Business Continuity Planning involves devising a plan that guards against business disruption in case of unforeseen events.
In the Facility Management Journal, Pat Moore defines business continuity planning as "the process that defines the procedures employed to ensure timely and orderly resumption of an organization's business cycle through its ability to execute plans with minimal or no interruption to time-sensitive business or service operations."
In other words, this is the kind of business planning that answers the question, "Will my business be able to continue to operate if this (or this or this) happens?" The “"this or this" could be anything from an ice storm through a lack of supplies caused by a disaster on the other side of the world.
What will happen if your business is hit by fire, floods or earthquake, the death of the business owner or other key personnel, or a technological disaster such as having all your business data wiped out? A well thought out business continuity plan can mean the difference between your business's survival and failure in the event of a crisis.
Besides ensuring the health and safety of all personnel, the objectives of business continuity planning include minimizing interruptions to the business's ability to provide its products and/or services, minimizing financial loss, and being able to resume critical operations within a specified time after a disaster.
The Business Contingency Planning Guide lays out how to prepare a business continuity plan for your small business.
