Business as usual
Sonia Cassidy asks why there are so many barriers to promoting 
business continuity to SMEs, and looks at ways of enticing smaller 
companies to adopt BCM practices
“
S
o do you work in the City?” The inherently different. As Andrew Hiles and a customer-focused, i.e. SME-focused,
question, though not unexpected, Mel Gosling pointed out in their article approach is likely to work best. It is
filled me with frustration and “SMEs – Stop the preaching” (Jan/Feb 2009 customer needs that must come first (even
bemusement. The time was 2006, the place edition of Continuity), the evangelical if these may not yet be fully realised, as is
the Business Continuity Expo and I was, approach does not work, and nor do the the case on the BCM front). Those seeking
in the words of one vendor, “the only SME 80/20 scare tactics. to promote SME engagement should
around”. Three years on, I find myself in an Though we are some way off yet from therefore ask the following question: Who
altogether different quandary. Having once unearthing workable solutions, the process will the average SME owner or manager
felt as if I alone was banging on about the of eliminating what does not work is listen to? Whose opinions are most likely
importance of small business BCM, I now valuable in itself. There are multiple barriers to influence theirs? Who are the people in
find that others are attempting and failing in to business continuity in small, medium, their immediate sphere of interest?
their efforts to reach out to SMEs. and indeed micro enterprises, not all A local council? Not really, unless it is to
Full-scale BCM solutions for SMEs which have been explored and so might enquire about parking or the small business e
simply do not seem viable until a critical benefit from unbundling further (see box on rates relief. The BCI? They are not likely
organisational mass has been reached. In page 28). to join any time soon. Customers, on the
their current state, the systems that were other hand, are a different story, as is their
set up to serve corporate, government and Building BCM bridges bank manager, Companies House and the
contingency clients cannot support SMEs To all wishing to promote SME BCM in their Inland Revenue. Suppliers count and, for
whose needs, requirements and culture are respective environments/groups of interest, the good ones, so do their staff. They are all ©iStockphoto.com/lorrainedark
2  Continuity  November/December 2009
Cont Nov/Dec 09_insides.indd 26 27/11/09 14:14:01
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