Business continuity plan

Could your business make it through a crisis? Incidents such as severe weather, staff absence, failure of a key supplier, fires, floods, malicious damage and many other potential incidents can cause a business significant problems and prevent it from carrying out its usual operations.

A business continuity plan can help to prevent operational interruptions to your organisation and enable it to quickly return to a state of 'business as usual'. Once it has been prepared the business continuity plan must be tested and exercised.

What should you do next?

If you have been inspired to develop a continuity plan for your business, write yourself a realistic plan based on the following Toolkit

Start by looking at the Thames Valley Community Risk register and consider any local risks associated with your geographic location.

Conduct an impact analysis to highlight the key areas that you need to focus on.

Consider risk mitigation via the 4 x Ts. - Terminate, Treat, Transfer, Tolerate

• Terminate - Can you terminate the business activity?

• Threat - Can you reduce the risk?

• Transfer - Can you insure against the risk, or outsource that aspect of the Business?

Tolerate - Continue with the business activity and prepare a plan to minimise any impact to it.

Train you staff

Your plan is only as good as those staff that have been trained in its activation. To ensure that your plan works well, ensure that your members of staff have been trained in its activation and use.

Test your plan

Testing your plan is good practice. Check phone numbers within the plan regularly and conduct at least one annual test on the highest risk areas of your business to ensure that the plan is suitable.

Business continuity management training

Many private companies offer business continuity training packages. Nationally, the Emergency Planning College offers a range of courses included Business Continuity modules.

Useful websites 

Business Continuity Institute 

How Prepared are You? HM Government

Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure 

The Institute of Risk Management

Emergency Planning College 

Emergency Planning Society 

Berkshire Regional Continuity Forum 

The councils in Berkshire host events for businesses to get involved and share good practice. For more information and forthcoming events please see the Berkshire Regional Continuity Forum link.

The councils in Berkshire host events for businesses to get involved and share good practice. For more information and forthcoming events please see the Berkshire Regional Continuity Forum link.