10 Quick Fixes to Make Your Business More Resilient
In business, resilience is the ability to bounce back from adversity, weather a storm, and keep moving forward. But here’s the thing—building resilience doesn’t always require a massive budget or a lot of time. In fact, there are several inexpensive and quick actions that can significantly strengthen your business’s ability to withstand challenges. Here are 10 simple steps you can take today to help your business thrive, no matter what comes your way:
?1. Write and Maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
While creating Standard Operating Procedures may feel like a time-consuming task, the payoff is huge. SOPs document how everyday tasks should be done, ensuring consistency, reducing errors, and providing a clear guide when things go wrong. In an emergency, having SOPs in place helps your team step in quickly and effectively.
?Why it helps: SOPs reduce confusion, improve efficiency, and enable your business to continue running smoothly even if a key employee is unavailable.
?2. Create an Emergency Operations Plan
Emergencies happen, whether it's a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or something else. Having a clear, written plan for how to respond to emergencies is a small investment in both time and resources that can protect your business in the long run.
?Why it helps: It outlines actions, assigns responsibilities, and sets communication strategies so your business isn’t caught off-guard when unexpected events occur.
?3. Build a Small Emergency Kit
It’s easy to overlook, but a well-stocked emergency kit with first-aid supplies, basic tools, and a backup power source can be a game-changer. Having a disaster plan that includes access to essential items can ensure your team stays safe and your operations stay intact. Here is simple checklist:
Why it helps: It minimizes downtime in emergencies, from power outages to medical emergencies, keeping operations running with minimal disruption.
4. Set Up Cloud Backup for Critical Data
Backing up your data is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to ensure business continuity in the event of a hardware failure, cyberattack, or other disaster. Using a cloud-based backup service is both affordable and accessible. We have worked with companies that utilize Carbonite, Datto and Barracuda and all are top notch solutions.
?Why it helps: Cloud backups prevent data loss, making it easy to recover vital information and continue operations with little to no downtime.
?5. Create a Flexible Work Policy
Having a flexible work policy, whether remote work or adjustable hours, ensures that your business can continue operating during disruptions like weather emergencies, illness outbreaks, or other unforeseen challenges.
Why it helps: Flexibility allows your team to stay productive during crises, which can be the difference between business survival and collapse.
Sample Flexible Work Policy: "We know that your job is not the most important part of your life and we don’t expect it to be. We will respect your time if you respect ours. Employees are permitted to work virtually as long as their goals are met and tasks completed on time. But we want to see you! So try to at least pop into the office a few times a week to say hello and share in the latest company news and clients.
If you need time off, please try to give your supervisor as much notice as possible. If we begin to suspect that you are abusing our flexibility for work life balance, we will have to talk about it and try to get things back on track. However, if it’s not working you, we may have to go our separate ways."
6. Cross-Train Employees
When employees are cross-trained to handle multiple roles, you create a workforce that's more adaptable during times of need. This is especially useful when someone is out sick, on vacation, or leaves unexpectedly. This is normally included as part of a succession plan. Check out our other article The 1 Page Succession Plan for more information.
?Why it helps: It ensures that there’s no bottleneck in your operations, no matter what happens. Multiple employees can step in and cover essential tasks.
?7. Establish a Financial Buffer and emergency fund
Even a small emergency fund can provide your business with the cushion it needs during lean months or unexpected expenses. Set aside a small percentage of profits each month to build up a safety net.
?Why it helps: An emergency fund can cover sudden costs and prevent you from going into debt when an unexpected expense arises, giving you breathing room to recover.
?8. Invest in Cybersecurity Training
You don’t need to be a tech expert to keep your business safe online. Basic cybersecurity training for employees on things like phishing scams, password protection, and secure data handling can go a long way. Our article the 7 Cyber Sins of Small Business owners can help you with the basics. You can also contact @Tempest Risk Management ([email protected]) for assistance with developing your own, in house, basic cyber security training plan.
OR, Download this FREE Cyber Security and Acceptable Use Policy from the Tempest Navigator.
Why it helps: With cybercrime on the rise, protecting sensitive information is critical. This step helps safeguard your business against costly data breaches and fraud. And the simple Cyber Security Policy from the Tempest Navigator is an easy way to get everyone on the same page.
?9. Maintain Strong Vendor Relationships
When you build strong relationships with your suppliers and service providers, you have a support network you can rely on when things get tough. Take the time to check in with them regularly and keep communication open.
?Why it helps: In times of crisis, having trusted vendors who are willing to work with you can make all the difference in maintaining your supply chain and ensuring business continuity.
10. Encourage a Culture of Adaptability
Building a resilient business starts with fostering a culture where adaptability is valued. Encourage employees to embrace change, suggest improvements, and take on new challenges. An agile, open-minded workforce can pivot quickly in response to unexpected situations.
?Why it helps: Businesses that foster adaptability are better equipped to handle disruptions, as employees are more likely to find creative solutions when faced with problems.
By taking these simple, low-cost steps, you’re building a foundation for long-term business resilience. While some actions, like writing SOPs or creating an emergency operations plan, may take a little effort upfront, the benefits are immense. These small but mighty actions will help you weather the storm—no matter what challenges come your way. So, why not get started today?
What small changes will you make today to build resilience in your business?
Andy Ziegler
Tempest Risk Management
Certified Risk Management Advisor
4 天前Excellent article about Business Continuity that applies to ALL companies. Very inclusive and I encourage our LinkedIn community members to give it a try! Just start with the one that you believe is the most important and you will want to keep digging into most of them. Times have changed, folks. Right?