How To Create a Business Continuity Plan

Whether it is fire, flood, or cyberattack, every business needs to be prepared to face all of these issues as soon as they arrive. Unfortunately, not every business owner thinks about the possibility of encountering a problem before it is too late.

This is where the business continuity plan comes into play. It is a detailed outline of procedures and instructions that every member of the organization needs to follow in case of an emergency. As many things can go wrong while operating a business, you should consider creating a business continuity plan for your own company. Here is how you can do it.

Identify the Most Likely Problems

Before you create a business continuity plan, you need to identify which problems are most likely to occur in your case. This means you should examine the industry you’re in and see if you could face any of the issues common for it. For example, if your company stores a lot of important data, you should consider creating a BCP for a cyberattack that includes all the potential cyber incident responses and regular red team security testing.

You also need to take the human factor into account: many data breaches and malware attacks can happen because of bad online behaviour such as visiting phishing websites or opening malicious links. Take into account that your employees can cause an emergency, and plan accordingly.

A business continuity plan is not something you can create overnight. You may have to spend weeks on research, identification of threats, and defining the outcomes. A good tip is to speak with an expert in this field and learn more about the most common issues as well as possible solutions. Once you have identified the possible threats, you can move to the next step.

Discuss the Possible Solutions With Your Team or Other Experts

The next step is to discuss the possible solutions with your team. If you want to avoid the risk of losing data or having some other problem in the future, you should consider discussing the issue with your IT specialists. They will be able to give you some advice on how to prepare for different types of emergencies that may occur in the future.

For example, they can tell you what software needs to be installed on the computers or what kind of hardware should be used to minimize any damage in case of a fire or flood. They can also help you organize cybersecurity training for other employees.

You may also want to contact the plumbing company to ensure that your pipes are not leaking and your office won’t get flooded. Moreover, you need to check the fire safety and evacuation instructions and ensure that your office is well-equipped with fire alarms and other necessary tools.

Create a Detailed Plan

Finally, it is time to create a detailed plan covering any possible emergencies that might occur in the future. The plan must include detailed instructions on how to handle a particular problem, including where to get help from and how to proceed after an emergency strikes your company.

You should also include information on how each member of the organization should act. Moreover, you should check your plan regularly and make adjustments if necessary. Here are three steps you should follow when creating a detailed plan:

Think About What You Can Do Now

 
After identifying all the risks and their causes, you should consider possible ways to eliminate them before they can cause any harm. If you are afraid that your premises might be flooded, you will need to make sure that there are no leaks or cracks in the walls, windows, or roof.

Educating your employees on proper online behaviour and fire safety is also important to avoid potential problems.

Make Sure Everyone Knows What To Do and Where To Go

 
Take into account that an emergency may cause panic among employees, and they might forget what they are supposed to do. This is why it is crucial to ensure that every team member knows how to act if something goes wrong and can proceed instinctively.

All employees should be aware of where emergency exits are located and how to use them in case of an emergency. Moreover, they should know which documents they need to save immediately and which are backed up.

Check Your Plan Regularly

 
To ensure that everyone is familiar with the plan, it can be helpful to run regular tests – do it at least once per year. Make sure that all employees know what to do and have easy access to an emergency kit. Check all emergency response plans and make sure that all procedures are up-to-date.

If there is a need to change something, do it immediately to avoid leaving your company exposed to potential threats.