Packing Your Parachute & Business Continuity Planning

Yesterday in a presentation to a new client one of the participants announced that he “finally got it”. He stated to his counterparts that “developing a business continuity plan was like packing a parachute.” Think about it – I’ve even made the same statement myself, in a different fashion but the translations are still the same. “There is a right way and a wrong way to develop your plan, what matters is the fact that the thing needs to work when the time comes.”

The “Professional Practices” that have been developed, that define just how a business continuity plan should be put together, is the “right way”. Any other way is the “wrong way”. As I’ve said in the past – Can you afford to do it the wrong way? When that business disruption occurs that we all hope never happens, you want to hit the ground running, not hit the ground.

Think about it … you need to familiarize yourselves with those “Professional Practices”. If you are just starting to develop your plan, build your plan accordingly. If you have what you consider a viable plan, visit those “Professional Practices” and make sure you have “packed your chute” correctly.

Remember your business continuity plan – given the right event – might be the only remaining element of your business. Technology.inc.com agrees that, “Having a business continuity plan to help ensure the survivability of your business is essential these days.” It has to work or you are out of business. That statistic is well proven!