subject: Business Continuity and the Small Business [print this page] All businesses depend on people, processes and systems. If any one of these three components that makes a business run is missing, small businesses feel the impact even more.
Systems are the hardware and software your business depends on to run. Systems can be your desktop computer in which you depend to create your documents and spreadsheets or they can be your database server which captures your client data. Whatever they are in your business, it's important to make plans for obsolescence and failures. Small businesses feel the impact of hardware failures, in particular, as they generally depend on one piece of functioning equipment. Once that piece of equipment fails, a small business must scramble and make some quick purchases to replace the equipment. This definitely will cause some delays until the new piece is up and running.
People come and go and the reality is is that they are replaced once they go. However, once they go, they walk out the door with a lot of valuable knowledge for smooth business operation. Generally, there is someone such as a manager who knows the process, but the detailed knowledge takes some time to recapture.
That's where processes come into play and documenting them are critical to business continuity. As there are changes in personnel over time, a good reference manual for your business needs to be created. Documentation is time consuming, but it is important. Take time to document as the task is being performed. You can do this by taking a hand-held voice recorder and speak each step as it is being performed. In turn, these verbal notes can be transcribed and organized and business processes and rules can be documented and stored and become an excellent reference manual for when personnel changes happen.
Business Continuity and the Small Business
By: Denise Continisio
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