Business continuity planning that considers all hazards is increasingly important. If you don’t do it, your competitors will. Given the risks various crises pose to a company’s very existence, such planning must always be a high priority. Yet consequences can have a disproportionate effect on smaller companies, which are also less likely to be prepared. Many may even see such planning as an expensive “luxury” that must await more profitable times. Postponement of such planning sometimes ensures such times will never come.

 

The CD-ROM Quick and Easy Business Continuity Plan for Your Small Business is an inexpensive, simple means to ensure that any company or organization has a basic plan in place to deal with emergency situations. It is not a panacea, but its title is accurate: step-by-step templates are self-explanatory and can be turned into a basic plan rapidly, without any special training or significant expense. The software contains Microsoft Word templates (some with color-coded sections to help customize plans) as well as sample plans to use as guides and references. It also contains how-to articles, updating instructions, and other aids.

 

This guide reflects the professional standards of the Disaster Recovery Institute and the National Fire Protection Association, as well as industry best practices. Its author, who has more than 20 years of experience, field tested the materials in a variety of business environments to ensure their comprehensiveness, simplicity, and effectiveness. It will require tailoring, but Quick and Easy Business Continuity Plan for Your Small Business will allow any small business or organization—regardless of its industry or activities—to quickly prepare a contingency plan.