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Business Continuity Planning

BACKUP: How Business Continuity Planning can Save Your Business

By September 29, 2021January 28th, 2022One Comment6 min read

THE IMPORTANCE AND BENEFITS OF BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING

Businesses today are experiencing unusual and unprecedented circumstances. The unanticipated events are proposing numerous risks to companies all around the globe. Being one step ahead of these risks and catastrophes and formulating a business continuity plan is the key to existence and survival. The COVID-19 pandemic has established the significance and importance of such a plan and made it crystal clear how organizations prepared for unpredictable calamities preserved their continuity and vitality amidst the pandemic successfully. The pandemic, however, is not the only threat businesses are likely to face, and to enhance the operational capacity, companies need to establish a sturdy business continuity plan.

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WHAT IS BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING?

Business continuity planning is the process of proactively composing a strategy to cope with abrupt and unexpected occurrences forcing a business to shut down or making it extremely difficult to operate. Business continuity implies maintaining smooth business operations or promptly reverting to regular business activities during interferences caused by natural disasters such as fire, flood, disease outbreaks, cybersecurity attacks, impaired equipment, etc. A business continuity blueprint outlines the approach and procedures an organization is presumed to follow if it encounters any of these disruptions; the plan covers routine business activities, human resources, digital and technical resources, and several other organizational assets.

Any haphazard occurrence interrupting usual business proceedings could lead to expansive hindrances and detrimentally influence the business’s reputation and revenue. Having a robust business continuity plan in place would guarantee that all the participants and contributors are aware of their duties in the event of a disruption and respond to it with a prudently created and tested set of policies and methods. Producing and implementing a business continuity strategy ensures reduced downtime and guarantees that the most pivotal and critical functions and systems are operative as quickly as possible. This vigilance positions the organizations to shrink the repercussions of a mishap.

WHY DOES BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING MATTER?

To wait until a crisis hits results in huge losses of resources and information. It would require a business to spend exorbitant sums to troubleshoot a situation that could have been restricted and mitigated with a pre-determined and pre-prepared set of procedures, protocols, and practices. The absence of a business continuity plan also withholds organizations from responding to disruptions immediately, bringing everyday business processes to a halt. A business continuity plan comprehensively specifies the roles and responsibilities of different departments and employees. It also describes available resources to deal with potential predicaments before they spiral out of control and lead to grave repercussions. Developing a business continuity plan is critical for small and medium-sized businesses because they typically have lesser resources and capital to allocate for reactive disaster recovery. To transform your startup into a successful, profitable business, protecting your current investments and assets is imperative, irrespective of the size of your equipment, human resources, and work premises. It ensures durability and customer satisfaction during difficult times.

In today's competitive business environment, prolonged downtime is impractical and unacceptable. Building organizational resilience against potential disruptions and facilitating the business to keep operating at a minimal level is inevitable. Designing a business continuity plan also enables the organizations to evaluate their business practices in-depth and identify areas needing improvement. While the intensity and scope of the emergencies may differ for different businesses, the necessity and usefulness of a business continuity plan remain constant.
According to a study, 48 percent of small businesses are functioning without a business continuity plan. Yet, 95 percent believed they could handle potential emergencies and risks. To raise awareness about the importance of business continuity planning and help organizations realize why it matters, we have compiled a list of reasons why companies should consider investing in business continuity planning.

BENEFITS OF BUSINESS CONTINUITY PLANNING

AVERTS FINANCIAL RISKS

Business continuity and replacement plans prevent businesses from suffering financial losses. Financial risk management is one of the core principles of business continuity programs. Therefore, not developing a business continuity strategy exposes the organization to hefty losses. The expenses of disaster management and control initiatives are eminent, and the unwieldiness of critical organizational functions is excessively profligate. Investing a lot lesser in business continuity planning and testing, building a resilient network, and setting up backup processes and stratagems, support businesses in mitigating impacts of security breaches, data losses, or system breakdowns and failures. Companies can evade financial losses owing to both minor and substantial incidents by devising detailed continuity and restoration policies.

QUICKER EMERGENCY RESPONSE

Research suggests that power outages and temporary network failures could cost medium and small-sized businesses about $5,600 per minute. While the average cost of downtime may vary for different organizations based on the type of industry, it can be said for sure that the longer an organization takes to respond to emergencies, the more money it is likely to lose. Maintaining service continuity is of immense importance to keep the services and revenue perpetuated. A lengthy down period could also make businesses lose potential customers and growth opportunities. Designing a business continuity plan allows businesses to conduct a business impact analysis and identify the most critical processes that must continue when emergencies knock. It helps companies resume fundamental and pivotal functions immediately and minimize their losses.

COMPETITIVE EDGE

A company can strengthen its reputation if it’s operative and serviceable in uncertain times and global pandemics and disasters. While other businesses providing the same services as yours might be facing delays and trying to fathom the best course of action, a business continuity program in place would enable you to maintain the standards and reliability of your services during emergencies. It will help you bolster your brand integrity and gain a competitive edge concurrently. Potential clients would plausibly prefer businesses that remain functional and maintain organizational credibility during difficult circumstances. Swift recovery and accessibility of company data and documents and appropriate telecommuting mechanisms could facilitate organizations to provide customer support regularly and efficiently. 

DEVELOPS A SENSE OF PREPAREDNESS

Business continuity planning is insurance that even if a disaster strikes, the company can deal with it effectively. It assures that the disruptions will not paralyze the operational structure.  Owning and managing a business is stressful, and applying tools and devising strategies to alleviate some distress is inevitable. Establishing a business continuity plan would develop a sense of readiness among business owners, managers, and subordinates. You would know that you have a strategic blueprint primed to drive your organization towards recovery. Having the stress off their shoulders would allow the management to focus on other significant tasks and core competencies.

Ensuring that your business continuity plan is accurate, advanced, and up to the mark will allow you to proceed with your regular activities promptly in the occurrence of an unexpected event and mitigate the impacts of adversities on the business. While some of the forthcoming events and disruptions can be anticipated and prepared for, some calamities and incidents may arrive abruptly. Hence, developing incident response mechanisms and business continuity programs are critical to a business's well-being. Companies that have planned and prepared for the worse will be among the ones leading in dealing with potential disruptions effectively and maintaining their stability and relevance. An efficient team capable of executing the established plan combined with a top-notch business continuity solution would be one of the most valuable and salubrious possessions for your organization.

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