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In this Economic Time Use Business Continuity as a Selling Point

In our current economic state, the first thought is to cut, cut, cut.  It’s common to see companies cutting departments by 10% across the board in order to meet tight budget demands.  And in non-revenue generating departments such as human resources, accounting, and training it can be even higher.

There is one particular area that - if it exists in an organization - is taking a heavy hit when it could actually be making you money.  What I’m referring to is the area of Business Continuity.

If you deal with outside customers and provide services - especially data services - to these customers, then your own business continuity plans and personnel are not only of great value to you, but they should also be of great value to them.

Rather than cut back or completely eliminate business continuity plans and personnel as some companies are doing, look to your very capable disaster planning and recovery personnel for the following:

• Be a sales tool in winning new business. Have the business continuity director meet with prospective clients and present tests results, findings, and strategy to help bring in new business.  You can also have them meet with existing clients - especially if a contract is up for renewal.

• Save company dollars by helping to reduce insurance costs. Check with your insurance carrier.  It’s possible that better corporate rates can be negotiated if you can show that you have a solid disaster and recovery plan in place.

• Reduce corporate downsizing risks through planning, testing, and evaluation. The across the board cuts can actually be costly to the organization if the wrong cuts are made without proper upfront planning.  Enlist this group to run scenarios on how the business will react to different downsizing scenarios and find the one that fits best for your organization’s needs.

• Minimize company exposure to suppliers with weak business continuity plans by validation. Utilize your own business continuity group to evaluate the disaster planning efforts of the people you contract with to supply your needs.  Use them to require and oversee testing and validation by your suppliers so that you know you’re covered on that end as well in case there is disaster.

Summary

Unless you are in the government contracting sector where proving your business continuity is actually a revenue generator, then this group is almost always overhead.  However, if you’re creative and think about how you can leverage the group to bring in new business or retain current business, this overhead department can actually make your company more profitable.