For some organizations, Business Continuity (BC) Planning is a fact of life - dedicated staff, budget and resources devoted to continually developing, exercising, validating, maintaining and enhancing their ongoing Business Continuity Management programs. For the typical business whether large or small, reality usually gets in the way.
A colleague of mine used to say that Business Continuity had its own specific gravity: It never quite sank to the bottom of the pile of priorities, but never quite rose to the top. It was always next (or next but one) on the list of things that had to be done.
Every business owner or manager knows they need to address business continuity - some day - after putting out day-to-day fires, paying the bills, taking care of customers, and catching their breath. So, what are those of us who have the luck to operate in the real world, supposed to do about business continuity?
The answer is obvious - do what you can realistically accomplish with whatever time and resources you are able to spare. Of course, you should ensure your BC program meets any legal, contractual or regulatory requirements - and meets your fiduciary responsibilities.
In this book (here are the contents and some excerpts) and companion CD-ROM, Ken Fulmer has provided us with a clear, easy-to-use resource for business continuity: a step-by-step tool which isn't going to overwhelm you nor break the bank, yet which will provide you with a sound foundation for beginning on the path to effective business continuity.
While there are more complex tools and books available, this Guide will get your BC program going surprisingly fast and with a lot less sweat and tears than you might expect. It will also give you a structure which you can continue to build on as your business changes and evolves, and as you are willing and able to devote more resources to business continuity.
My advice to the reader is to do the best you can, as soon as you can, to address the business continuity requirements of your organization - your business's survival may depend on it!