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Business continuity
Business continuity
You should have a plan to help protect your business from unexpected events or emergency situations. A plan will help you to:
- understand the risks your business could face
- plan what you’re going to do with your staff
- plan how you’re going to tell your customers
Your plan should include ways of dealing with:
- staff accidents and absence
- outbreaks of disease, including amongst staff
- IT problems and cyber attacks
- extreme weather
- flooding
- acts of terrorism
- gas, electricity or water supply failure
You should use the Kent Community Risk Register (CRR) to categorise each risk, from very high risk, to emerging risk.
You can download the assessment (PDF 243KB) and business continuity templates (PDF 504KB).
IT problems and cyber attacks
Plan to protect your IT systems and data. Think about how you can protected against social engineering, and ransomware.
For more information on these exploits, visit the National Cyber Security Centre's website.
Extreme weather
Extreme weather can affect:
- water and electricity supplies
- travel
- telecommunications
You should check the Met Office website for weather forecasts or visit Public Health England for advice.
Flooding
Flooding may effect utilities and public transport. For more information, visit the Environment Agency's website.
Terrorism
You can reduce risks to your business by staying vigilant and have security measures in place. You should use your own judgement and knowledge to decide which threats are most relevant to your business.
For the most up-to-date information, including security risk management, visit the National Counter Terrorism Security Office website.
Utility failures
You should plan how you could continue to provide a service if you don't have gas, electricity, or water.
If you're running a food business, you may need to temporarily close your business until the supply is restored, for hygiene reasons.
Entry Exit System (ESS)
The European Union (EU) are introducing the EES from November 2024. The EES uses biometric information like fingerprints and facial recognition, instead of manual passport stamps.
To keep up to date with the latest information, visit the Kent County Council website.
Creating your plan
You should think about:
- which activities and resources you need to provide your service or products
- how local risks can effect the delivery of your services or products
- how your activities and resources could be safely maintained in the event of a disruption
The plan should be supported by good business practice, including:
- staff welfare
- building maintenance
- cyber security
You should also include the six elements of the Business Continuity Management (BCM) cycle.
You can visit GOV.UK to download the Business Continuity Management Toolkit, which includes details about the BCM cycle.
Further information
For more advice and information, email emergencyplanning@swale.gov.uk.
Learn more about business continuity by watching the Business Continuity Institute's (BCI) video.
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