Crisis Management 101 for SMEs

SMEs are vulnerable to various crises, from natural disasters to financial downturns, and now, cyber-attacks have become an additional threat. Therefore, it is imperative for small businesses to have a crisis management plan that includes cyber security measures.

In Dynamic Business' recent Let’s Talk: Crisis Management 101 for SMEs, insights into why small businesses must prioritise crisis planning and practical tips to develop a comprehensive crisis management plan were shared by industry leaders including our own Lyndelle Morgan, Director of Niche Marketing Group.

Lyndelle's thoughts:

Although small businesses may not have the same level of resources as larger organisations, having a crisis management plan can help them stay prepared and protect their business. A crisis management plan should outline: roles and responsibilities, communication protocols, contingency plans, and procedures for handling different types of crises. Potential crisis scenarios should be devised and included in the plan, with each outlining potential issues, responsibilities, courses of action, relevant internal policies, and draft statements for responding to media.

Much of crisis management relies on clear, concise communication with stakeholders including media, customers, general public, and the internal team. A crisis management communications plan should include:

• Key messages which can be used or adapted to respond to media enquiries and general public announcements, as well as owned channels, to ensure messaging consistency
• Draft Q&As for all relevant audiences
• Media interview dos and don’ts as reminders for the organisations’ spokesperson and team
• A timeline of actions to manage the issue.

A dynamic, integrated agency, Niche Marketing Group's commercially-minded creativity delivers communication, design, and content?with a point of difference: brand campaigns which?generate?conversations, prompt?purchases, and enliven experiences.