How To Prepare a Business Continuity Plan

3/1/2022 (Permalink)

Creating a business continuity plan is critical for protecting your organization in the event of a major disaster

Steps For Developing a Business Continuity Plan

If you own a business in Towngate, TX, creating a business continuity plan is critical for protecting your organization in the event of a major disaster, such as a hurricane or fire. Having a well-documented plan will ensure that your business can continue during difficult times and that you can mitigate losses.

1. Perform an Analysis

One of the first steps for creating a business continuity plan is taking a step back and conducting a Business Impact Analyst to determine the impact that a catastrophic event could have on your business. While performing this analysis, you should identify the critical functions of your business and the necessary resources and to support them. Use surveys and questionnaires to gather this information.

2. Create and Document Recovery Strategies

Using the information from the BIA surveys, you should record and document all essential processes needed to keep your business operating. These strategies are should take all necessary equipment, materials and people required to maintain operations into consideration. Facilities and technical resources should be included as well. Conduct a gap analysis to identify the gaps between the current state and your business’s capabilities in a recovery state.

3. Develop a Formal Plan

Compile all information into one formal document that includes an emergency response plan, any relocation plans and disaster recovery procedures. Any recovery teams that have been formed to execute this plan should be outlined in the document, in addition to the contact information of any vendors required to assist with recovery, such as professional flood cleanup services and electricians.

4. Conduct Training Exercises

Once the plan is developed, create a training and testing plan. Disaster simulation exercises can help familiarize employees with how to respond in the event of an emergency.
You cannot always predict when a major disaster will strike. You can, however, control how you respond when it does. Having a thorough business continuity plan will help ensure your business stays protected and mitigates any major downtime.