Is THIS really what's the MOST important thing?

You've seen this in a movie at least once before - there is a [insert disaster here] that causes panick and a need for level-headed life-saving movements, but someone always want to go back for [insert object here that is of less value than a life] and has to be taken by the shoulders and have sense literally shook into them.

This blog was inspired by a year-end email from my business insurance company and what the most popular blogs were in 2025. The topics: dealing with tardiness of employees, boosting brand equity, allowing dogs in the office, and free perks employees love. They did blogs on preparing for disasters. But this is what was most important. I'm not saying it can't be, but only AFTER you've taken care of business continuity...because if you don't have a business, no one is showing up late because they don't have a job to go to anymore, brand won't matter, dogs will be with their unemployed owners, and perks don't matter if there isn't a job attached to them. To that end...

I worry about mentors. And EOS advisors.

Some mentors think they need to give their mentees what they will be interested in. Wrong: you are the mentor; you tell them what they need to be interested in. This isn't some made up thing - I've encountered this problem. In a place that was destroyed by a hurricane less than a year after my offer to the mentoring group for small businesses. I've also encountered EOS advisors who help their clients with "rocks" (things that are priorities but have long-range impact and generally get ignored otherwise). The EOS coach/advisor keeps them moving on their rocks throughout the year.

I've met more than one EOS business where business continuity is a rock, but one they keep kicking down the street. If it's been a rock for over a year, you don't understand what a rock is and your EOS advisor/coach doesn't know how to hold you accountable.

Relatedly, I have someone sending out a survey to ask their clients to rank what are their biggest business concerns for 2026. They said they'd throw in business continuity. I said you can't call it "business continuity" because they won't understand it and therefore won't prioritize it. I gave a few different ways to refer to business continuity without using those words (the same reason "business continuity" is not in the title of either of my books - no one is googling that phrase...I have the analytics to support that).

The thing that should really be the most important thing is whether or not the continued ability to make money has an impact on your future plans. If it doesn't, all good - carry on with dealing with tardiness and allowing dogs in the office. If it does, and your priorities are the top four most-read small business blogs, your resolution for 2026 is to come to Jesus about the work that is required to afford you the luxury of such things.

There is no chicken-or-the-egg question when it comes to business continuity. It comes first so you can grow and keep cash flowing no matter if things are normal or there is an interruption or disruption (large or small). It grows with you. It makes you prepared along the way so you are the one who is shaking the other person by the shoulders in a bad scenario, level-headed and clear about what needs to happen in order to survive another business day.