Even the best businesses are sometimes hit by disasters outside their control. Maybe your office loses power right before an important video conference, or your internet connection comes to a halt because of a cyberattack on your network. These kinds of crises can throw a business into chaos—but with the right preparations, you can quickly pivot and lessen their impact.
This month we’re blogging about how to create a Business Continuity Plan (BCP) to keep your business running even if the worst happens.
Core components of effective continuity planning
Identify the mission-critical parts of your business.
What does your business absolutely need to keep functioning? These are the things that, if suddenly missing, would bring your work to a standstill. Congrats, you’ve found the must-have elements of your BCP.
Example: A storm damages power lines in your area and it will be hours before power will be restored. Your inhouse server provides critical client data that your remote team needs access to. Having a dedicated backup power supply for your server and network will enable your team to continue operations even if the lights are out.
Have a plan in place, and train your team to use it.
Make sure your team knows there’s a plan to follow when disruptions occur. The plan should clearly outline the steps they need to take and who is responsible for each step. Do occasional trial runs with your staff so that when an emergency situation occurs, they’re already familiar with the steps they’ll have to take. Quick recovery is the goal, and this will expedite it.
Example: Your office loses internet access because your ISP is under a denial-of-service attack. You have an important video meeting with a big client that can't be delayed. Thankfully your IT team (Net Works, of course) has you covered with a backup wireless internet hotspot. Critical internet access is restored and the call can proceed.
Keep backups of important data.
We just hinted at this. Redundant systems mean you can switch over to a backup if something goes seriously wrong. Data is the heart of many businesses, and if that’s true for your business, backing up your data is essential. Whether it’s on-site media or a cloud backup solution, knowing where your backup data is and how to quickly access it is crucial.
Example: Your office relies heavily on a centralized database to manage and track multiple ongoing projects, and a burst water line damages the on-premise server. This would typically bring your operations to a standstill, but thanks to your BCP, all critical data is mirrored to a cloud-based server in real-time. Your IT team quickly switches over to the cloud server, allowing employees to continue accessing the database with minimal interruption. Within minutes, your staff is back to work, and IT begins repairs on the local server without affecting productivity.
Proactive monitoring regularly updating your plan as you grow
Unpredictable problems strike at unpredictable times. Regular audits for points of failure will help you catch things you may have missed previously. Besides, as your business grows, new concerns will arise. Lastly, when things do go wrong, collect feedback from those who were impacted by it. This could include your staff as well as your customers or clients. The unexpected will eventually occur, and when it does, the more you learn from it, the better prepared you’ll be in the future.
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Continuity Planning By Pros Who Get it
Running a business is challenging enough without the added stress of creating a comprehensive business continuity plan (BCP). That’s where we come in. At Net Works, we’re here to help you identify key business functions, set up reliable failover systems, and ensure everything is tested regularly, so you're always prepared.
Our team will work with you to build a BCP that fits your specific business needs and keeps your operations running smoothly.
Let us take the hassle out of continuity planning—contact us today to get started.
