Business resiliency is an organization’s ability to respond and adapt quickly to disruptions or significant, unexpected changes that could threaten its business operations, people, assets, reputation, or company culture.
Whether facing a natural disaster, supply chain disruption, IT outage, or other critical business disruption, resilience requires a business to have a proactive plan in place on how to recover from emergencies while keeping its infrastructure, customer base, and reputation intact.
Business resiliency planning provides your business and your people a playbook to follow if and when normal processes and procedures fail. This mission-critical planning helps with business continuity management to maintain operations and business functions, even when facing the unforeseen.
The benefits of developing a business resiliency plan include the following:
- Reduced financial loss
- Quick recovery
- Minimized business disruption
- Fewer threats to business continuity
- Enhanced reputation
Oregon SBDC’s Resiliency Planning Assistance
Emphasizing business continuity and resiliency, Oregon’s SBDC advisers meet with small business owners to help them prepare for the worst before the worst happens. These steps include:
- Risk management
- Implementing cybersecurity protocols
- Succession planning
- Understanding supply chain risks
- Crisis management
Businesses also receive tools for creating their own organizational resiliency plan, business continuity plan, and business impact analysis. Business owners are also encouraged to use financial planning and tools to mitigate risks. Business resiliency planning is emphasized throughout most SBDC class curricula.
With 20 regional Centers located statewide, the Oregon SBDC Network can assist small business owners with their business planning needs. Contact your local Center to learn more.
Business Resiliency Resources
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- Ready.gov – Toolkits, videos, and plans for business continuity. Disasters and emergency preparation by topic.
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- SBA Preparing for Emergencies – Specific disaster checklists and tips. Financial assistance, disaster cleanup, and resource links.
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- FEMA – Business continuity plan and emergency preparation.
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- IRS Business Disaster Information – IRS videos on disaster assistance, reconstructing records after a disaster, disaster loss deductions, and more.