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 have never heard of business continuity (that’s ok: many medium-sized companies haven’t, either). But just because you’ve never heard of it doesn’t mean the world isn’t championing for small businesses to get into it!
Yes, the woooooorld!!
It is easy to just think of the United States. We’ve heard that small businesses are the backbone of the economy. Well, that’s true internationally, too. Over a decade ago, the United Nations created a framework to reduce risks from disasters aimed at supporting and sustaining local communities…and that included the small businesses. Every disaster starts locally and ends locally. Small businesses are a major part in helping prepare for and recover from disasters.
The UN’s efforts prompted a program called ARISE that has big business and industry assist with guiding small businesses to become more resilient. Why is this so important? When businesses fail, people become unemployed which can lead to civil unrest in less developed countries. It becomes a matter of national security for small businesses to succeed.
Think I’m exaggerating?
The United Arab Emirates has their national business continuity management guidance for businesses under their council of national security. NATO requires its member nations under Article 3 to be resilient to support collective defense. How is that related to small business? Many things that support infrastructure and enable defense are operated by private industry…which includes small businesses.
We see small businesses in the US supporting critical infrastructure with gas pipelines and water treatment plants --- which makes them more of a target because the smaller and more local they are, the smaller the budget they have to spend on things like cybersecurity.
There are also some great programs within the US sponsored by the federal and state governments to help vulnerable (read: small) businesses through grants, educational programming and mentoring programs.
If you think you’re too small to do business continuity, you’re not. If you think just because you haven’t heard much about it, it isn’t important, you're wrong. So much so that the entire world is pushing for it…as a matter of national security!
Wow, if you didn’t think you were important before, hopefully you do now!
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