Advice for Businesses

Business Continuity Planning

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 came into force on 1 April 2005. This Act places a responsibility on Local Authorities to provide advice about business continuity to businesses and voluntary organisations within the District from mid-May 2006.

Click here to view The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 from the opsi website (Office of Public Sector Information)

Would your Business Survive?

Every year 1 in 5 businesses face a major disruption to their services. 1 in 10 of these will cease trading. If your premises were to suffer a crisis, how would you maintain your essential business activities?

The answer lies in
Business Continuity Planning

 

Click here to view 'Could your business survive a crisis? - a guide to Business Continuity Planning for businesses in the Epping Forest District' pdf »»

What is Business Continuity?

Business Continuity is about anticipating what crises could affect your business (e.g. a fire, a power cut, flooding, an IT systems failure, theft, restricted access to your premises) and identifying processes which will allow you to keep the disruption to a minimum and ensure that you recover from the crisis quickly.

Why is it Important?

Experience shows that businesses are more likely to survive a crisis if they have prepared for it. Business Continuity arrangements also build customer and insurer confidence in your business.

What is a Business Continuity Plan?

A Business Continuity plan will identify all the requirements that are essential to keeping your business running. It should include a set of instructions about what to do at the time of a crisis in order to allow your critical functions to continue.

You should consider issues such as:

• How would you evacuate your premises in an emergency?
• How can you contact essential staff outside of office hours?
• What are your critical business activities?
• What software and hardware does your business rely on?
• Do you store back-up data and can you access this outside of your premises?
• What telecommunications does your business rely on?
• Do you have any alternative premises you can operate from?
• Can your insurance details be accessed outside of the premises?
• Do you rely on suppliers and can you access details of these outside of your premises?

How do you start Business Continuity Planning?

In order to assist local businesses with this process, Epping Forest District Council has produced a booklet that sets out the key steps in business continuity planning and provides a template plan for your use. Remember that Business Continuity planning is not a complex science. It is largely based on a common sense approach and having in place practical measures, some of which you may already be doing without realising it, such as making regular back ups of your critical data and keeping them in a safe place away from your normal business premises.

Where can I find further information?

You may find the following websites useful for further information about Business Continuity:

 

 

 

 

Essex Resilience Forum - this is a multi-agency information website for Essex about emergency and business continuity planning, click here for the Essex Resilience Forum website.

 

 

 

London Prepared - this is a UK Government information website which is a central reference point and directory for use during wide-ranging London emergencies, click here for the London Prepared website.

 

 

 

Business Continuity Institute - the BCI was established in 1994 to enable members to obtain guidance and support from fellow business continuity practitioners.

The wider role of the BCI is to promote the highest standards of professional competence and commercial ethics in the provision and maintenance of business continuity planning and services, click here for the Business Continuity Institute website.

 

 

Audit Commission - the Audit Commission is an independent body responsible for ensuring that public money is used economically, efficiently and effectively, click here for the Audit Commission website.

 

 

 

UK Resilience - the UK resilience website provides information on emergency planning and cross government resilience activity. It is run by  the Contingencies Secretariat in the Cabinet Office, a central reference point and directory for use during wide-ranging national emergencies, click here for the UK Resilience website.

 

Please remember, your business could be at risk in the event of a major disruption!

• The Manchester bomb in 1996 demonstrated that 80% of firms with no plans in place who are affected by a major incident never re-open or close within 18 months
• The World Trade Centre - 9/11 tragedy saw a virtual repeat of these statistics!
• Do something now to avoid being "just another statistic"

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