Business continuity advice

Introduction

An incident, large or small, natural, accidental or deliberate, can cause major disruption to your business. This may result in a loss of income, customers, reputation, lead to legal or regulatory penalties, or even cause you to lose your business altogether.

Business continuity is a planning process which is put in place to manage the risks and ensure as much stability as possible in the event of disruption. Effective business continuity may also help in securing business insurance.

How councils can help your business

Local Authorities have a statutory duty under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 to provide free advice and assistance with regards to business continuity for small and medium enterprises, and voluntary organisations. Using their advisors in order to be better informed and prepared to deal with emergencies has a wide range of benefits and is good business practice.

What do they offer?

  • Advice and support in planning, developing and documenting systems to maintain business continuity.
  • Help to identify the critical activities and resources needed to continue business.
  • Help to assess the internal and external risks to these activities.
  • Help to identify and prioritise services necessary to recover from disruption, set objectives for recovery time and determine the resources needed to achieve your objectives.
  • Signpost you to relevant information/toolkits available.

Where can I find more information?

Advice and contact details can be found at the following pages:

Articles

Resources