Businesses shouldn’t wait until the next round of snow before getting their continuity plans in shape, says Neil Stephenson, CEO of IT company Onyx Group.

Bad weather this winter cost SMEs more than £7 billion, with thousands of firms having to deal with the chilling reality of what happens when business continuity isn’t managed properly.

But this is by no means the only crisis that owner-managers should be prepared to deal with. Fires, theft, floods, data loss and system failures are just some of the other disasters enterprises may face.

Statistics suggest that 80 per cent of firms without a business continuity plan in an emergency will go bust. These sobering figures make it clear that contingency planning is fundamental to the longevity of any company.

Plan ahead

To begin with businesses need to create a resilient plan and there are a number of simple, yet crucial steps that ought to be taken if a robust strategy is to be implemented.

First and foremost, a business needs to understand the nature of the risk. Companies should carry out an assessment to identify critical areas that would cause the most damage to finances and reputation.

Secondly, it’s vital to plan what strategies would be used in the event of a disaster. Calculate downtime costs; determine which are the most critical systems; test system reloads; and ensure that all staff have relevant knowledge of your recovery processes.

Safe and secure

For companies that rely on their stored data it is crucial to invest in a robust back-up system, which may involve using offsite centres. When choosing a data centre, it is important to seek a secure and resilient environment for storage.

For maximum security and guaranteed access to data back-ups, companies should also ensure that their telecommunications provider has the ability to connect to an alternative network if a main supplier goes down.

Over and above this, owner-managers need to think seriously about how they would limit employee downtime when faced with a crisis. Investing in a workplace recovery site where staff can be immediately relocated may also be a key part of this strategy.

If SMEs are going to remain operational when faced with emergency, it’s imperative they put some serious thought and preparation into their business continuity plans. Their business’ chances of survival may depend upon it.

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A World Cup victory in South Africa this summer could prevent a double-dip recession, claims a survey.

Some 20 per cent of adults say they believe a victory in June would help the country out of the downturn, according to a poll from financial services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Julie Clark, UK head of sport at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says: ‘Winning a global sporting tournament such as the football World Cup has a significant impact on domestic consumer discretionary spend and therefore GDP. While we are technically out of recession, such a boost in national morale and international brand perception would aide recovery.’

The survey indicates that nearly 15 per cent of consumers intend to buy more if England win the World Cup in South Africa, specifically on celebrating in pubs and restaurants, and treating themselves to new purchases such as clothes and household goods.

According to the poll, ten per cent of UK adults envisage spending more time in the pub if England win the tournament, suggesting an increase in activity for UK pubs, bars and restaurants this summer.

Of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed, men showed more faith in football with 25 per cent believing a victory could avert financial disaster, with only 13 per cent of women agreeing.

View full post on Latest News | small business news and advice

A World Cup victory in South Africa this summer could prevent a double-dip recession, claims a survey.

Some 20 per cent of adults say they believe a victory in June would help the country out of the downturn, according to a poll from financial services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Julie Clark, UK head of sport at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says: ‘Winning a global sporting tournament such as the football World Cup has a significant impact on domestic consumer discretionary spend and therefore GDP. While we are technically out of recession, such a boost in national morale and international brand perception would aide recovery.’

The survey indicates that nearly 15 per cent of consumers intend to buy more if England win the World Cup in South Africa, specifically on celebrating in pubs and restaurants, and treating themselves to new purchases such as clothes and household goods.

According to the poll, ten per cent of UK adults envisage spending more time in the pub if England win the tournament, suggesting an increase in activity for UK pubs, bars and restaurants this summer.

Of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed, men showed more faith in football with 25 per cent believing a victory could avert financial disaster, with only 13 per cent of women agreeing.

View full post on Latest News | small business news and advice

A World Cup victory in South Africa this summer could prevent a double-dip recession, claims a survey.

Some 20 per cent of adults say they believe a victory in June would help the country out of the downturn, according to a poll from financial services firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Julie Clark, UK head of sport at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says: ‘Winning a global sporting tournament such as the football World Cup has a significant impact on domestic consumer discretionary spend and therefore GDP. While we are technically out of recession, such a boost in national morale and international brand perception would aide recovery.’

The survey indicates that nearly 15 per cent of consumers intend to buy more if England win the World Cup in South Africa, specifically on celebrating in pubs and restaurants, and treating themselves to new purchases such as clothes and household goods.

According to the poll, ten per cent of UK adults envisage spending more time in the pub if England win the tournament, suggesting an increase in activity for UK pubs, bars and restaurants this summer.

Of the 2,000 UK adults surveyed, men showed more faith in football with 25 per cent believing a victory could avert financial disaster, with only 13 per cent of women agreeing.

View full post on Latest News | small business news and advice

Small Businesses Fret Over Details of Health Law
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