items which will hurt the business the most if they are not adequately addressed.
How To Set Up A Communication Strategy
(Develop A Contact Tree To Ensure Critical Information Can Be Communicated)
In the event of an emergency or disaster, it is critical to have contact information for all personnel to be able to quickly share important information as it becomes available and to quickly account for all personnel. The most useful format for this information, in the event of an emergency, is to set it up as one or multiple contact trees (depending on how big your organization is).
The contact tree is a structured hierarchical format with multiple levels which look like a pyramid if you draw them in a diagram (see example below).
The contact tree is a structured hierarchical format with multiple levels which look like a pyramid if you draw them in a diagram (see example below).
COVID-19 Business Continuity Plan: 5 Ways to Reshape
Contributed by Leona Harrison
Businesses have weathered the storms of past crises like The Great Depression and Asian Financial Crisis. Historically, most businesses succeed and thrive in economically stable times but the sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has caught most businesses unaware and ill-equipped for such crises that don’t involve a financial shakedown or a geopolitical crisis.
This is a challenging phase especially for young people that have never faced something like this. With our lives suddenly sidetracked, and most of us on self-isolation or lockdown. A lot of businesses prepared for adverse events but not for a disruption of this proportion.
With millions of people unemployed while countries worldwide are in some form of isolation or lockdown, this pandemic has literally crippled businesses and has most business owners tapping into their emergency fund or personal savings. Economists have even forecasted that some businesses won’t even survive while many may not have a job to return to.
How can businesses increase the chances to survive this difficulty? Here are some tips that may help navigate through uncharted territory:
1. Businesses are now accepting online marketing as an essential part of business
Businesses that had a good amount of earnings from foot traffic and word-of-mouth never felt the need to have an online presence. Their challenge now is to start getting their name out there through different digital marketing strategies like social media, SEO, pay-per-click ads, and email marketing.
To have that quick boost in visibility, it’s a good idea to start getting your name in online directories or on Google map. If you have the budget, it’s a great idea to start on Facebook ads or Google ads.
2. Figure out a way to stay open
Find a way to adapt to the new normal or new reality of how to do business. Find workarounds. Speakers and consultants can’t book speaking engagements in the usual expos, events, conventions now due to COVID-19. Alternatively, they can set up Facebook live, webinars, and sales funnels to engage with their audience and earn from their talks, books, and courses
3. Businesses have to look for opportunities or innovate
Even though most of what’s happening now is uncharted territory, open your eyes to what’s in front of you. If you have a restaurant business and can’t serve hot meals to diners, maybe you can do delivery or take-out. That will still bring your revenue and is far better than earning nothing at all.
Businesses that are not doing well at this time can innovate by temporarily changing an offer or change the market they serve. One example is hotels offering accommodation as ‘quarantine zones’.
4. Downsize
A lot of business owners may hate the idea of letting go of some of their employees. With a struggling business, sometimes you’re faced between keeping employees to save yourself from having to waste months or years in training new employees or letting some go to save on overhead costs.
5. Help others or collaborate
You may need help but don’t overlook the fact that some may not be doing as well as you. Be a source of solution, generosity, and kindness. Be a source of inspiration. Empathy for your customers will go a long way. You can help them with a service or product they need by going the extra mile. You can offer discounts. You can consider offering deliveries, if you didn’t offer deliveries.
Other businesses may need your help. If you help them, they may do some kindness for you in return that might help your business. Consider connections, networks, friendships, relationships as gold.
In normal times, businesses face challenges but these times test a business owner’s flexibility, Doors were shut but with every challenge also comes opportunity.
Author Bio:
Leona Harrison is part of the content and community team at Specialty Fuel Services - providers of emergency fuel continuation services, in locations affected by catastrophic events.
This is a challenging phase especially for young people that have never faced something like this. With our lives suddenly sidetracked, and most of us on self-isolation or lockdown. A lot of businesses prepared for adverse events but not for a disruption of this proportion.
With millions of people unemployed while countries worldwide are in some form of isolation or lockdown, this pandemic has literally crippled businesses and has most business owners tapping into their emergency fund or personal savings. Economists have even forecasted that some businesses won’t even survive while many may not have a job to return to.
How can businesses increase the chances to survive this difficulty? Here are some tips that may help navigate through uncharted territory:
1. Businesses are now accepting online marketing as an essential part of business
Businesses that had a good amount of earnings from foot traffic and word-of-mouth never felt the need to have an online presence. Their challenge now is to start getting their name out there through different digital marketing strategies like social media, SEO, pay-per-click ads, and email marketing.
To have that quick boost in visibility, it’s a good idea to start getting your name in online directories or on Google map. If you have the budget, it’s a great idea to start on Facebook ads or Google ads.
2. Figure out a way to stay open
Find a way to adapt to the new normal or new reality of how to do business. Find workarounds. Speakers and consultants can’t book speaking engagements in the usual expos, events, conventions now due to COVID-19. Alternatively, they can set up Facebook live, webinars, and sales funnels to engage with their audience and earn from their talks, books, and courses
3. Businesses have to look for opportunities or innovate
Even though most of what’s happening now is uncharted territory, open your eyes to what’s in front of you. If you have a restaurant business and can’t serve hot meals to diners, maybe you can do delivery or take-out. That will still bring your revenue and is far better than earning nothing at all.
Businesses that are not doing well at this time can innovate by temporarily changing an offer or change the market they serve. One example is hotels offering accommodation as ‘quarantine zones’.
4. Downsize
A lot of business owners may hate the idea of letting go of some of their employees. With a struggling business, sometimes you’re faced between keeping employees to save yourself from having to waste months or years in training new employees or letting some go to save on overhead costs.
5. Help others or collaborate
You may need help but don’t overlook the fact that some may not be doing as well as you. Be a source of solution, generosity, and kindness. Be a source of inspiration. Empathy for your customers will go a long way. You can help them with a service or product they need by going the extra mile. You can offer discounts. You can consider offering deliveries, if you didn’t offer deliveries.
Other businesses may need your help. If you help them, they may do some kindness for you in return that might help your business. Consider connections, networks, friendships, relationships as gold.
In normal times, businesses face challenges but these times test a business owner’s flexibility, Doors were shut but with every challenge also comes opportunity.
Author Bio:
Leona Harrison is part of the content and community team at Specialty Fuel Services - providers of emergency fuel continuation services, in locations affected by catastrophic events.
