autumn 2015 BUSINESS BATTLE BOx WEatHErInG tHE Storm Do you have a plan to stay in business should the worst happen? BUSINESS BATTLE BOx Fire, flood, severe weather... they all have the potential to stop your business operation in its tracks, but do you have a plan should the worse case scenario happen? The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has been working with the Staffordshire Civil Contingencies Unit to assist small firms in putting together a plan to do just that. A spokesperson says: It is impossible to guard our homes and businesses against most of these risks, but there are measures we can take to attempt to minimise the disruption caused. A little forward planning could be the difference between a business being able to continue, albeit in a limited capacity, and having to pack up altogether. A little forward planning could be the difference between a business being able to continue and packing up altogether The FSB is very aware that, as a small business owner, you are all things to all men within your business; you are the customer services department, goods in, goods out, sales and HR often all in one day! But taking time to put into place some very easy measures will help to ensure the hard work you devote to your business will be protected. A good Business Continuity Plan should also form part of your general business plan we are seeing more and more examples of lenders asking for evidence that business owners have thought about a continuity plan when attempting to access finance. Every year, one in five businesses suffer a major disruption, and one in 10 of these cease trading dont let that be your business! Preparing a business continuity plan is very straightforward and neednt be onerous or time-consuming. Here we outline six steps that we recommend you take over the next 12 months to help your business survive a catastrophe. 1. prepare a business battle box, which should include: l Business Continuity Plan your plan to recover your business l List of employees with contact details obtain as much information as you can, include email addresses and next-of-kin details l List of customer and supplier details l Insurance company details and your insurance certificate, along with copies of certificates for other business-related insurances you hold (for example, public/employer liability) l Financial and banking information l Contact details, including account numbers, for utility companies l Latest stock and equipment inventory l Formulas and trade secrets l Headed stationery l Building site plan, including location of gas, electricity and water shut-off points l Engineering plans and drawings l Local Authority contact details WoRSe CaSe SCenaRIoS You should also include: computer back-up disks/USB sticks to ensure you can plug and trade at a different location; spare keys/security codes/disposable camera, which can be useful for recording evidence in an insurance claim. This is not an exhaustive list, there may be other documents/items/equipment specific to your business that need to be included. But working through this list will help you to identify other items of importance. Make sure this box is secure and kept off site, and check the box every six to 12 months. 2. Identify the critical activities for your business that need to continue during an emergency, such as payroll, then identify the employees or other input to support that activity. Ensure that they are not a Single Point of Failure that is, a part of a system that, if it fails, will stop the entire system from working. If necessary, train other staff in these procedures so they can act as a backup when others are absent. 3. Store backup data off site, but ensure that all staff know the secondary location. 4. Check whether your staff can work remotely if an incident, such as bad weather or an evacuation event, prevents them from coming to their place of work. Do they need access to the servers? Can they access emails? Ensure that all staff have access to each others work and stored documents so that cover can be easily implemented. fInd out moRe Should you wish to discuss emergency planning and business continuity issues further, contact Karen Woolley on 01332 517176 or via email. 5. Your organisation is only as good as those on whom it depends. Discuss with your suppliers and subcontractors whether they have a robust business continuity plan in place and how this may affect your business. Also, discuss with them how they will support you if your business experiences an emergency for example, will they provide you with supplies while you get things up and running again? 6. Put a date in your diary to review these steps every six to 12 months, to ensure your Battle Box contents are current and still in line with any changes that might have occurred within your business. Credit: Karen Woolley Images: retrorocket / Shutterstock Your local authority website will carry further advice and information on emergency planning. If you would like to check the risks to your premises from flooding and other weather-related conditions, visit the Environment Agencys website. Worse case scenarios Could your business survive any of the following? l flooding l fire l loss of utilities l evacuation l prolonged staff absence l flu pandemic l Severe snow and ice