Chapter 1

Introducing Business Continuity

In This Chapter

Defining business continuity

Discovering the terms and concepts

Getting to grips with business continuity

Understanding that business continuity is for you

If you think that business continuity (BC) is only for big businesses and companies, get ready to have that myth well and truly busted, because that’s far from the case. BC is simply taking responsibility for your business and giving it every chance of staying on course when harsh winds come a-blowing. BC can help give you a good idea of the risks you face, as well as providing plans and strategies to assist you if any of these events materialise. You don’t need to hire specialist consultants, create a project team, have a full-time BC manager, spend big bucks or stop doing anything that you usually do.

The fact is that firms practising BC can more confidently embark on new ventures and projects or launch new lines because they have a better understanding of their business and the risks it faces. After all, it’s your business and your responsibility to strengthen the firm’s resilience. The decisions and actions that you take are what differentiates you from your competitors and determines whether your business is successful or not.

In this chapter, we introduce you to business continuity, including its main concepts and an overview of how it works. We also define a few key terms that you encounter throughout this book, which help you to get the most out BC.