BUSINESSCONTINUITY PLANNING:
Safeguard Iowa Partnership encourages businesses of all sizes to create a business continuity plan. Business continuity plans isn't just for disasters. Having a plan can often ensure that you can't insure - that your organization can continue to function when the unexpected happens. Regardless of the source or what may cause an interruption to your organization's ability to function, developing a business continuity process and plan, simply maximizes your ability to continue operations with minimal disruptions or downtime.
Sometimes you have to think the unthinkable – expect the unexpected to ensure your success.
Anyway you look at it, preparation is key to being successful at most things. And when it comes to the ability of your organization to remain operational in the face of any potential disaster or mere inconvenient interruption - how prepared you are is up to you.
"Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure."… Confucius
"Luck favors the mind that is prepared."… Louis Pasteur
The following are good reasons why you should have a business continuity plan:
- Up to 40% of businesses affected by a natural or human-caused disaster never reopen.
- Customers expect delivery of products or services on time. If there is a significant delay, customers may go to a competitor.
- Larger businesses are asking their suppliers about preparedness. They want to be sure that their supply chain is not interrupted. Failure to implement a preparedness program risks losing business to competitors who can demonstrate they have a plan.
- Insurance is only a partial solution. It does not cover all losses and it will not replace customers.
- Many disasters undefined natural or human-caused undefined may overwhelm the resources of even the largest public agencies. Or they may not be able to reach every facility in time.
- News travels fast and perceptions often differ from reality. Businesses need to reach out to customers and other stakeholders quickly.
- An Ad Council survey reported that nearly two-thirds (62%) of respondents said they do not have an emergency plan in place for their business.
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According to the Small Business Administration, small businesses:
- Represent 99.7% of all employer firms
- Employ about half of all private sector employees
- Have generated 65% of net new jobs over the past 17 years
- Made up 97.5% of all identified exporters.
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