Bracing for the Future: How to Create a Business Continuity Plan

Scriptorium Team
Jul 23
4 min read

Things happen—and if the COVID-19 pandemic has anything to teach us, it’s how to brace for the future and when things hit the fan. A continuity plan is just that, a way for management to navigate the uncertainties of life when it hits, giving you time to breathe as you take the steps set in place to help you move through challenging times.

Business continuity plans include risk management, emergency preparedness, and crisis communication. Although it may seem daunting to create a plan for the future, taking the time to reflect on what your business needs to function is crucial for its long-term success.

A Continuity Plan Starts with Risk Assessment

The background image of a glossy floor with a dark wiggly line moving throughout it. The title "Bracing for the Future: How to Create a Business Continuity Plan" rests in the centre.

All businesses face risk, from minor issues to significant events. Risk management identifies the risks associated with your company and its industry, including those inherent in day-to-day operations.

Examples of Risks

Retail operation: Your Point of Sale (POS) fails during the holiday season.
Construction: The materials you need for your next phase don’t arrive due to supply and demand concerns.
Small business: If key staff are unable to attend work, or your equipment or tools stop working when you really need them.

Identifying all forms of risks specific to your business is essential for developing a business continuity plan. Once these risks are identified, you can create steps to mitigate them.

Remember: Risks include not only internal factors but also medical emergencies and natural disasters.

Start Small and Build Over Time

For smaller businesses or entrepreneurs, hold a staff meeting to discuss day-to-day operations and review situations that have already occurred, as well as how they were managed. Ask your staff to consider the large picture of potential issues that could arise both inside and outside of operating hours. Contact your stakeholders for their insights. Contact other businesses to discuss their plans and see if you can help each other identify areas that could impact your businesses.

For larger organizations, form a Continuity Plan Committee. This committee will oversee every aspect of the plan, including engaging each department to identify the risks associated with their operations, which will help identify larger risks for the business.

Determine Your Business Impact Analysis

Each risk has an impact on your business operations, particularly its finances. A business impact analysis assesses each identified risk and determines its overall effect on your business. Ask yourself the following questions as you begin the analysis:

How much will the minor and major challenges set you back?
Are you ready to face these potential challenges?
If not, how can you start updating your strategies and processes to help you face them?

Create an Incident Response Plan

Once you’ve determined your risks and their impacts on your business, it’s time to consider your responses. Each risk should have a process in place to either mitigate it or address it.

Each process, particularly those oriented toward staff and volunteers, must have clear, step-by-step instructions in place. Once these processes are determined, practice. Practice will not only help you find gaps in the plan but will also help train your staff and volunteers to move efficiently if and when the time comes. Remember: These training plans shouldn’t be pushed aside for a rainy day. Being proactive will ensure ease for staff and volunteers, as sudden stress can cause chaos.

Four blocks, one horizontal with the word "risk" on it. Three vertical blocks with the words, "low, medium, and high." A stick figure is walking on the risk block, approaching the vertical blocks. The quote "Identifying all forms of risks specific to your business is essential for developing a continuity plan. Once these risks are identified, you can create steps to mitigate them," is presented beside the blocks.

Create Recovery Strategies

Recovery strategies have many layers. Not only are you including all the information you’ve already established, but you’re also determining what your communication plan is (for both internal and external audiences) and reviewing and maintaining your overall continuity plan.

To begin, start by creating a document that includes:

The identified risk
The key players involved (management and staff, and their backups)
The process itself
Who must be contacted
The equipment and/or resources required to move the process along
The cost of the process
The cost of the aftermath

Once all have been documented, move into your communication plan. A communication plan should include internal and external communication.

Internal includes helping employees and volunteers learn and understand the processes in place to help them if a risk occurs.

Internal also includes key stakeholders, donors, and the Board of Directors. When a risk occurs, ensure that these groups are informed about how it was addressed, how it will be communicated to the public, the potential costs associated with it, and whether the business's reputation is or will be affected.

Externally, the public should be informed when a risk occurs that may affect their day-to-day activities, how it was managed, and who to contact if they have questions. External sources include media outlets (both local and national) and social media.

Commit to Regular Reviews

The above process should be reviewed on a monthly or yearly basis, depending on your organization's needs. While reviewing the plan, ensure that the contact information for all key personnel is current. Consider creating training documentation as well to ensure all staff and volunteers are up to date with the processes outlined in the continuity plan and, if required, that any necessary certifications are current (e.g., first aid).

Although it is a daunting process, taking the time to create a continuity plan that is tailored to your business, industry, and client/community needs is essential to ensure smooth operations when risks arise. These plans also provide you with the opportunity to identify new steps within your organization to help mitigate any other concerns.

Interested in creating or updating your business's continuity plan? Contact Scriptorium today! Our team of expert writers have experience in establishing plans, documentation, and project management to help your team navigate through the waters of planning for the future.

#BusinessCommunication#YEGCommunications#Documentation#ContinuityPlans#Emergencies

#RiskAssessments#TeamWork

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