How To Care For The Heart Of Your Business

At the beginning of the COVID-19 crisis, the owner of a small Indian restaurant was forced to move to an all-takeout model of providing delicious curries, tandoori and vegetarian dishes to his customers.  When restrictions were lifted, customers were invited to sit in his dining room at tables spaced apart to satisfy the COVID-19 restrictions.  A month later, returning customers noticed that the dining room was closed again.  Instead of dining inside the restaurant, they were asked to sit at tables and chairs that had been placed in the outdoor area between the front door and the parking lot. 

When the owner was asked if he had stopped serving in the dining room because a staff member had contracted Coronavirus, he responded that everyone was healthy.  He had come to the realization that his chef, a native of India with a vast knowledge of India’s spices and diverse cuisines, was at the heart of the restaurant’s success.  If the chef became ill, the restaurant would have to close immediately as there was no one who could take his place.  No chef, no restaurant.  That’s why he closed the dining room – to place a barrier between his chef and others.

To clarify what is at the heart of your business, what REALLY makes it tick, and create a plan for minimizing downtime before disaster strikes, consider a Business Impact Assessment (BIA). Unlike a Disaster Recovery Plan, which documents a strategy for dealing with disasters after they happen, a BIA uncovers potential areas of weakness in your organization before disaster occurs. These may include areas you have never previously considered.  For example, have you thought beyond the obvious technology-related issues?  Have you considered how you would maintain your business functions if one of the following risks was realized?

• Loss of a key employee or company leader
• Human error
• Major equipment malfunctions
• Insider threats
• Cyber attacks
• Natural disasters
• Negative publicity/negative impact of social media
• Economic downturn

A BIA is a methodical process by which your organization can 1) identify critical business functions/resources, 2) predict the consequences of a disruption on those functions, and 3) gather information needed to develop strategies that minimize or eliminate downtime during the disruption.  These strategies will enable you to quickly establish order during a disaster.

Be proactive! Contact iSeek Solutions today to assist your business with an impact assessment. Let us help you draft a proactive plan to minimize the impact of negative events on the people, processes and products that make your business tick.