Business Continuity Strategies for Small

1
Business Continuity Strategiesfor Small
Medium Sized Companies

• Continuity Insights
• Management Conference 2005

2
Agenda

• SMB BCP
• Strategies for Ensuring Quality BCP
• Tips, Tools Techniques to
• Prevent
• Mitigate
• Recover

3
Assumptions

• Youve been to a few other sessions
• You know the definition of disaster
• Youve heard enough about natural, human and
  technology disasters
• A business by any other name is still a
  business
• Business continuity by any other name is still
  saving your assets

4
SMB BCP

• Salient Characteristics of SMB
• Five Threats that can Sink a SMB
• Five Principles for Staying Afloat

Experience is a good teacher, but the fees are
very high. W.R. Inge
5
Salient Characteristics of SMB

• Under Resourced
• Financial
• Human
• Technology
• Simplicity Necessity
• Fragile Reputation
• Family Business

Success requires resiliency a survivor
personality
6
5 Threats that can Sink a SMB

• Intellectual Property
• Product Liability
• Workplace Violence
• Supply Chain
• Continuance

A good scare is worth more than good advice
7
5 Principles for Staying Afloat

• Pace Fast
• Panic Never
• Preparation - Vital
• Priorities Clear
• Practice - Often

Every time theres a disaster, small companies
are pushed over the edge. Paul
Calvin, Univ. Chgo
8
Principle 1 Pace - Fast

• 1st Hour Saves Lives
• 1st 24 Hours Saves Technology and Paper
• 1st 48 Hours Saves Your Reputation

9
Principle 2 Panic - Never

• Each crisis is an opportunity to exceed
  stakeholders expectations
• The time to plan is when you have a cool head
  not in the middle of a crisis

10
Principle 3 Preparation - Vital

• Goals
• Who to Involve
• What to Prepare
• Risk Decisions
• Communications
• Training

11
Principle 4 Priorities - Clear
12
Principle 5 Practice - Often
13
10 Strategies to Ensure Quality BCP

• Be Systematic
• Ask Critical Questions
• Place Value on Each Critical Asset
• Set Clear Priorities
• Establish Business Recovery Objectives
• Take Time to Learn About Options

14
10 Strategies to Ensure Quality BCP

• Be Wary of Fill-in-the-Blank Plans
• Spend on
• People and Data
• Prevention, Mitigation, then Recovery
• Appoint a Second-in-Command
• Make BCP Part of Your Company Culture

15
Tips, Tools Techniques Prevention

• Protect assets
• Regulations
• Employees
• Value data
• Environment
• Name
• Technology

16
Tips, Tool Techniques Mitigation

• Minimalism
• Incident management
• Training
• Insurance
• Go kits
• Alarms
• Technology
• Employees

17
Tips, Tools Techniques Recovery

• Relocate
• Expenses
• Communications
• Opportunities
• Valuable partners
• Employee assistance
• Reporting

18
Your Turn
19
Irene Rozansky, CEORA Crisis Management
Servicesinfo_at_raconsulting.netwww.raconsulting.ne
t847.827.4267