Continuity plan key to survival

Russell Bell PHOTO/FILE

Last week it was Melbourne, this week Christchurch. Two very different cities dealing with different environmental states.

Some time ago, I wrote about the need for business continuity/disaster recovery planning in the case of natural events such as the ones that befell the Christchurch region. Although an event impacting you and your business can come in many forms, we need to be ready.

For Christchurch, attention has turned to the rebuild and the recovery of the wider community and the economy. There is much to do and there are hundreds of civil and construction projects on the go - even Wanganui companies are contributing to and benefiting from this activity.

In speaking with locals and business leaders last week, it would not be surprising if an entire industry arises that specialises in business continuity and disaster recovery.

The shame of it is that it shouldn't take a negative event to get you thinking about securing your businesses future via business continuity strategies. This is a specialist area and too often overlooked.

Having a continuity business plan will go a long way to ensuring future events are as "painless" as possible.

In other news, I have been asked to assist secondary school students by judging an upcoming Business Challenge. Last time I did this type of thing I was amazed at some of the ideas the teams had come up with and the maturity and communication skills of our youth.

My expectations are high. But I'm looking forward to it because these students will be the business people of our future - and succession planning is a key aspect of continuity - continuity being as much about the future as dealing with current events.

If you would like help with succession planning, business continuity planning or more information on strategic planning and how it will contribute positively to your business, phone Russell and Stephanie at Zenith Group on 347-9997 or 021-244-2421.