Could Your Business Cope With A Volcano?

Nature has once again reminded us that even with all our technological advances, we are still at the mercy of the planet’s power. As I write this (5 days in to the eruption of Eyjafjallajokull volcano in Iceland), stories are coming in of the “heroic efforts” of people returning from their travels whilst the European wide debate continues on whether the no fly zone is really necessary. No doubt there will be plenty of inquiries (to apportion blame somewhere!) after this all dies down (whenever that may be with an expectation of this volcano continuing to erupt for 2 years).

The reality is that there was nothing that could have been done to prevent this. I understand the frustrations of travellers desperate to get home (having been stuck for 11 hours at Buenos Aires airport myself!) but would you really run the risk of getting on a plane that is not designed to suck volcanic ash into its engines. In the western world, we have all got so used to the “convenience” factor of quick travel and easy access to information that we have forgotten how to cope when things do not go right. Whilst most of the media concentrates on holiday makers being stuck abroad, the bigger picture is the economic impact of just-in-time manufacturers not being able to get parts when they need them or food that is rotting because of its critical timing in getting it from field to a foreign plate.

If you are running a small business, is all this fuss relevant to you? I am able to write this blog today as I was meant to be working with a client, but they are stuck overseas unable to get home. Whilst a couple of days’ delay may be inconvenient, any longer and there is a real risk that the business will suffer as they are the key component in not only getting new business but also ensuring the delivery of existing contracts.

So do you have a contingency plan for your business?

Do you have a plan of action for when something happens that you will have absolutely no control over, yet will stop your business in its tracks? We immediately think of business disaster planning but in reality, it is rarely disasters that kill businesses. It is far more likely to be something relatively insignificant that catches us unawares. For example, we all know about backing-up our IT systems and data (be honest, how frequently do you ACTUALLY do it!) but what about if you and your staff were denied access to your business premises (a frightening frequent occurrence thanks to burst mains, traffic accidents, gas leaks etc) – how could you ensure continuity of delivery to keep customers happy? Sure, they will understand if it’s only a couple of days’ interruption but as witnessed in the current crisis, 5 days in and there are a lot of angry businesses demanding answers from the Met Office and NATS if the closure of the skies is really necessary. Five days! Could you get your business back up and running in that time after a complete close-down?

Whilst flexibility and adaptability is often a major advantage for small businesses, this can be a key weakness when things go wrong and there is no plan of action to compensate. So make sure you have a Business Continuity Plan that every employee knows about (and understands the role they would play in case of a shut-down). I have been fortunate to work with and experience training sessions on Business Continuity Management delivered by MSD International Ltd – which is why my business has regular data back-ups and a plan of action for when things go wrong!  We also recommend MSD International to our clients as we know that as our clients’ businesses grow, they have far more to protect. Hopefully one positive from the Icelandic volcano is that more businesses will have set up new or updated old continuity plans.

And don’t forget to let your customers, suppliers and stakeholders know that your business has a continuity plan – it’s a major competitive advantage that will benefit from a bit of positive promotion, especially in the current crisis!!

If you want to know more about how to get started on a business continuity plan for small businesses, have a look at MSD’s website page which has outline guides to get you started, orcontact us or MSD for further information.

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