Cost of Living Business Support
Concerned about rising costs for your business? The Growth Hub team have compiled a list of the latest cost of living and energy related schemes and guidance available. They can also offer your business support with business planning and resilience.
Find out more at https://www.heartofswgrowthhub.co.uk/cost-of-living/
Introduction
Business Continuity Management (BCM) is a process that helps manage risks to the smooth running of an organisation or delivery of service. It is an ongoing process that helps organisations anticipate, prepare for, prevent, respond to and recover from disruptions or a disaster.
Under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004, all Somerset local authorities have been given the duty to provide advice, guidance and best practice on business continuity planning to business and voluntary agencies.
What we have done
We have published two booklets to assist local businesses and voluntary agencies in the development of their own business continuity plans. You can download the booklets from Downloads or contact us and we will send them to you. Both our business continuity booklets are free of charge.
We hold events where experts can give advice on security. These events are publicised by Somerset local authorities, Chambers of Commerce and local press and media. It is our duty to promote business continuity planning to ensure that businesses can still deliver their essential services during emergencies.
We can also point you to various business continuity organisations and government websites that offer further advice and explain why it is important for businesses to have plans. Please contact us to find out more.
Although you are not compelled to do anything, it is worth checking with your insurers to see if they require you to develop and maintain business continuity plans.
Business continuity information is also available on district council websites.
Policy
The Avon and Somerset Local Resilience Forum has produced and published a community risk register for Somerset. It gives a broad overview of the potential risks and is available on the Avon and Somerset Police website or on all Somerset local authority websites.
Laws and regulation
General information
Emergencies can disrupt businesses, affecting profits and operations. This can be bad for employees, shareholders, customers and communities. The Government’s key advice to businesses is to ensure that you have robust, flexible business management that will ensure that the impact of any emergency on your business will be minimised, and should help you recover quickly.
Your customers expect continuity of services, even in the most challenging circumstances. They expect you to be fully in control. If you are unprepared and fail to deal effectively with business disruption or disaster, your reputation and business could be at risk.