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"They Didn't Tell Me!" - Why You Need an Expert to Survive Helene
I am continuing with my experience surviving Helene in Asheville, NC. I didn't think there was anything I could have done to help the...
Erika Andresen
Oct 14, 20243 min read


Hope for Businesses After a Disaster: Asheville and World Central Kitchen
If you haven't been paying attention, I live in Asheville, NC. Business continuity is difficult after a catostrophic event has occurred...
Erika Andresen
Oct 7, 20242 min read


Why Small Business Survival IS important
I talk a lot about how small businesses and their survival are key components to community resilience. It can be from just tax purposes...
Erika Andresen
Sep 23, 20242 min read


Win or Learn
Win or Lose? Nay. Win or Learn. I say it a lot – it’s never too late to learn what you wish you knew earlier (it’s even on the back cover...
Erika Andresen
Sep 16, 20242 min read


Regulatory Compliance - The Right Amount (?)
What are regulations? Do they have the same standing and effect as a law? What does it really mean to comply or not? What does compliance...
Erika Andresen
Sep 9, 20242 min read


How Down? Shortcomings of Exercises
I had a leader regale me with his management style regarding when employees came in to complain. Them: “I’m mad!” Him: “I get that you’re...
Erika Andresen
Aug 26, 20242 min read


An extreme analogy of failing to do business continuity
I’m going to give you an example of something you are glad – very glad – failed. And tell you why it failed. Spoiler alert: it’s the same...
Erika Andresen
Aug 19, 20242 min read


The Blessing and Curse of the Business Survival Pivot
Starbucks is having a problem with changing too much for the times. They were a coffee shop where they wanted people to go to spend time...
Erika Andresen
Aug 12, 20243 min read


All Eyes Are on YOU: Business Continuity on the Global Stage
We know that I specialize in the small business space when it comes to business continuity. A lot of the time the business owners I meet...
Erika Andresen
Aug 5, 20242 min read


Smaller Aspects of Succession Planning
I’ve been on a succession planning panel. The other panelists were a HR specialist and an M&A advisor. When – last in the sequence –...
Erika Andresen
Jul 29, 20242 min read


Hurts So Good: Why Exercises Are Important
2400 years ago, Aristotle wrote: “for the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.” He was talking about...
Erika Andresen
Jul 22, 20242 min read


Bias Requires Crisis Communication
This is coincidentally timed as I plan my topics out weeks in advance. I was teaching my Emergency Management graduate students about...
Erika Andresen
Jul 15, 20242 min read


Advanced Business Resiliency at MIT
I try to impress upon small businesses that business continuity is an important field, one they are left out of for no good reason. I...
Erika Andresen
Jul 8, 20242 min read


Small Business Optimism Doesn't Have to be Small
Small business optimism is at 12 yr low. The National Federation of Independent Businesses conducted their annual study and it’s looking...
Erika Andresen
Jun 24, 20242 min read


Ecosystems, Political Costs, and a Black-ish Swan
I’ve previously written about the costs associated with political maneuvers. If you don’t remember it, it’s here. I am going to show how...
Erika Andresen
Jun 17, 20242 min read


Exercises For Your Business and Mind
Is having a business continuity plan enough? No. You need to exercise it. Set your mind at ease with both having a business continuity...
Erika Andresen
Jun 10, 20242 min read


AI Can Work Exactly Right and Still Make You Fail
I am not shy about the fact I am not a fan of AI (yes, I personally write everything I produce). AI can do what you tell it to do, what...
Erika Andresen
Jun 3, 20242 min read


Ashley Madison Cyberattack: Same Mindset Some SBE’s Have
Have you seen the recently released Netflix documentary series on the cyberattack that took down Ashley Madison? Aside from the juicy...
Erika Andresen
May 27, 20243 min read


Regulations are Irregular and Costly Thanks to Politics
When it comes to business continuity plans, the plans need to be updated when there is a significant change. Small business owners don’t...
Erika Andresen
May 20, 20242 min read


Dust off Your Covid Business Continuity Plans: Another Pandemic
Covid-19 was 4 years ago…a lot of us adapted and moved on. Short-term memory is a real thing with disasters. While I am not arguing for...
Erika Andresen
May 13, 20242 min read
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